IN THE GARDEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1926, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN.

THE SEASON ADVANCING. WORK FOR THE SMALL GARDENER. As the season progresses growth becomes very luxuriant' owing to the frequent showers which keep the ground moist. Up to the present the weather has been anything but enjoyable for gardeners, the strong winds having done tremendous damage, in many eases necessitating replanting and resowing of various crops. The season is getting on now and work becomes more and more imperative if good results are to be expooted. Any crops which have been destroyed by the gales should be replaced as early as possible, and those which are doing all right should receive attention in the matters ot weeding and thinning. As soon 'as warm conditions set in and the ground gets dry the weeds send up seed heads very rapidly, and if not checked they will cast their seed all over the ground, and make much additional work for the following seasons. With regard to thinning, the sooner this is done the better, as if done while the plants are quite small very little disturbance to the roots takes place and the plants left grow on without a check.

Another important operation is the earthing up of potatoes and other crops. With potatoes this is of course necessary to protect the tubers which would otherwise be exposed to the sun and become green. The earthing up of peas and cabbages, etc., has the advantage of preventing the plants from being blown about, and the roots being wrenched. The more windy the locality the greater advantage results from earthing up. Providing supports for peas and beaus is another necessary work. When the plants are allowed to lie about on the ground much of the crop is quite spoilt while slugs and snails, woodlice, and grubs take cover under the dense growth, and take toll of the plants. The earliest peas are coming into bearing, and, with all the pod-bearing vegetables it is imperative to keep them closely picked to prolong the season as muon as possible. It is wise to push all growing crops along to get as good a growth as possible before dry weather sets in. For any of the cabbage tribe a light sprinkling of nitrate of soda before earthing up is advantageous, while for peas and beans a little superphosphate may be used. If preferred the manuring maybe done by liquid manures to any plants until they have started to grow, and then only when the ground is moist.

SEASONABLE PLANTINGS. The planting of tomatoes should be completed this month. It is always a good plan—even late in the season—to protect the young plants .with a box or tin until they have got a good roothold. If they get twisted about in the hole directly they are planted the results will be disappointing. As the plants grow keep them tied to the slakes and remove all laterals as soon as they appear. The planting of pumpkins and marrows should be continued. These are also all the better for protection as they are tender plants and the foliage is very easily damaged by wind and rough weather. Continue suecessional sowing of peas, French and butter beans, and lettuces, and other salad plants. Parsnips, carrots, and red beet may be sown for main crop. Parsnip seed is rather difficult to germinate, if the ground is not kept uniformly must. A good plan is to lay light boards along the rows until the seedlings showthrough. These must, of course, be re-, moved as soon as the seeds germinate. FRUIT TREES. . Fruit trees have suffered badly this season, especially the earlier vaJeties. in many cases the trees having been entirely denuded of fruit. Leaf curl is very prevalent on peaches and nectarines, Sven those trees whidh were sprayed earlier have developed this troublesome disease. Nothing much can be done for it except to remove any dead twigs and burn them. The’disease is present on the dead wood and unless -this is destroyed the spores spread to other parts of the trees. Apples should be sprayed with arsenate of lead to check codlin moth. The spray should be first applied when the petals fall and then every three weeks until the middle of January. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. Sweet peas will be coming into flower very soon now. To ensure as long a season of blooming as possible it is essential to remove the blooms before they form seed pods. See that the plants are properly supported. If they once blow over they are sure to be badly damaged as the stalks get bruised. Keep the plants moist throughout their flowering season, and give occasional feeding by means of liquid manure made of cow manure or soot.

Continue the sowing of hardy summer annuals. Every vacant spot should be utilised and made to produce some brightness throughout the summer months. Zinnias are one of the best of annuals for dry positions. These plants can stand any amount of heat, and suffer less from drought than most. The colours and style of flowers have been so greatly improved of late years that zinnias are becoming quite popular.

Another drought-resisting plant is the African .marigold. When well grown, these plants are a mass of colour throughout the hottest months, and never wilt, however dry the ground may be. Almost all the summer and autumn annuals are procurable now, and for people with small gardens it is often cheaper and easier to buy the plants rather than the seed.

Chrysanthemum plants are now available for planting, and no time should be lost in getting these put into their positions. The sooner they are planted the better hold they will get on the soil before it becomes too dry. One of the secrets of successful chrysanthemum growing is to be able to get the plants to retain good healthy foliage. This can only be done by not allowing the plants*to suffer from drought. As soon as they receive a check they lose their lower leaves. Rust is a. trouble to which chrysanthemums are very liable, some varieties being more affected than others. Spraying the plants with Bordeaux Mixture or lime sulphur checks the disease, but spraying must be fairlv frcqllent _ liactical in Wellington Post.