THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1082, 20 September 1930, Page 28

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN September month finds the kitchen garden bare and ready for planting. Where space is limited the aim of every household should be to grow only the most profitable of vegetables. To do this we must pick out the crops that give a quick return to enable us to use the ground several times. All quick-growing root crops can be sown—carrots, beet, radishes, parsnips and turnip. Plants of cabbage, cauliflower, onions and lettuce can be transplanted in rows. Seeds of spring onion, leeks, mustard and cress and endive should be sown for salad use. Sowings of dwarf peas in a small garden is recommended. William Hurst or American Wonder are the earliest. Stratagem and Greenfeast are two good main crop varieties. The pods from the dwarf peas are equally as good as those from their taller brothers and the labour of staking is saved. Ground should be prepared and enriched for the sowings of cucumber, marrow and pumpkin seeds which may take place next month. Sweet Corn is a delicacy worth cultivation and can be grown to fill up some ugly corner. Onion plants that have been transplanted some time should be hoed between, care being taken not to damage the young plants. Lift and divide old mint roots, discarding the surplus, thus making more room for the roots to obtain food to produce good foliage. Seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red pickling cabbage and borecole or curly greens should be sown in beds to provide sturdy plants for next winter’s use. Tomato seeds are quickly germinated when sown in a box of line soil and certainly much cheaper than buying plants. AMONG THE FLOWERS September is one of the chief sowing periods of the year and to ensure bright and attractive summer and autumn displays work must be commenced at once. The weather has certainly been against much planting, but if we waste much longer there will be no display. Sow the following seeds in boxes: Asters, zinnias, lobelia, stocks, poppy, cosmos and marigolds. The following hardier varieties may now be sown in the ground in warm, sheltered spots: Phlox, violas, clarkia, mignonette, balsam and antirrhinum. Early sowings of tobacco may now be made in boxes or seedpans. Tobacco growing is becoming quite a hobby with many of our local amateurs. Prick the young seedlings out into trays and plant out when large enough to handle. They are easily grown from seed. Care should he taken to harden off all seedlings that have been grown in sheltered positions. Many hundreds of plants are lost yearly by planting out soft, weak plants when 10 days in the open weather would work wonders. Tobacco dust and lime will have to be constantly used to keep the slugs away. Dahlia bulbs that have been stored for some time should be examined and spread out on the surface of the soil to shoot. Chrysanthemum stools are throwing up fresh shoots that may be picked off and boxed for transplanting later. Spring sowings of lawn grass can now take place. Three pound of seed is sufficient to sow’ 100 square yards (10 yards x 10 yards'). Established lawns can be top-dressed with manure, 3oz to the square yard. Rako over the grass and sow* fresh seed where grass is inclined to be patchy. For the backs of long borders the seeds of the following ta/1 plants should be sown: Giant sunflower, tree marigold, larkspur, zinnia and cosmos. For borders sow alyssum, Virginian stock) Shirley poppy, pyrethium. dwarf nasturtium and bellis perennis.