THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 28

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

AMONG THE FLOWERS PLANT BULBS NOW.—Anemones and ranunculus should be planted at once for a spring display. These bulbs make a splendid show when planted in massed borders or beds. Planters are well advised not to purchase large bulbs as the smaller one-year-old size does equally as well and lasts longer. Bonedust is the best manure to use when setting. OTHER VARIETIES.—Daffodils, hyachinths and the other lines of spring bulbs can be planted in clumps in the border and make a brave sight in the spring. YVatsonias in the new shades are great for flowering at a time when flowers are scarce, and the flowers are rapidly finding favour as cut flowers. The Salmon Pink Hybrids are always popular. For borders plant freesias, sparaxis, lachenalias and tritonias. For setting in clumps set ixias, gladioli and narcissus. SHOWY PLANTS.—Primula malacoides is a great little plant either for pots or for the garden. Nemesias are fine, too, for pots or the garden. Strumosa Hybrids are the best, also the little blue flowering one, Blue Gem. Iceland poppies are still as popular as ever. Sunbeam is the best strain and in some of the newer selections quite a range of art shades is to be found. Rose Pink Hybrids are also good. MORE FLOWER SEEDS TO SOW NOW.—Coreopsis (Calliopsis)—One of the hardy annuals that are worth a place in the garden. Various colours. Delphinium (Perennial) —Plant in hot position, 6 to 9in apart. Grows to a height of from 10 to 20in. Nemesia (Annual) —Sow seed in a shallow box of light, sandy soil, and keep the box in the shade until the seed germinates and the young plants are growing freely. English Marigold (Calendula) —Very useful for making a bright display in beds and borders. Large double orange-coloured and golden doubles with stripes. Extremely hardv and free-flowering. M ignonette—One of our oldest and most sweetly perfumed flowers. Sow seed where the plaints are to remain, as they do not transplant successfully. Dianthus.—Very useful and beautiful bedding or border plants. May be grown for two or three years, but the first flowers are always the best. Cut back after the first flowering. HOEING.—Keep the hoe continually working along the surface of the soil. This is as good as a dose of manure and helps to keep down the hosts of annual weeds that appear after the showers. AMONG THE VEGETABLES TURNIPS AND SWEDES.—Turnips sown too early are often liable to be strong flavoured; in fact, they sometimes become so bitter as to be valueless for cooking purposes. February and March are fairly reliable months to sow these vegetables and resultant crops are usually satisfactory. Grown in soil that was well-manured for a previous crop, the plants come along very quickly, but get them thinned in good time, and do not omit to hoe regularly. A little nitrogenous fertiliser may be given with much advantage. When sowing the seed, cover not more than half an inch. THINNING ROOT CROPS.—AII vegetable crops should be thinned early, partly because delay means overcrowding and weakly plants, and also because there is less disturbance of the roots of the plants that remain if the work is done while the plants are yet small. Generally speaking, it is best to make two operations of the thinning, the first time as soon as the seedlings have grown big enough to handle, or just when they have made their first true leaf, and again when they are considerably larger, then they should be left at the proper distance for maturing. ROOT CROPS.—Beet for winter use may be sown during this month, although sowings can take place until the middle of next month. Of course, for these crops early turnip or glove-shaped varieties are grown, for the long and half-long beets require quite a long season, being so slow in forming their roots, although the tops are growing apace. Beets do best on soil that has been well enriched, and for the early turnip-rooted varieties, the rows need not be more than eighteen inches apart. AFTER PEAS SOW CARROTS.—Carrots do not grow so quickly as beets, and are best grown as a second crop where the ground was made rich for some early vegetable. The ground on which early peas or beans were grown is often utilised for late carrots, always provided the former are cleared in time to allow the root crops to reach maturity. The pea and bean roots leave much valuable nitrogen behind them; therefore this is an admirable location for a second crop. It should be borne in mind that light, friable soils best suit all root crops, and if there be any choice of soil, such should be selected. PLANTS TO SET.—Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, rhubarb seedlings, silver beet, mint, leeks and savoys. SEEDS TO SOW.—Spinach, lettuce, parsnips, cress, mustard.