HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 74, 9 December 1949, Page 3

HOME GARDENS

(By J. S. Yeate's, Massey Agricul-* tural College)

OF CABBAGES AND KINGS This is a season of the year when the seed is sown of early plants set out for many of the more important winter vegetable crops. Accordingly a review of some winter vegetables is given today. Brussells sprouts are one of the very finest and most tasty vegetables for winter and early spring, when vegetables are in shortest supply and very expensive. The sprouts are not grown nearly so much as they should be, and perhaps a fdw hints may be a help to those who would like to grow them. The seed should be i sown from mid-October up to mid-December and the plants ’ set out from early December to the end of January. It is best to plant at the earliest dates given above, because that allows the plants to reach a good size and to form good hard sprouts if other conditions are right. The trouble is however, that most gardeners have not the room to plant out the Brussells sprouts until January, when other crops f such as early potatoes, broad beans, or peas have been cleared away. Fortunate indeed is the man who has room to ; set out each crop at its proper time. If you have room enough it is a good idea to sow your • Brussells sprouts seeds rather thinly in a row where some can be left and others taken, when ready, with a good block of soil, for setting out. My own, sown a month ago, are nice little plants now, thinned out to some 3 'inches apart. In mid-Dec-ember these plants will be transplanted, leaving one to about every two feet of row. In setting out several rows in a block, 2 feet 6 inches or three feet - apart is about right for the rows.

soil for Brussells sprouts should be in as good heart as possible but is better not to have an excess of nitrogen. An old saying of experienced gardeners is “firm ground, firm sprouts”—indicating that though the soil should have been cultivated thoroughly, it should not be too loose and spongy. A good piece of recently ploughed pasture is hard to beat for this crop. For fertilisers use phosphate, usually as superphosphate, and some potash, and a little ammonium sulphate. If you do not grow your own plants try to get some good, well grown plants early in December and set them out then. Another crop planted in January will give you an indication of the value or otherwise of early planting. One advantage of growing from seed .is that you can grow seed of a known variety, and if successful grow the same in following During the war years been a good deal of seed of inferior varieties on the market. I am trying this year the Catsmill Mountain strain.

When setting' the plants out, they will be lifted each with a block of soil if you grow your own, and will scarcely notice the change. If you buy plants, cut off most of the outer leaves when planting, but do not cut into the growing tip with its young 1 leaf or two. Work fertiliser into the soil along the row, make a hole with a dibbler or a trowel, and set the plant fairly deep, but not deep enough to bury the grow-

ing tip. Planting fairly deep in this way not only gets the roots away from the drier surface soil, but also prevents the plant being moved too much by the wind. 4 fter planting, firm the soil by driving the heel of your boot in right close up against one side of the plant. Finally pour about a quart of wafer round each plant.

The diseases of Brussells sprouts, and of cabbages, cauliflower and broccoh include club-root,, and three insect pests—the white butterfly, the diamond black moth,; and the cabbage aphis. Club-root cannot be cured once it attacks the crop. It is commonly introduced on plants bought-in, and then the > ground will remain infected for some four years. The easiest way in that case is to stop growing any of the cabbage family in that ground for some four years. It is commonly considered that Brussells sprouts develop good firm hearts only in cooler climates. While that may be in general true, they will \ still crop quite well in comparatively warm North Island districts. I saw a good crop between Napier and Hastings last winter.

Winter cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli are very closely related to Brussells sprouts and most features of their cultivation are iden-

tical. 1 One difference is. that you can safely use more nitrogenous manure for .them.