USE THE HOE FREQUENTLY — IT IS THE BEST INSURANCE FOR SUCCESSFUL GARDENING

Te Ao Hou, Spring 1954, Page 51

USE THE HOE FREQUENTLY — IT IS THE BEST INSURANCE FOR SUCCESSFUL GARDENING Keep the hoe constantly at work during this time of the year, to eradicate weeds and to form a dust mulch to conserve available moisture and sustain the full development of the garden crops. Complete plantings of main crop potatoes. Earth up and spray those previously planted. Sow carrots and beet. Make successive sowings of peas, french and butter beans. Continue planting tomatoes, kumara, and sweet corn. Always purchase the best seeds, as the work involved is just as great with poor seeds of questionable germination and fruitfulness. Spraying is a most important operation during the present period, and must be caried out frequently to ensure a good clean crop free of disease. In light soils, seeds may safely be sown at a greater depth than in heavy soils. With due regard to soil conditions, the following will serve as a useful guide: Beetroot ½-inch, Carrots ¼-inch, Parsnips ½-inch, Beans, 1 ¼-inch, celery ¼-inch, Onion ½-inch, Peas 1 ½-inch. Pumpkin plants which are making free growth should have the tips pinched out to encourage laterals to form, as the fruit is mainly developed on the laterals of the pumpkin, cucumber and melon vines. In flower gardens, complete sowing and planting of tender annuals before the dry weather sets in. Bedding plants should now all be planted, using a little water to get them well established. Continue to plant dahlias, stake and tie those previously planted. This is the time to sow portulaca. The double varieties are the most popular, being suitable for rock-work or massing in beds. All hedges should be trimmed and treated, as they only make moderate growth during the summer and should keep trim until the autumn.