HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1939, Page 9

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

FRUIT, FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Sow Yellow Turnips for winter use. Keep the pods of Runner Beans closely picked. If weather keeps dry a watering will assist the plants to set pods. A sowing of Dwarf Beans can be made. Keep Marrow and Cucumbers closely picked; this will ensure continuous cropping. Keep the soil between vegetable crops well hoed to keep down weeds, and also to aerate the soil. Make full use of any plots which become vacant; if not required for vegetable crops, sow down with green crops ifor digging in. Early-sown carrots are approaching maturity; it will be advisable to lift them before heavy rain or they will split. Make a sowing of Peas for a late supply. Celery trenches can be prepared at once. The Celery plants can be put out>as soon as they are ready. Choose a cloudy or showery day is possible. Make further sowings of Carrots and Beetroot for winter use. Sow Endive; this is a good winter substitute for Lettuce. Plant up Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, 'etc, for winter use. Spray with arsenate of lead to control caterpillars. Late-sown beetroot of the long type will need thinning out for shapely roots. Make a liberal sowing of lettuce in drills and thin out. Sow a pinch of Parsley seed for use during the winter months. Remove all the decayed leaves from recently-planted Celery. Lift the onion crop when matured, but dry well before storing. FLOWER GARDEN. Cut the flowered growths of Rambler Roses. Tie in the young basal shoots for next season’s flowering. Dahlias will need attention—hoeing, staking, tying, etc. If grubs or caterpillars appear lose no time in applying an insecticide, such as arsenate of lead or derris powder. Clean the Violet bed, removing all runners and weeds. If red spider appears, spray with lime sulphur 1-120, or cut off foliage. Increase rock garden plants by cuttings tof the young shoots inserted in a bed of sandy soil. Layer the Border Carnations when the shoots are of sufficient length. Violas and Pansies should have all dead flowers picked off and long, straggling growths cut back. Wallflowers, Sweet Williams and other biennials sown last month should be pricked out into prepared beds of soil. Budding of Roses can be taken in hand when the bark lifts freely. FRUIT GARDEN. •* Thin out any very heavy crops of fruit. Spray with arsenate of lead to control codlin moth, pear slug and plum leach. Tie in the laterals of outdoor vines. Stop the growths at about four leaves beyond the bunch. A certain amount of summer pruning can be done, such as the cutting out of useless inside wood and .'the stopping of lateral shoots of young trees to shape them. Apply a lime sulphur spray to the later Peaches and Nectarines to prevent the brown rot, which will be in evidence with rainy weather. Unless Strawberry runners are required for new beds, remove them periodically from the old plants. Where Strawbery runners have been layered, see that they do not lack moisture in dry spells.

Outdoor Tomatoes should be “stopped” at the fourth or fifth truss of fruit.