The Garden

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 37, 8 December 1894, Page 12

The Garden

DECEMBER. (By Muriiku.) Vegetable Carden. —This- will be a.busy month in the garden, as' with the/alternate, heat and warm Vh o wer s we/have had this spring everything is growing vigorously, and "will therefore require every attention.. Advantage should be taken, in the first place, cluring hot and‘dry weather to d©stroyi---weeds,™«&c, vW by..~Jioeing-.,and. weeding, also see to the staking of peas and runners to prevent injury from winds. Late sowings of peas, early horn carrots, turnips, lettuce, radish, &c., may still be made, and also savoy, broccoli, and winter cabbage of all sorts for planting out early in January. Celery should now be ready for pricking off into pits or cold frames, so as to be well forward when planting out into trenches next month ; and if, as was recommended for last month, the more advanced plants have been already so attended to, they can be put out whenever convenient about the middle of this month. During dry weather celery will be greatly benefited by frequent waterings with weak guano water. Crowing root-crops such as carrots, parsnips, beet, will require thinning ; for these, about four inches between each plant will be sufficient, and for others more or less in proportion to size of root. Fruit Carden. —Very little requires to be done here this month, beyond a little attention to the requirements of growing trees; tying and nailing trained trees to walls, &c., and pinching the tops off strong - growing shoots of young fruit trees to equalise growth and induce a bushy habit. Flower Carden. —See that dahlias and hollyhocks are well secured to stakes, and encourage growth by frequent watering with liquid manure. To grow these plants successfully they require to have a rich, free soil and abundance of moisture, and almost constant attention to tying up and keeping clear of slugs and other insect pests. Verbenas, petunias, and other trailing plants will require pegging down as growth proceeds ; also stake sweet peas, convolvulus, nastur tiums, &c., to prevent them being blown about by the wind. Toung pot-plants now making rapid growth, should be encouraged by shifting!, uto larger-sized pots, and when established water once a week with weak liquid manure.