CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1940, Page 9

CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER

PLANTING HINTS. When available, cabbage and cauliflower can be planted, but as a rule it is a few weeks yet before the plant.raised from seed sown under glass and pricked out into boxes are available. When preparing the ground for planting, it is first given a dressing of ground lime and then forked over as for seed sowing. It is not necessary, however, to make the surface so fine with the rake, but it is desirable to break up all clods and to remove stones or other rubbish. It is not advisable to plant a great many at one time, one or two rows of each will be sufficient, and other plantings can be made at intervals of a month. For early varieties two feet between the rows will be sufficient, and when these are marked out the line is set, and drills three inches deep are drawn with the hee. In these the plants are put out at 18 inches apart, planting being done with the trowel when the plants are lifted with a ball of soil adhering to the roots, and with a dibber when without a ball. Plant firmly and then water to settle the soil about the roots, and as slugs are very fond of brassicas it is advisable to sprinkle a ring of powdered lime round each plant, and to keep away birds to stretch some strands of black cotton over them. Varieties to plant now would bo Early York cabbage and Early London cauliflower. and the next planting Winnigstad cabbage and Walchereen or Veitche’s Autumn Giant cauliflower. Brussels sprouts can also be planted shortly, for they take a long time to develop. They are planted in rows, three feet apart, and at two to two feet and a half between the plants in the rows.

The object in planting cabbages, etc. in drills is to shelter the plants from cold winds, to make watering more effective, and to enable them to be earthed up from time to time to steady the plants.