SWEET PEAS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 86, 8 October 1931, Page 20

SWEET PEAS

DEPTH TO SOW CONTROVERSIAL POINTS . -■ NOTICE TO READERS. This column Is Inttndad principally for f«rd«R«r(with small plots, and th« aim is to maks it as practical and useful as poi»lble. Inquiries on any matter «( iardenins interest will bo welcomed. Ths rule for oorrespondes.ee Is that all communications muit bo accompanied by tho namo . and addreii of th» writer, not for publication, but is ■ iuir*nt»« of oood faith. This rule will bo atriotly adhered to. This Is your column—make use of It ANSWERS TO COBBESPONDENTS. "CM."—lf the lettuces are sro»H spray them wUh arsenate of lead. You must remember, however, that this is poisonous, and the lettuces should not be used until all the arsenate of lead has been washed off. "Celery."—Your inquiry Is answerod in this .column. ' , "T.M."—(l) Wiy of the valley does best in a: semi-shady place in moist soil which must be well drained. It does not like close, sticky soil. It you can make up a bed with rich soil containing an abundance of humus and.plant with the crowns just <below< the surface It should do an right. The: failure of-the buda to mature may have been caused by the plants becoming too dry, or It may have been that they had not had sufficient time to become established. Don't worry the plants-leave thwn.for a year or two, and each winter slve a mulclllns of manure or decajed Si'ei* ■ Once established it «|H :«P»eaU rapidly provided the soil ia suitable, (« plant the bulbs at once. It may take them a season or two to recover. Don t lift them until they become crowded. You ■ miildbe wise to insert a few cuttings of the fuchsia towards the end of this montn. Toijne^owtbs cut,with a heel wUI root readily If shaded for a few days. After flowering Is over the old plant may be cut down. These plants must have abundance of moisture, and do best in a partially shaded position. They respond freely to liquid manuring.. , . , , "Cats."—to keep cats off seed beds place some thorny branches over the ground. To keep the citsout of the garden the only thing .would bo to keep.a dog, and the last state ■ might be worse than the first.

A week or two ago a correspondent ■wrote asking;the advantage of sowing sweet pea "seeds 18 inches to 3 feet deep, and my'reply was that there was no advantage and that the seed would rot at that depth. I have since.received the'following letter: "In reply to your answer to a correspondent on the sowing '.of. sweet pea seeds, I beg. to differ,from you, as I, myself, an amateur gafdener, acting:'on advice given to me! that it is possible to sow at a depth^of even 6 feet, provided you do not reach-gravel or water level, have proved for myself that they may be sown deep. Last May twelve months, I dug a trench 3 feet deep and planted in the seeds thickly, and when I saw them came through I planted the other side, of my garden, this time 2f feet deep, and again they came up thickly, and. I: had a wonderful showing well before Christmas, and any of my neighbours will testify to the truth of my statement. My adviser said he believed that by being sown deeply the plants get more nourishment from the soil during'the hottest part of the season." I wish to thank my correspondent for his letter. We are all desirous of learn/ing arid sometimes I think we are too apt to stick rigidly to the text-books. At ."£be same time, while it has been proved that it is possible to sow at so great a depth, the advantages are doubtful,.while the- extra work entailed must be very ; considerable. If the ground is trenched and manured, as is always advised, the plants will push their roots down to a great .depth searching out the food supply and:moisture. Most of the.sweet pea specialists advise sowiag-from. -J an inch to 2 inches;.deep; my soil, being light and sandy, I usually cover the seed about 3 or 4 inches. There is one point upon .which all growers-are -agreed, namely, that sweet peas will not do so well' on soil which -is. light and loose—the ground Must be, firm, hence the need of preparing it well Before sowing so that it may be properly consolidated^ at sowing i^me. In this.connection it is,interesting to find that the result of trials recently made in England with French beans , proved ' conclusively that' those sown on firm 'soil produced much' more freely than others raised, ; in loose ground under otherwise similar conditions. It would be interesting if other growers would give their experiences with sweet- peas.. ;• ■ . ' ■ , , SOWING CELERY. Sow celery early in the spring on a good rich nursery bed, or, better still, in a cool frame, and- when the plants are large enough ,tb handle, prick out a few inches- apart into '" shallow boxes. Trenches, four; feet apart, eighteen inches deep, and one foot wide, must be prepared by digging in a large quantity of stable manure. When the plants are three or four inches high, put out in a double row sit; inches apart and eight inches between the plants, supplying water if required until they are established. Should dry weather be experienced, they should be kept well watered, if possible with liquid manure from the time they have got over the move. As the planjts grow they should be earthed up, taking care not to cover the leaves or to /let the soil get into the hearts. To. prevent the latter, it. is a good plan to put a tie of raffia round the stems; One of tlie most important points in celery growing is to-sec that the plants, receive no check, to their / growth from start to finish. When lifting, a trowel should be used, disturbing the rootaas little as possible.- When they are-first put out into the trenches it is a good, plan to shade for a few days' to present wilting.' It is very difficult.'to obtain stable manure, which is undoubtedly the best thing to use when procurable, so recourse must be had to otner material. Thoroughly decayed garden refuse with straw mixed, with it is,quite good to dig in in place of stable manure. The advantage is more in the fact^hat all humus.holds moisture.rather than in the feeding properties'. As with all crops, it ia necessary to keep the celery trenches free from weeds and the surface soil loose. FRENCH AND BUTTER BEANS. These are essentially hot weather plants, arid to sow too early is always disappointing.^ The first sowing may be made about the middle of this month, and from then successional sowings of quantities sufficient ■ for the needs •of the.household;should be kept up. Make the ground fairly rich and tramp it well before and after sowing. Drills should be made about four inches' deep, and the seeds be ,placed six inches apart. Although not absolutely necessary, it is a distinct advantage to stake French and butter beans. The plants are kept off the • ground ' and, the pods develop better than when allowed to lie about. Before staking draw a fow inches of soil up to .the. stems to help to hold them firm. TOMATOES. Tomatoes are abo hot weather plants which will not stand any frosts._ Cold winds, also, are nearly as destructive as frosts, while, to plant while the soil is cold is useless. For, outdoor growing in this district—except perhaps in very favoured localitieß—November is early enough to plant outside. Tomatoes are gross feeders, but to get soft sappy plants is to invito blight. A good rich loam is the ideal soil for these plants, but thoy will grow in any good garden soil provided the drainage is good. Choose a warm, sunny position for the plants and space them from tw« to

three feet apart; When first planted they will be all the better for some protection. ■ Old' benzine tins with the bottoms and tops removed are useful for the purpose. Staking is important, as the plants make rapid growth once they start. Tie every six or eight inches, removing all side growth. Spray the plants -wii;h Bordeaux mixture once a fortnight to ward off. blight.