THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 24837, 1 September 1942, Page 6

THE GARDEN

SOWING VEGETABLE SEEDS By RIWHI These notes are in continuation of the theme taken up last week and deal with some of the problems that arise in planning and sowing in the vegetable garden. Cropping plans have been dealt with before. It is always absolutely necessary to work to a plan and to know long before sowing time which plots will be occupied by which crops. For instance, the decision made will determine the manuring and the trenching programmes. At the same time the town gardener will not be able to adhere to any rigid and formal scheme of rotation. He may be able to grow roots and potatoes on given plots every third year, but some members of the cabbage family may of necessity have to occupy all plots in any one year and even if peas and beans are on the same ground every second year no harm will result. These statements are made on the understanding that the gardener recognizes that he is on a high pressure job and that his soil is given even more care and attention than his crops. One item, for instance, that must have a place every season is special soil improvement work on a given area which will be cropped in a limited way to suit the programme in mind. A FAMILY GARDEN It may be helpful here to outline the quantities of the various vegetables that should be sown in order to supply the average household of four or five persons throughout the year. In doing so it must be remembered that much of the soil will yield two crops in a single season and that only under the very best of conditions could sufficient potatoes and onions be grown. The area required could be set aside on any quarter acre town section—a piece 120 feet by 20 feet or 60 feet by 40 feet being fully adequate. All rows quoted below may be reckoned as 20 feet rows. Potatoes.—Two rows of earlies and 12 rows of second earlies and main crops. Roots.—Carrots, six rows including early crops; parsnips, two rows; beetroot, three half-rows sown in succession; turnips, two half rows each of Snowball and Golden ball; swedes, 1 row; onions, two or three rows; shallots,’two rows. Greens. —Lettuce, six half rows in succession; spring onions, two half rows in succession; spinach, prickly, two rows in early spring and two in autumn; summer spinach, one half row; silver beet, two half rows (September and December sown); leeks, one row; celery, two half rows in succession. Brassicas.— Cabbage, four rows of early type in succession (one in autumn), one row of drumheads, two rows of savoys; cauliflower, two rows of early London in succession, two rows of main crop; broccoli, two rows of Michaelmas, two rows of winter, two

rows of Latest of All; Brussels sprouts, 1 row early, two rows main crop; curly kale, one row. Legumes.—Peas, two rows earlies, four rows main crop in succession, two rows of late; broad beans, one row (autumn sown), two rows spring sown in succession; runner beans, equivalent of one row. Butter beans are not taken into account as runner beans are so much more productive where space is limited. Likewise other subsidiary crops such as tomatoes, radishes, asparagus and so on are not mentioned but they will not be found to affect seriously the space available. The quantities set out are averages and the space allotted can be adapted to suit particular needs.