Garden Notes WORK FOR JULY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 235, 1 July 1944, Page 8

Garden Notes WORK FOR JULY

Fruits, Flowers And Vegetables

THE MERITS OF ONIONS

I By •‘l he Hoe.")

The principal vegetable garden activities in July consist of cleaning up debris, spading the soil, and preparing for tlie sowing of spring and summer crops. In (he orchard, all kinds of hardy fruit trees ean be planted, and in the flower garden hardy trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials can be planted as soil conditions permit. Vegetable Garden: Roughly dig plots intended for later use and leave them exposed to frost, sun ami wind. Furchase seed potatoes and place, them in trays or on boards in a light, frost-free shed to sprout. Sow under glass onions, lettuce, mam cron cabbage, eape gooseberries. Get busy on compost heaps to ensure a supply of organic matter for use October. Blower Garden; Examine herbaceous borders and divide subjects which have become overcrowded. Renew 'soil in old borders or apply a topdressing' of welldecayed composted material or leafmould. Plant new subjects as required. This is a good month to plant all hardy trees and shrubs. The spring-flowering types, such as azaleas and rhododendrons, should be'denlt with at the earliest opportunity. Tlie windy season lies ahead and every newly-planted shrub should therefore lie well staked. Root disturbance by the continued blowing about of top growth kills a large percentage of new plants. Orchard: All fruiting trees that are reasonably hardy should be planted this month.. Small fruits whieh make early growth should be attended to immediately. Raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, gooseberries and currants should be given precedence in the planting programme. Thev ail require soil rich in organic mattor. Merits of Onions: The late MajorGeneral Wingate brought onions into'the limelight when lie announced that he always carried them on his scouting expeditions to safesruard his health. Hot on the heels of that statement came an anuonneoment from Russia that scientists had found the onion a potent germicide. For centuries, the ouion has been regarded as an important factor hi the maintenance of health, and recent investi-’ gations have shown that these beliefs were well founded. Consequently., this ancient vegetable is again in high ‘favour. Onion seed can be sown now. preferably under glass for quick results., and seedlings for planting will be available next month. It is therefore necessary to get the soil into condition for this crop as soon as possible. ’The plot must be well drained and the soil worked to as fine a state as possible. The aspect should lie open and sunny. A deep. rich, saudy loam gives best results, lint a heavier soil needs considerable working to make it satisfactory, ample sunnlies of organic matter are essential, and old farmyard manure or composted material should be lightly dug into the soil ns soon as possible. A fortnight before sowing or planting. work the plot again till it is in a really fine state, then sprinkle it wilh wood ashes at the rate of 4oz. per square yard. If they are not available, use sulphate of potash, loz. per square yard and lightly rake it in. Before sowing or planting, make the soil very firm by rolling or tramninc it. in- , Sow in very shallow drills, 42 inches apart, cover with tine soil and press it down firmlv with the back of a spade. When planting (4in. apart) coyer the roots and make sure the »«oil is well firmed round them. The bulb should be above the soil.