GARDENS IN TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 42, 29 October 1952, Page 5

GARDENS IN TAUPO

THOSE LATE FROSTS

(By.

"Flora.,,)

The question asked by all Taupo gardeners at the moment is, will there be another frost? Personally I wouldn't trust our weather; we are just as likely to get a frost on Christmas Eve, as at any other fime. It is not usual to have a run 6f them now, but one, out of season, can do a considerable amount of damage, as many will have found. The frost we experienced a few weeks ago was a rather silent worker. I fear most of the stone fruit has been taken for this season. Quite a few of the early rhododenron beds were turned to pulp, and any f'olk, with wisteria growing, will find that the flower.. beds have failed to mature. When then, you will ask, do we plant our frost tender vegetables? Prom the following list of maturing dates, you will see it is nearly time for them to be planted if you want them to mature before our cooler autumn weather sets in. While ihe plants are still small, they can. be covered, should the evening tum cold. But once the things reach maturity it is another matter, unless a lot of trouble is gone to in •erecting • frames with suitable coverings. Most of us just ho.pe, if a frost does come, that it will not eause damage beyond repair. ^ The following is the approximate time from seed-sowing to harvest. BeanSjFrench or climber 50 - 90 days Cucumbers, 85 to 120 days Pumpkins & Marrows, 120 to 150 days Potatoes, 120 to 150 days Sweet Corn, .70 to 100 days Tomatoes, 150 to 170 days. The Planting of Tomatoes It is not so very long ago since •this plant was grown in the greenhouse for ornamentation only. Now dt is grown for the consumption of its delicious fruit. Under glass for the earlier crops, and later, out-of-doors where marvellous crops can be obtained with very little trouble. From now on the young plants can be bought from the nurseryman. Buy good strong, dark-leav-ed, stocky plants. At soil level, the stems should be a dark purple colour, which gradually comes naler as it merges with the green. From this aspeet you can determine the degrees to which the plant has been "hardened off." Choose a sunny situation, a shady condition eneourages blight; preierably sheltered from hisrh winds. A ^ northerly aspect is best, to obtain the maximum of sunshine. The bed should be preoared at least a fortnight before planting out. Humus in the soil, is of course, necessary; but be sure, if stable ananure is used that it is in a well rotted condition; give the surface a Mberal dressing of wood-ash, then open up a drill four or five inches deep. Along this line, where the plants will come sprinkle 4ozs. of blood and bone, and a couple of handfuls of super-phosphate to every ten or twelve feet of row. Fill in drill and leave a fortnight; but be sure you plant along this oiiginal line. Before planting, mark where plants will come,! at least 12 to 15 inches apart. At these marks the stakes should be driven, unless vou are growi.ig a prostrate variety, drive at least 18 inches into the the ground. If the staking is left titi later you eould quite easily damage the roots; and it is through damaged roots that some diseases enter, which would later destroy the plant. Plant firmly in moist soil. In about 14 days after setting out, it may be necessary to make the first fastening to the stake. Use raffia for tying, fastening it to the stake first then' round the plant. The popular method of growing is on a single stem, so as soon as shoots begin to develop between the base of a leaf and the rnain stem of the plant they should be removed. Be careful to distinguish between the side stems, that are removed; and the flower trusses which come, as a rule from the stem below a leaf.

! Continue to tie as the plant grows, every 12 inches is sufficient. Make sure that the tie that comes round the stem will come under a junction of a leaf, so that when the fruit matures, the weight will not bend the stem. Tomatoes like a dry atmosphere, so do not over water, a good soaking every 10 days in dry weather is better than a sprinkle daily. When the first two bunches of fruit have set, a watering of weak liquid animal manure may be given with beneficial results. But do not over-feed, or a too lush a growth with no flowers will result.