HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1939, Page 3

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

FRUIT, FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Sow seeds of pumpkins, marrows and cucumbers on prepared mounds only when fear of frost is over. Dig out the trenches for the runner beans, putting plenty of welldecayed vegetable matter at the bottom. Make sowings of radishes for succession. Push on with the planting out of green vegetables for summer use. Use the hoe freely round cabbage and cauliflower .after rain. Sow carrots for main crop, but not while the ground is wet. Carrots prefer a moderately dry seed-bed. ; Sow for succession peas, spinach, radish, turnips, and lettuce. Work up the soil between rows of potatoes and earth up when large enough. Plant out cabbage and cauliflower and make a sowing of lettuce. Leeks should be sown this (month as they require a long season of growth. Spray the potatoes, when six inches high, with Bordeaux for later plantings. Plant rhubarb and asparagus in well manured soil. When sowing manure for peas or seeds, see that it is put well below the seeds. FRUIT GARDEN. When the blossom has fallen from stone-fruit trees, spray with soluble sulphur—loz to four gallons of water. Give the strawberry bed a dressing of fiianure, pull out by hand all weeds close to the crowns. Spray currants and gooseberries with lime sulphur I—l2o. When the petals of peaches and plums have fallen spray with lime sulphur I—l2o. Spray apples and pears as soon as buds move, and before they actually burst. Use lime sulphur I—lo. Cultivate regularly between the trees and bushes; this not only keeps down weeds but exposes harmful grubs to the attention of birds. Grafting of apples and pears can be carried out now. Prune the citrus trees where needed; low hanging branches of lemons should be removed as a preventive of brown rot. j Watch for curled and blistered leaves 'on the bush fruits; these may indicate the presence of some insect pest. Shoots of vines under glass will need careful tying to bring them away from the glass. FLOWER GARDEN. Make plentiful sowings of hardy annuals in the open ground for summer flowering. • Tree seeds of most kinds can be now in well prepared beds of fine soil; the beds and seedlings should be shaded from hot sunshine. Beds of rhododendrons and azaleas will benefit by a topdressing of peat or leafsbil. Plant out the remainder of the gladioli for maincrop of flower. Aquilegias should be sown to make good plants for autumn planting. Prune the early spring flowering shrubs as soon as the flower is past. Plant out annuals, raised jh boxes, for summer display. Autumn-sown annuals should be well staked when necessary. As the bulbs go out of flower apply a preventive spray to combat the narcissus fly. Chrysanthemum cuttings taken last month will now be ready for potting or lining out in the open ground. 1 Complete the layering of deciduous trees and shrubs, and finish any planting that remains to be done. Keep lawns well mown and remove spreading weeds. Top-dress with good soil or a manlire mixture.