SPRING VEGETABLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1939, Page 3

SPRING VEGETABLES

SUCCESSIONAL SOWINGS. SOME USEFUL HINTS. , In the vegetable garden, especially, successional sowings should be made if a good supply of vegetables is to be maintained. The measure of success attained depends very largely upon the condition of the ground at the time of sowing. In preparing the ground for sowing

oi\ planting evbry means should be talcen by judicious manuring and working to place the soil in such condition as will ensure rapid germination of seed and growth of plant. The ground in every case should be deeply and well broken up and placed in as fine tilth as possible for the reception of the seeds. Sowing, however, should in no case be done while the soil is in a sodden condition, as much better results will be obtained by waiting Until the soil can be worked without puddling.

Another important matter is the depth the seed should be sown. At this season, when there is plenty of moisture in the soil, few seeds require the same depth of covering as those sown later in the season. Seeds vary so widely in size and character that space will not admit of giving a detailed list of all the varieties and depth to sow. For present sowing, providing the soil .is in good tilth, and the surface finely broken up so that smooth drills can be drawn for small seeds such as cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, onion, lettuce, and others of similar size, a covering of from four to five times the diameter of the seeds should be sufficient. For larger seed, such as peas and beans, lin to ,1J in of covering, according to the nature of the soil, is ample for spring sowing. Later in the season if dry weather sets in a slightly deeper covering may be given with advantage. Take every advantage of fine weather to cultivate as frequently as possible among the more advanced crops. With all green crops especially, frequent soil stirring plays an important part of the success attained. At this season weeds grow very rapidly, so that hoeing or light digging is necessary to keep them under control, while it assists in some measure to check the ravages of slugs. Most vegetable crops succeed best in soils in which well-rot-ted. stable manure or other’ decomposed vegetable matter has been incorporated.

For most green crops artificial fertilisers such as superphosphate, blood and bone, sulphate of potash and lime are excellent agents to use at the time, of sowing for stimulating growth. With soils of a stiff clavey nature lime cannot be too freely used, as it sweetens and pulverises the soil, rendering it more pliable and workable. Phosphoric .acid, potash and nitrogen are thu main fertilising elements required for the plants and are supplied by the manures mentioned.

A light sprinkling of any of these along the drills when sowing gives the plants a good start, or it can be applied to the surface with advantage after the plants are well above ground. A small sprinkling of nitrate of soda is an excellent manure for stimulating growth, especially such crops as cabbage and other colworts, spinach, lettuce and similar crops. For root crops,.however, such as carrots, narsnips, long-rooting beet, salsify or other tap-rooting plants, manure, if applied near the surface, tends to encourage branched instead of debp, clean roots to form. These crops invariably succeed best when sowing in ground that has been previously manured and from which a crop has been taken. Attend to the earthing-up pf peas, beans, cabbages and other colworts and other plants benefited by this treatment. Early planted potatoes, too, should be earthed up as they advance in growth. This, in fact, 'is one of the most important operations with z the earliest plants. As a rule the early planted sets are planted not riiore than 3in or 4in below the surface, so that the young tubers form very near the surface and if not kept well earthed-up are liable to become exposed, turn green and unfit for table use. Earthing-up, too, assists to steady the stems and prevent them being swayed about by the wind. Before earthing-up give a sprinkling of artificial manure along the rows oi' around each plant. Continue to plant out autumn-sown . onions in well-pre-jrared ground, care being taken not to place the roots too deeply in the soil, as this often results in their forming thick necks instead of good bulbs. Plant just deep enough to cover the roots and tread the soil firmly. Before planting shorten back any straggling root or tops.