FOR HEALTHY TOMATOES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1941, Page 9

FOR HEALTHY TOMATOES

NO WATER IS NEEDED The essential thing tn remember about growing tomatoes is to use no water. Moisten the roots by all means when planting out. but after that forget about the hose and watering can. Following the fine fillip of December, when the weather was exceptionally favourable, tomatoes are now well advanced, but do not be tempted to try io aid their vigorous growth with manures or watering. Beyond cutting back useless laterals and an occasional spraying, tomatoes need no attention whatsoever.

As the fruit forms a light mulch of rotted vegetation can be placed round the roots, and a light liquid manure given, but even this is not essential. Ammonia should certainly be avoided, but there is no objection to the sparing use of liquid cow manure, if artificial manures are used at all at the fruitforming stage, -phosphates and bonemeal are recommended.

Spraying is largely a matter of prevention of blight, which often comes with humid conditions. The Bordeaux powders make this simple. Use a level tablespoonful to two gallons of water, spraying the leaves carefully. This should be done every three weeks —or four if the weather is line.

In small gardens where there are only a few plants hand picking is the best method of dealing with the caterpillar pest, and this is preferable to choking the leaves unnecessarily with poison. But if the number of plants is large arsenate of lead can be added to the Bordeaux mixture, using half the amount (by measure) of poison to that of Bordeaux. The advice is usually given to grow tomatoes on a single stem, but many amateurs are rather wary of too freely removing shoots. The tomato, however. is such a vigorous grower that if side growths are allowed to get away they grow so vigorously that they prevent the bunch of fruit from setting, the result being that there are large masses of stems and leaves and little fruit. Strong shoots often arise from the base of the plant close to the ground. The tendency is often to allow these to grow with the idea of getting another crop of fruit, but there is no value in them. Certainly they may carry a little fruit, but it is at the expense of that on the main stem. If late supplies of tomatoes are required, it is best to make a late sowing and planting. A planting this month will give some late fruit. Often at the end of a bunch of fruit, especially with plants grown in rich soil, there will appear a leaf and sometimes even a shoot will develop. These should be removed close to the end of the last fruit on the bunch.

ROSES SEASONAL ATTENTION. Roses require regular attention throughout the summer. Not only is this necessary to promote a summer display; the bushes must be encouraged to build up strong growth in order that the autumn Howers may have a chance to rival those of early summer.

The push hoe should be used on every possible occasion. This useful implement cannot be brought into use too much, especially in a dry season for by working up a mulch of loose dry soil., moisture is conserved and the valuable surface roots are saved from injury. There should be no hesitation about watering roses if the weather proves very dry. They should receive copious ’ supplies and an occasional soaking with liquid manure will do much to improve growth and the quality of the blooms.

After the first flush of the summer flowers is over, the bushes will respond to a dressing of poultry manure or guano, but it must be sparingly used The merest sprinking, hoed or lightly forked into the soil will improve growth to a surprising extent. To apply such manures too frequently, or in too strong a concentration, may easily do harm.

In gathering roses for indoor decoration or other purposes it is well to cut them with long stems thereby shortening the growths which bear them to a few inches. With the hybrid teas in particular, the basal buds left behind will break into strong, new growth and yield a further supply of welcome blooms until winter puts an end to their production Where many rose: are required for cutting, it is well u practise thinning the buds, leaving only one to develop. This tends to better bloom at the exjxmse of buds which, if left would eventually be cut from the bush, without any chance of development It is very important also to cut away the faded Hower trusses of the polyantha and cluster roses. Bv so demy, they will be encouraged to bloom ovei a much longer period It is not unusual for the Poulsen roses to make a brave display far into the autumn.