Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 13, 22 August 1929, Page 3

Gardening Notes

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Preparation of the ground must necessarily play an important part ?n the work to be done in the vegetable garden this month. In order to do justice to seeds, .every attention should be given in winter to thoroughly preparing the soil by manuring, trenching, and arranging of beds. Ground intended for onions, cauliflowers, peas, beans and turnips shoujd be liberably manured and deeply stirred. Early potatoes may now be planted, and successional sowings made of broad 'beans, lettuce and leeks for transplanting in Qibtober. In making any laying out a vegetable garden, the amateur is frequently at a loss Ihow much space to allot each subr jeet, and the following table which has been prepared may prove of assistance in this connection:— Potatoes-r-The land should be thoroughly dug and forked during the winter and worked into a friable condition. The common distance to plant for fiTSt early varieties is 4 inches in depth, 12 inc-hes between the sets, $tnd about 20 inches between the rows. For mid-sea-son and late varieties the sets may be 15 inches apart and 24 to 30 inches between the rows. Broad Beans.—Broad Beans should bo planted 34 to 4 inches deep, with 18 to 24' inches between the drills and 4 inches between the seeds. ' Kidney. Beans.—Planting s&ould be ' about 2 inches deep, 2 to 4 inches apart in the drill, and 18 to 27 inches apart in the tows. One Ib. will plant 150 to 200 feet of drill. ~ Peas. —Peas may best be sown :n a flat drill from 2>to 3 inches in depth, according to soil —in stiff soil shallow, and in light soil deep. Dwarf varieties, should be sown in rows 18 inches to 2ft apart, and tall varieties farther apart, according to height. EaTly Peas re- ' quire' lib; to 70 feet of drill, and '.ate varieties 1 lb to 85 feet of drill. 1 Turnips.—One 025. may be sown to 200 feet of drill, A inch deep. Tffe drills should b~e 12 inches apart. The plants should" be thinned to 5 to 9 inches apart, according to variety. iCarrots.—One oz. of seed will be required for 300 feet of drill. The drills should be 3 inch to 1 inch in depth, and 12 inches apart. The young plants may be thinned out gradualy to 5, 6, or 8 inches apart, according to season and variety. Onions—One oz. of seed is needed for 200 feet of drill. The drills should be 1 inch deep and 9 to 12 inches apart. Autumn sown varieties need not be thinned if for salading purposes, but they may be transplanted to tie above distances and grown on for bulbing pur poses. Lettuce —Lettuce may be sown at the rate of Joz. to 160 feef of drill, the drills being J-inch deep and 9 to 12 inches apart. The plants may be thinned or transplanted 6 to 8 inches apart according to variety. . Radish. —One oz. of seed is sufficient I for 75 feet of drill, and the drills should be 1 inch in. depth and 6 to 9 incies apart. . iSpinaeh.:—One oz. of seed is required for 65 feet of drill, and tho rows may be about 1 inch in depth and 12 to 15 inches apart. Parsley.—For summer use parsley should bo sown in drills % inch in depth? and at the rate of i-oz. of _seed to 90 feet of drill. If mtore than one drill is 'required the drills should be 10 to 14 inches a/part. ■ Spinach Beet. —This may bo sown as for round spinach, but should be thinned out. to 8 or 10 inches apart in the rows; Early Cabbage.—Strong young plants should be planted in rows, leaving 15 inches between the plants and 18 inches between i>he rows. Very dwarf varieties, however, succeed if only 12 inches are left betwen th1 plants and 15 inches between the rows. Strong-grotwing late varieties require 18 inches between theplants and 27 inches between the rows. The plants must be earthed up with the thoe as they get larger.

Cauliflower. —'Early dwarf varieties should be planted from 12 to 15 inches between the plants and 19 inches between the rows; mid-season varieties 18 inches between the plants and 27 inch^ between the rows; and late varieties on very rich soil may be given 3 inches more each way. TJie plants should be earthed up as in the case of CabJbage.

Broccoli.— Strong young ' plants should be planted in rows, leaving 18

inches between the plants and 27 inches between the rows. The crop should be earthed up as in t-he case of cabbage. Borecole or Kale.—Plant in rows as in the case of Broccoli.

Leeks. —Leeks may be sown in drills as in the case of onions. They may be thinned out or transplanted, leaving 4 to & inches between the plants, and 12 to 15 inches between the rows.

Celery.—A double row may be planted 9 inches,apart each way in a trench 9 inches deep. A liberal dressing of well decayed rich manure should be dug into the bottom. The soil may bo. heaped on the sides, and used for blanching purpose later. The plants are usually earthed up three times during the season.