IN THE GARDEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 December 1939, Page 3

IN THE GARDEN

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR FRUIT, FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Continue,to plant potatoes. Those up should be sprayed and earthed. Plant out Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. Make a sowing of sweet corn, lettuce and radish. Put stakes to runner beans. Make further sowings of runner and dwarf beans. Sow haricot beans for winter use. Tomatoes should have their laterals pinched out. Spray the plants. Thin out and regulate the growth of tomatoes and spray with arsenate of lead to combat stem borer. Sow broccoli, early and late varieties, for winter.and early spring use. Pinch back cucumbers, melons and marrows when six good leaves have been made. Sow a pinch of swede turnip, but spray as soon as through the ground to protect from fly. Thin carrots, parsnips and beet as required; firm the soil after thinning. Ground cleared of early potatoes may be planted with cabbage and cauliflower. FRUIT GARDEN. Spray stone fruits for leech. Use arsenate of lead, an ounce to a gallon of water. Spray apples and pears for codlin moth. Use arsenate as above. Cultivate well around the trees. Spray citrus trees when fruit has set. Use Bordeaux mixture. Spray gooseberries as soon as the fruit has been gathered. Thinning operations should be taken in hand among the fruit where required. Spray the apples with lime sulphur, one in 80, as a preventive of scab. Where too many growths are appearing on the loganberries and raspberries, reduce their number to five or six. Regulate the growths of outdoor vines by stopping at two leaves beyond the bunches of fruit. Repeat sprayings will be needed of the arsenate of lead to control codlin moth on apples. FLOWER GARDEN. Spray roses, chrysanthemums and carnations for green fly and mildew. Plant chrysanthemums and dahlias. plant salpiglossis, salvias, antirrhinums and sunflowers. Plant out rooted cuttings of perpetual flowering carnations. Seeds'of petunias, salvia, phlox drummondii and verbenas sown now will flower in autumn. Thin out growths of herbaceous phlox and other perennials. Anemones and ranunculi may be lifted and dried off as soon as the foliage has died. Keep flowers on sweet peas closely cut to prevent seed forming. Give liquid manure frequently to sweet peas and roses. Stake and tie up Canterbury bells, gladioli, hollyhocks, etc. Sow wallflowers, Brompton stock and polyanthus for spring flowering. Plant out zinnias, celosias, asters and begonias for summer bedding. Peg down verbenas, phlox Drummondii and petunias to cover the beds. Hardy alpines and rock plants can be sown in cold frames, keeping cool and moist. Insert cuttings of pinks and aubretia. Overhaul the flower borders and stake tall-growing plants. Hardy annuals sown last month will require well thinning out.