In the Garden

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 155, 29 December 1938, Page 15

In the Garden

By "Practical."

SEASONABLE VEGETABLES

At the present time the garden should be fairly 'well cropped with vegetables, but it is necessary.to make preparation for succeeding crops.

With the almost continuous wet weather the ground is in good condition for working, and crops planted now receive very little check while seeds germinate readily.

Celery, leeks, lettuces, and cauliflowers may be planted as well as kumeras. Good, rich soil which retains moisture is necessary for celery, and to a slightly less degree for leeks. For this reason plenty of humus should be worked into the ground either in the form of strawy manure or decayed vegetation from the rubbish heap.

Lettuces require to be grown rapidly, and to ensure this the ground requires to be rich in plant food and constantly moist. A dressing of nitrate of soda applied in solution gives a wonderful result, but the plants must be making growth at the time of application and the ground be moist. Avoid as far as possible getting the nitrate over the plants. If this happens it should be washed off with clear water.

Cauliflowers, also need good soil, which should contain plenty of limfe. Ground from which early potatoes have' been lifted is excellent for the purpose as a rule, and if given a dressing of

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lime when being dug over so much the better.

Many crops may be grown for succession by seed-sowing and at present the ground is in excellent condition for the purpose provided it is not too heavy or sticky.

Crops which may be sown now are peas, dwarf beans, silver beet, red beet, swedes, spinach, carrots, lettuces, and radishes. All successional crops such as peas and beans and lettuces should be sown in quantities which will fulfil the demands of the household, as unless regularly picked as soon as ready there is much waste, the produce not being satisfactory unless used when young and tender. The best method to adopt for these crops is to sow another lot as soon as the previous ones are showing througn the ground. During- the summer lettuces are best sown thinly in rows where they are to grow as they do not, as a rule, transplant very easily if the weather is hot and dry. If possible it is advisable to sow where the plants will get a certain amount of shade from scorching sun and some shelter from the worst of the wind.

All seedling crops should be thinned as early as possible so that the plants to remain have the full benefit of all plant food and moisture in the soil. For the same reason all weeds should be rigidly suppressed.