THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 140, 3 September 1927, Page 26

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

THE FLOWER GARDEN Last season’s plants of violets and pansies may be lifted and divided in smaller pieces. Replant only the best plants, discarding the old stalky* specimens. Prepare and trench the ground for the general planting of annuals as soon as the w'eather becomes settled. Lime and manure well the beds required for a summer display. Take new cuttings from the chrysanthemum plants. Always remember the best plants come from the cuttings and not rooted suckers. Dahlia tubers should be laid out in soil trays to shoot. Sew the hardy spring seed in boxes: —Asters, phlox, cosmos, marigold, antirrhiniums, sweet peas, kochias, stock, pansy, poppy. Sow the following in the open ground: —Alyssum, linaria, candytuft, phlox, linum, Virginian stock, mignonette. Begonia and Gloxinia tubers should be carefully examined and laid out in a light position, to sprout. Very large bulbs may be divided through the crown with a sharp knife and dipped in lime or sand to stop the cut from bleeding. Gardeners who require a border or bed planted in a quick flowering annual should plant primula malacoides. This remarkable little plant throws out masses of delicate mauve-coloured flowers which remain in bloom for several months. Plant 6in. apart. Continue the planting of ornamental shrubs, roses, climbers, and hedges. The constant wet weather has kept back early planting and gardeners who desire to set trees must take advantage of the first dry week-end. Lawns will now require their spring dressing. As soon as the ground is workable, cut the grass as close as possible and topdress with superphosphate and blood and bone mixed half and half —3oz. to the square yard. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Young tomato seedlings that were early sown will need picking off into fine soil. Never let the plants become too big before transplanting as invariably they are too close together and become drawn. Plant the following tubers and roots. —Shallots, potatoes, garlic, artichokes, chokos and late rhubarb. Sow the following seeds. —Peas, dwarf, beans, French and broad, carrots, beet, red and silver, spinnach, round, turnip, soft and swede, radish, "long and round, onions, pickling and spring, parsnips, mustard and cress, lettuce. Ground should be prepared and manured for the sowings of cucumber, marrow and pumpkins toward the end of September. There are no points gained by sowing these varieties too early as they require the warmth of the sun. Cabbage a*id cauliflower plants should be hoed between and a sprinkling of nitrate of soda applied to each plant before a shower of rain. Half teaspoonful per plant will be ample. The final planting of fruit trees should take place as early in September as possible:—Apples, nectarines, peaches, plums and citrus trees. Owing to the wet winter the late planting of these trees is possible.