GARDEN NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 9, 19 September 1944, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

WORK FOR THE WEEK

VEGETABLES

Most growers arc anxious to get their crops sown as soon as possible hut remember tliat seeds and plants put in cokl ? wet soil never get away as they should do. Soil warmth is needed before seeds will germinate. Where the soil is heavy fork it over lightly and let it warm up, before proceeding witli sowing or planting. On heavy soil parsnips may be sown as late as October and they will develop by the time tlicy are required. Onions should be sown as soon as possible to give them time to develop and to be harvested before late autumn. Sec that the soil is firm. Good keeping onions arc not produced on loose soil. Autumn-sown onions are now well on the wajr. Keep them free from weeds. Dust a little superphosphate along the rows and hoe it in. When large thinning should be done, leaving the plants from three to four' inches, apart. Those removed when thinning may be transplanted.

If a summer supply of silver beet is desired a sowing may be made no\v but it is generally grown as a winter vegetable. For this purpose sow the: seeds at tile end of December. Not beiifg a root crop it b one growing on freshly-manured ground. To grow this crop to perfection the ground must be rich. Select, an open position. As the plants grow to a large size, at least two feet should be allowed between the rows and from 15 to 18 inches between the large succulent leaves. Continue to make sowings of peas, broad beans 4 beet, carrots, spinach lettuce, mustard and cress>' at intervals for succession. Lettuce' cabbage and cauliflowers may be planted out. Globe artichokes should be cleaned of old leaves and litter and a dressing of well decomposed manure dug in around them. These are ornamental. All roots of parturnips and leeks left in the ground should be taken up at once, and the ground manured and dug in readiness for another crop. Plant out early potatoes in frostfree localities. Robin Adair, Black Kidney } Epicure, Catriona or Jersey Bennes are reliable early sorts. Where frosty it is. far too early to plant potatoes Rhubarb may be given a mulch of short stable manure. Make a sowing of parsley. This is always useful.

Tomatoes cucumbers pumpkins and marrows can now be sown under glass, and when large enough f o handle may be boxed or potted and gradually hardened off in preparation for planting out when the frosts are over.