READY RECKONER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 October 1940, Page 9

READY RECKONER

FOR THE HOME GARDENER. SOME USEFUL HINTS. All the more favourite vegetables may be raised from seed or planted and grown to maturity in the open garden without glass. The following hints have been compiled from this standpoint, and may therefore be followed by any reader who has the necessary ground to devote to such crops as he may select. Artichokes (Jerusalem).—Next to potatoes, very useful for opening up new ground. Plant the tubers six inches deep and one foot apart, in rows three to four feet apart. Deep digging before planting is essential.

Beans. — Broad beans are best sown from March to August. In rows two or three feet apart, dibble holes two inches deep and nine inches apart and sow two seeds in each hole. French or kidney beans, being rather tender, should not be sown till October; runner beans in November. Prepare ground now. Beans (Haricots). —Beans for drying, as haricots, grow similarly to the dwarf, sowing outdoors in October, and allowing the pods to remain on the plants to ripen, if possible, in the sun. Celery.—Usually raised under glass, but may be sown in a sunny situation in October. Transplant when large enough to handle; seedlings should be transplanted at least twice. Cress.—ln a border, sow every fortnight in shade onwards until autumn. Sow thickly, do not cover, and make moderately firm. .Sow mustard similarly, about a week later. Endive. — For first crop, sow middle of November for main crop, December and January, and in February for crop to stand tljp winter. Drills one inch deep, one foot apart, and thin plants to one foot apart. Good, light, deeplydug soil. * Leeks.—Want deep, good soil; dig in old manure. Sow this month, in drills, thin out and transplant to shallow trenches on the prepared ground, the plants six inches apart, the row eighteen inches apart. Lettuces.—Sow now and every three or four weeks until midsummer, transplanting one foot apart each way. To avoid transplanting, sow thinly in hot weather. Marrows. —Sow outdoors in October or November on low hillocks raised over a shovelful or so of manure. Place a bottomless seed-box on top, cover with glass. When the plants come up, protect from frost. Mint.—Plant now, setting the rooted young shoots six inches apart. Onions. — Soil should have been trenched and manured in autumn. At the present time give a sprinkling of salt and soot, just enough to cover the surface. Rake level and make lightly firm; then sow the seed in shallow drills ten inches apart; cover lightly with fine earth, tread gently and finish off by patting down the bed with the back of spade*. In about six weeks thin out seedlings to two inches apart and ultimately to six inches apart. Plantings can be made of autumn sown onions during September and October. Parsnips.—Sow now in light and deeply-dug ground, free from lumps and from fresh manure, the seeds in drills, the. seedlings to be thinned out to eight inches apart. Parsley.— Sow now half an inch in drills a foot apart. Peas.— Sow at intervals of a fortnight, according to requirements. Sow in rows five feet apart running north and south. Set the seed two inches apart in shallow drills. Grow spinach and lettuces between the rows. Potatoes.— Dig and manure ground at once and plant the “sets” as early as possible, one foot apart, in furrows two and a half feet apart. Sprinkle the furrows with potato manure. Cover the “sets” four inches deep. Commence earthing-up when growth is four inches high. Radishes.—From now onwards, sow every fortnight in good, firm ground, but not freshly manured; drills five inches apart, the seeds less than half an inch deep. Sow thinly. Water freely in hot weather. Beetroot.— Sow early Red Globe in September, and for main crop early in November, in deeply-trenched soil. If not ready, prepare the ground now, deep digging being most important. The edible-leaved Seakale beet should be sown in an open situation at the same time, the drill eighteen inches apart. Also spinach beet in drills one foot apart. Broccoli.— Sow at once, to secure a long supply. Sow very thinly, drills six inches apart, seeds half an inch deep; thin out in due course and transplant two feet apart. Brussels Sprouts.—Sow now. From present sowing, seedlings should be transplanted in December two feet or thirty inches apart. Same distance for plants purchased. Cabbages.—For continuous supply, sow now, half an inch deep for autumn and winter use, and in January and February for spring. From seed-bed, transplant to nursery beds, from nursery beds to permanent ground, large varieties thirty inches apart, smaller eighteen inches. Carrots. —Sow now in sheltered positions for main crop and at the end of October for winter use. Light soil, drills fourteen inches apart and seeds thinly covered. Thin out to six inches apart in the row. Cauliflowers.— Sow now, at intervals of three weeks to the middle of December, a few seeds at a time, in drills. Rich, deep soil. Thin out and transplant as soon as possible, two feet apart each way. Water freely. Rhubarb.—Stools or crowns should be planted at once three feet apart each way, in rich, moist ground, the tops of the crowns just level with the soil surface. No pulling this year. Shallots.—May be planted from July onwards, as early as possible now, ten inches apart, in lines 15 inches apart, the situation open and sunny, the ground well dug and manured. Lay down, the garden line, push the “cloves” singly half way into the soil at the distances stated, making them firm, subsequently seeing that they are not disturbed by worms or birds. Spinach.—For summer use, make fortnightly sowings of the round-seed-ed variety in any decent ground, the rows a foot apart and the seeds sown very thinly. For winter use, sow prickly spinach on a sheltered border during February and March. Turips.—Early varieties may be sown now; drills 12 to 15 inches apart. Thin out early. 10 inches apart. Keep the ground sprinkled with soot. The novice is warned against sowing too thickly, which is wasteful and, ' moreover, entails much labour in thinning out, an operation that cannot, always be done at the right moment.