The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 438, 18 January 1890, Page 4

The Garden.

(By HORTISJ

Kitchen Garden. Tins has on the w hole been a fair season for the various kitchen garden crops. There has not as yet been that excessive heat and drought which we have experienced in some of our past seasons. On this account many of the vegetables are still giowing vigorously. A small patch of cauliflower seed should now be sown lor early autumn planting. In my estima ion, Veitch’s autumn giant or the late Italian giant are the best. A small patch of cabbage seed should also be sown with a similar object. Cabbage and cauliflower plants which were put out early last month should be earthed up. The debris of all spent crops should be cleared off the ground, and the ditierenb breaks well manured and roughly dug. so that the soil may lie exposed to the action of the air and sun’s rays for a month or so. By so doing it will get well sweetened and pulverised for the autumn crops. Celery : The early planted crops will now require to be earthed up ; see that the work is carefully done as recommended a few weeks past. The main crop should now be planted out if not already done. Put plenty of manure in the trenches betore planting,and watercopiou ly after planting. Make another trench for planting a successional lot the beginning of next month. Leeks : The main crop of these should also be put out at once. To grow line leeks, they should be planted in trenches, watered, and earthed up in the same manner as celery. See to the successional s w ings of French anci the running varieties of beans; earth up the earlier planted crops. The running varieties should also be staked before they grow too tall.. As the pods attain sufficient size for u-e, they should be plucked at once, never allowing the plants to mature seed, as the ripening of seed simply robs the plants and the later portion of the crop. Cucumbers, melons, marrows, pumpkins, etc.: Pinch back and regulate the shoots. Don’t allow too much growth. Cucumbers, marrows, and pumpkins : Give liquid manure frequently. Melons : Keep moderately dry. Tomatoes : Tie up to their supports ; thin superfluous shoots, allowing only those which are required for fruiting to grow. Where the soil has been well manured only keep the roots moist with clean water. On poor soil give plenty of liquid manure, as the tomato is a strong teeder. Lettuce : Piick out another batch and tie up advance plants for blanching. All pieces of ground which have become overrun, with troublesome weeds should now receive special attention. Keep continually turning over the surface with the fork whenever the weeds make their appearance; by this means the old stock can be gob. rid of. The seedlings can afterwards be each disposed of with the hoe as the seed germinates. By the above means the worst of weeds can be got under. The rob heap in which the accumulation of vegetable matter has been collected during the spring should now be turned over ; where possible mix in with it some fresh stable manure, and soak with water. If done now the heap will make capital manure for digging into the ground for the winter crops. Flower Garden. The whole of the flower beds and borders should now be at their best, especially where a judicious planting and sowing was done in the spring. Only a few of the early planted annuals will be beginning to give way. Continual attention must now only be directed to keeping up such display as long as possible. Where bedding put has been adopted, the beds must be continually gone over so as to pinch back, peg down, and regulate the shoots so as to keep the plants within their proper dimensions. Where a sufficiency of water cannot be obtained, mulching between the plants will greatly assist them if done before the plants wholly cover the ground. Where plenty of water can be obtained, give the soil a good drenching once a week. This will be sufficient to keep them growing, only recollect that while giving water small quantities are ot little use, as it will only encourage the roots to come to the surface, where 'hey will soon get scorched with the sun’s rays, therefore, see that the soil receives a thorough soaking. In the mixed border attention must, be given to staking and tiffing up of all tall growing plants, regulating and thinning out of all rank strong shoots, and the picking off of all flower shoots which ha>e spent the flowers, so that all the strength of the plant may be devoted tow. rds those shoots which are now coming into flower. Never allow shoots to pioduce or ripen seed unless where a few seed are required for reproduction. Water should be as, freely used as circumstances permit. Annual plants as they may become spent should Be cleared off the borders Gladiola still in flower stake and water with liquidmanure. Li iums will now be showing signs of their flowers beginning to open, see that they are securely staked. Dahlias : Water freely, pinch back suierfluous shoots, stake and pinch off spent blossoms. Chrysanthemums aie now growing Leely; treat liberally, and see that the last pinching back of the shoots takes towards the end of this month. The surface soil of the borders should be frequently broken up with either the fork or the hoe, so as to keep it free. A loose surface wi I almost do as muohin retardingevaporationas a mulch, at the same time you killeeed weeds as they germinate. Lawns: The dry weather is beginning to be felt on such lawns as cannot be freely watered. Where water is abundant use freely in the evening after the power of the sun is spent; on such mow and roll frequently, so that the nice green appearance of the lawn may be kept up. The grass edgings should at least he clipped every fori night, so as to keep them sharp and well defined. Walks should be at least raked weekly to give them a fresh appearance and keep the seed of weeds from germinating. Moist Weather. The steady downpour of rain which we experienced during last Tuesday will have had a marked effect on all class of vegetation. Vegetables and flowers will have had a new lease of growth. I would advise all who may have early or intermediate potatoes ripe or nearly, ripe to lift them at once, as the heated moisture now in the soil will almost be sure to start the tubers into fresh gro th. If lifted early next week and sun-dried for about a day, they can then be stored for use. Late potatoes still growing and the tubers still swelling will be greatly benefited by the rain, as it will have a tendency to increase the weight of the crop.