THE BUSY MAN’S CORNER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 602, 2 March 1929, Page 28

THE BUSY MAN’S CORNER

DRY WEATHER WORK FLOWER SEEDS. —The present month being: hot and dry, it will not be advisable to sow flower seeds in exposed positions, unless some provision is made for shading: the beds from the direct rays of the sun. Even with shading' the beds the seeds should be watered twice every day, so that the soil is kept continually moist. Special efforts should be made with sowings of pansies, winterflowering stocks, winter-flowering sweet peas, mignonette, violas, nemesia, antirrhinum. These will form the basis of a display of flowers for the winter and early spring months. GENERAL WORK.—Roses have now finished blooming, and tho plants should be mulched with some light material; such as grass or straw, and they need only be very sparsely watered. Stake and train young growing plants of chrysanthemums, keep the surface loose and water freely. Shrubs that have finished flowering can now be pruned. The leaves of young plants are often disfigured by caterpillars devouring them at this time of the year. A good spraying on the foliage with a week solution of arsenate of lead will easily rid this pest. COMBAT RED SPIDER.—Red spider is a pest well known to the lover of flowers. They appear in the hot weather and usually feed on the underside of the leaves and covers them with a fine web. They suck the sap from the plants, causing them to turn a yellowish colour. Thoroughly spray under surface of leaves with nicotine sulphate (loz to 5 gallons of water—use a little soapy water in this - ), or black leaf 40. GLASSHOUSE HlNTS.—Tuberous, as well as foliage begonias, are'now making good growth. These must not suffer either from drought or from starvation. The plants are so succulent that they need both food and water in good quantities. Preparation should be begun for sowing primula, cineraria and calceolaria seed for early flowers. Pots should be sterilised; soil mixtures should be prepared for sowing at once. THE KITCHEN GARDEN LEEKS.—When transplanting leeks, trim the long fibres of their roots a little and the straggling tops of the leaves; then plant in an open spot of ground in rows eight or nine inches apart and about six inches between plants, inserting most of the neck part into the ground. TURNIPS.—Sowings of turnips for a general autumn crop may be commenced at once. Take care to sow this seed equally and moderately thin; tread it down evenly and rake it in immediately, taking advantage of light showers if possible. CULTIVATION.—The most important work in the vegetable garden this month is cultivating and watering. The ground must be kept well stirred and not allowed to get caked. Much of the success of the garden depends on watering. In fixing a spray, the higher the fall of the water, the more beneficial to plant life it becomes. The longer tenure in the air enables the water to collect elements of great benefit, which are usually only obtained when it rains, and everyone knows how much better rain is to plant life than waterings.

Irrigation is good for root system, and instead of surface watering, trenches can be made around beds or between rows, and if allowed to be filled with water during the day, nightly watering can be eliminated.

THINNING OUT.—The practice of thinning' out young seedlings is a very important operation in connection with the cultivation of vegetables. It is also one that is very often neglected by beginners, and its neglect leads to failure of the plants to develop into well-grown vegetables. Root vegetables especially must have proper space for development, and must be given this space at an early stage of their growth before the young seedlings have become checked by overcrowding.

PROPER DISTANCES.—After the final thinning th© plants should have the following distances apart, according to kind: Parsnips, 6 inches; carrots, 4 to 6 inches; beet, 4 to 6 inches; turnips, 6 to 9 inches; radishes, 2 to 4 inches; celerias, 6 inches; kohlrabi, 6 to 9 inches; onions, 4 to 6 inches.

KEEP THOSE CROPS PICKED.—AppIy mulching to the plants of melons, pumpkins and cucumbers, in order to conserve moisture; in fact, the mulching of all crops will be beneficial at this time of the year, and incidentally, will reduec the water bill. Cucumbers, melons, French beans and tomatoes should be looked for every day and gathered, whether required or not; for, if left on the vines to perfect their seeds, the plants will soon cease to be productive or will form inferior and ill-shaped fruit.