HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 November 1940, Page 9

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Fruit, Flowers and Vegetables WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Pinch the tops out of early peas in flower; the pods will then fill out more quickly. Make frequent sowings of spinach for summer use; use the thinnings as soon as large ienough. /Celery fly will soon be active; dust the young plants with derris or old soot. Pinch ]the tops out of marrows and pumpkins when six leaves have been made. Examine all seed beds and if there are any failures sow again at once. Sow onions, lettuce, mustard and cress'for summer salads. Sow runner, French and butter'beans for successional crops. Plant out later crops of potatoes and spray those ready for moulding up. FRUIT GARDEN. Aphis will be active on peach and 'cherry trees; spray with a good insecticide before the foliage becomes too-much curled. Strawberries should not be allowed to suffer from dryness at the root or the crop will suffer. Spray the raspberries and loganberries with dime sulphur, one in 80, as a precaution against cane spot. The apples and pears should be sprayed for codlin moth and scab. Spray the tomatoes within ten days of planting out to combat the stem borer. When picking gooseberries thin out the fruits on each branch. FLOWER GARDEN. Rhododendrons and azaleas should have the seed pods removed and be given a good mulch of leafmould and old manure. Sweet peas on the cordon system should be rigidly disbudded and kept tied to the supports. Excessive feeding of sweet ;peas is liable to cause'an epidemic of bud dropping. Remove the spring annuals which have finished their display and replace with plants for summer bloom. Salvias, asters, zinnias, petunias, phlox Drummondii, marigolds and verbenas can all be planted now. Roses will need to be disbudded if fine blooms are desired; ikeep a watch for mildew and aphis.