soon as up, to give each plant plenty of room.
Peas to be sown again for succession.
Potato.—Take the earliest opportunity of completing the planting of
main crops.
Salsify.—This delicious root, which is sometimes designated the
‘Vegetable Oyster,’ requires a piece of ground deeply trenched, with a
thick layer of manure at the bottom of the trench, and not a particle
of manure in the body of soil above it. The roots strike down into the
manure, and attain a good size combined with fine quality. If
carelessly grown, they become forked and fibrous, and are much wasted
in the cooking, besides being of inferior flavour. Sow in rows fifteen
inches apart, any time from the end of March to the beginning of May.
Two sowings will generally suffice.
Spinach.—Sow the Long-standing variety, which does not run so soon as
the ordinary kind. If a plantation of Spinach Beet has not been
secured, sow at once, as there is ample time yet for a free growth and
a valuable plant.
Turnip to be sown in quantity.
Vegetable Marrow.—An early sowing to be made in pots, in readiness for
planting out immediately weather admits of it. Three plants in a pot
are enough, and they must not be weakened by excessive heat.
Winter Greens.—A sowing of Borecole should be made, and if a supply is
required in spring, it will be well to sow again in the first week of
May.
MAY
High-Pressure times continue, for the heat increases daily, and the
season of production is already shortened by two months. The most
pressing business is to repair all losses, for even now, if affairs
have gone wrong, it is possible to get up a stock of Winter Greens, and
to sow all the sorts of seeds that should have been sown in March and
April, with a reasonable chance of profitable results. It must not be
expected, however, that the most brisk and skilful can overtake those
who have been doing well from the first dawn of spring, and who have
not omitted to sow a single seed at the proper time from the day when
seed-sowing became requisite. The heat of the earth is now sufficient
to start many seeds into growth that are customarily sown in heat a
month or two earlier; and, therefore, those who cannot make hot-beds
may grow many choice things if they will be content to have them a week
or two later than their more fortunate neighbours. In sowing seeds of
the more tender subjects, such as Capsicums, Marrows, and Cucumbers, it
will be better to lose a few days, in order to make sure of the result
desired, rather than to be in undue haste and have the seed destroyed
by heavy rains, or the young plants nipped off by frost. Do not,
therefore, sow any of these seeds in the open ground until the weather
is somewhat settled and sunny, for if they meet with any serious check
they will scarcely recover during the whole of the season.
Asparagus in seed-beds to be thinned as soon as possible, so that
wherever two or three plants rise together, the number should be
reduced to one. But there is time yet for seedlings to appear. The
bearing beds are more attractive, for they show their toothsome tops.
The cutting must be done in a systematic manner, and if practicable
always by the same person. It is better to cut all the shoots as fast
as they attain a proper size, and sort them for use according to
quality, rather than to pick and choose the fat shoots and throw the
whole plantation into disorder. Green-topped Asparagus is in favour in
this country; but those who prefer it blanched have simply to earth it
up sufficiently, and cut below the surface, taking care to avoid
injuring the young shoots which have not pushed through. It is not for
us to decide on any matter of individual taste, but we will give a word
of practical advice that may be of value to many. It is not the custom
to protect Asparagus in open beds, but it should be; for the keen
frosts that often occur when the sticks are rising destroy a large
number. This may be prevented by covering with any kind of light, dry
litter, which will not in the least interfere with that full greening
of the tops which English people generally prefer, because the light
and air will reach the plant; but the edge of the frost will be blunted
by the litter. If there is nothing at hand for this purpose, let a man
go round with the sickle and cut a lot of long grass from the rough
parts of the shrubbery, and put a light handful over every crown in the
bed. The sticks will rise with the litter upon them like nightcaps, and
will be plump and green and unhurt by frost.
Bean, Dwarf French.—The main crops should be got in this month, and
successional sowings may be made until the early part of July. Dwarf
Beans are but seldom allowed as much space as they require, and the
rows therefore should be thinned early, for crowded plants never bear
so well as those that enjoy light and air on all sides. In Continental
cookery a good dish is made of the Beans shelled out when about half
ripe. These being served in rich gravy, are at once savoury and
wholesome. Almost all the varieties of the Dwarf and Climbing sections
may be used in this way, and the Beans should be gathered when full
grown, but not yet ripe. The self-coloured varieties are also grown for
use as dry Haricots, in which case the pods should not be removed until
perfectly ripe.
Bean, Climbing French.—Sow this month for the main crop, and onwards
until June according to requirements. In a general way the treatment
usual for Runners will answer well for outdoor crops of the Climbing
French Bean.
Bean, Runner.—In the open ground sowings may be made as soon as
conditions appear safe, but it is well to sow again at the end of the
month or in June.
Beet.—The main crop should be sown in the early part of the month. Thin
and weed the early sown, and if the ground has been suitably prepared,
it will be needless to give water to this crop. As Beet is not wanted
large, it is not advisable to sow any great breadth until the beginning
of May, or it is liable to become coarse.
Broccoli to be sown for succession. Plant out from frames and forward
seed-beds at every opportunity. About the middle of the month sow for
cutting in May and June of next year.
Brussels Sprouts.—For the sake of a few fine buttons in the first
dripping days of autumn, when Peas and Runners and Marrows are gone,
put out as soon as possible some of the most forward plants, giving
them a rich soil and sunny position.
