Home Gardens

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 22, 17 February 1948, Page 6

Home Gardens

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.) Dust for the Butterfly No. 3 plot was limed in the late winter and well manured in the spring. The first crops of cabbage and cauliflower will now be finished, and now second crops are being cut, whilst autumn and late broccoli, drumhead and savoy cabbage, kale and sprouts will be well established and making good growth. They must be protected from the white butterfly and diamond-backed moth by dusting with derris dust. Young plants which have not commenced to heart may be sprayed with arsenate of lead, which is rather cheaper than the derris. The other crops which have been included in this section are celery, celeriac and leeks, which follow the turnips, swedes and perhaps kohl rabbi in the previous rotation. These crops should not be followed by members of the cabbage family to which they belong, nor should leeks follow their brother, the onion. Earliest crops of leeks and golden self-blanching celery will be ready for use in the autumn. The main crops are valuable winter crops. Spray celery regularly with bordeaux or cuprox and never allow the plants to become at all dry. If they are backward, water with weak liquid manure. Success is achieved by growing these' plants on steadily from seed to maturity. The remains of early crops of the cabbage tribe must be cleared, the leaves made into compost and the roots burned. The ground, which was well manured this season, is exactly what is required for the crops now in section No. 4 which follow on. The first of these is broad beans, which follow the cabbage in March. A few autumn-sown green peas may | also be sown at the same time if desired. A Thirsty Season Plot No. 4 contains crops of peas and beans which followed the previous year’s crop of cabbage. The earliest crops should be cleared away when finished, to prevent the spread of any disease which may have attacked them. Existing crops must be well watered if good yields are to be expected. If mildew appears, peas must be sprayed at the first signs, with collodial sulphur. Silver beet, spinach and lettuce comprise the remainder of this plot, and followed celery and leeks. Further sowings may be made of lettuce and the pi’ickly-seeded or winter spinach, in rows 12 inches apart. These two may be sown in the new plot if there is insufficient room here. As sections of this plot become vacant they may be sown in green manure crops which may be dug in later and will be well rotted by the time the'ground is required fqr potatoes next season.

AIL vegetable crops must be well supplied with water if the best results are to be obtained during the dry season of the year. Weak liquid manure is also beneficial to growing crops. Runner beans and celery are the first to suffer and the former may also be attacked by the looper caterpillar which becomes prevalent during late summer and autumn. Use derris dust on producing crops.