Cabbage.—Plant out from seed-beds at every opportunity, choosing, if
possible, the advent of showery weather. Sow the smaller sorts and
Coleworts, especially in favoured districts where there is usually no
check to vegetation until the turn of the year.
Capsicum can be sown out of doors about the middle of the month, and
nice green pods for pickling may be secured in the autumn.
Carrot.—Thin the main crops early, and sow a few rows of Champion Horn
or Intermediate, for use in a small state during late summer, when they
make an elegant and delicate dish.
Cauliflowers must have water in dry weather; they are the most hungry
and thirsty plants in the garden, but pay well for good living. Plant
out from frames as fast as ready, for they do no good to stand crowded
and starving.
Celery trenches must be prepared in time, though, strange to say, this
task is generally deferred until the plants have really become weak
through overcrowding. In a small garden it is never advisable to have
Celery very forward, for the simple reason that trenches cannot be made
for it until Peas come off and other early crops are over. To insure
fine Celery the cultivator must be in advance of events rather than lag
behind them. Plenty of manure must be used; it is scarcely possible, in
fact, to employ too much, and liberality is not waste, because the
ground will be in capital condition for the next crop. There are many
modes of planting Celery, but the simplest is to make the trenches four
feet apart and a foot and a half wide, and put the plants six to nine
inches apart, according to the sorts. This work must be done neatly,
with an artistic finish. In planting take off suckers, and if any of
the leaves are blistered, pinch the blisters, and finish by dusting the
plantation with soot. As Celery loves moisture, give water freely in
dry weather.
Cucumbers of excellent quality may be grown on ridges or hills, should
the season be favourable. Suppose the cultivator to have the means of
obtaining plenty of manure, ridges, which are to run east and west, are
preferable to hills. The soil should be thrown out three feet wide and
two feet deep, and be laid up on the north side. Then put three feet of
hot manure in the trench, and cover with the soil that was taken out,
so as to form an easy slope to the south, and with a steep slope on the
north side carefully finished to prevent its crumbling down before the
season ends. The plants should be put out on the slope as soon as
possible after the ridges are made ready, under the protection of
hand-lights, until there is free growth and the weather has become
quite summery. It is a good plan to grow one or two rows of Runner
Beans a short distance from the ridge on the north side to give
shelter, and in case of bad weather after the plants are in bearing,
pea-sticks or dry litter laid about them lightly will help them through
a critical time, but stable manure must not be used. In case manure is
not abundant, make a few small hills in a sheltered, sunny spot, with
whatever material is available in the way of turf, rotten manure, or
leaf-mould, taking care that nothing injurious to vegetation is mixed
with it. Put several inches of a mixture of good loam and rotten manure
on the hills, and plant and protect as in the case of ridges. If plants
are not at hand, sow seeds; there will still be a chance of Cucumbers
during July, August, and September; for if they thrive at all, they are
pretty brisk in their movements. Three observations remain to be made
on this subject. In the first place, what are known as ‘Ridge’
Cucumbers only should be grown in the open air; the large sorts grown
in houses are unfit. In the second place, the plants should only be
pinched once, and there is no occasion for the niggling business which
gardeners call ‘setting the bloom.’ Provide for their roots a good bed,
and then let them grow as they please. In the third place, as
encouragement, we feel bound to say that, as Cucumbers are grown to be
eaten as well as to be looked at, those from ridges are less handsome
than house Cucumbers, but are quite equal to them in flavour.
Dandelion somewhat resembles the Endive, and is one of the earliest and
most wholesome additions to the salad-bowl. Sow now and again in June,
in drills one foot asunder, and thin out the plants to one foot apart
in the rows. These will be ready for use in the following winter and
spring.
Gourd and Pumpkin.—An early show of fruit necessitates raising seeds
under glass for planting on prepared beds, and the plants must be
protected by means of lights or any other arrangement that can be
improvised as a defence against late frosts. Of course the seeds can be
sown upon the actual bed, but it is a loss of time. The rapidity with
which the plants grow is a sufficient indication that generous feeding
and copious supplies of water in dry weather are imperative.
Lettuce.—Sow for succession where the plants are to remain, and plant
out the earlier sowings at every opportunity. To insure a quick growth,
and prevent the plants from running to seed, extra care in giving water
and shade will be necessary after transplanting. The larger Cabbage
Lettuces will prove useful if sown now.
Maize and Sugar Corn may be grown in this country as an ornament to the
garden, and also for the green cobs which are used as a vegetable. Sow
early in the month on rich light soil, and in a hot season, especially
when accompanied by moisture, there will be rapid growth. The cobs to
be gathered for cooking when of full size, but while quite green.
Melon.—It is not too late to grow Melons in frames, provided a start
can be made with strong plants.
Pea.—Sow Peas again if there is any prospect of a break in the supply.
It is a good plan to prepare trenches as for Celery, but less deep, and
sow Peas in them, as the trenches can be quickly filled with water in
case of dry weather, and the vigorous growth will be proof against
mildew.
Savoy sown now will produce small useful hearts for winter use. By many
these small hearts will be preferred to large ones, as more delicate,
and therefore a sowing of Tom Thumb may be advised.
Spinach, New Zealand, can be sown in the open ground in the early part
of this month and should be thinned to about a yard apart. The growth
somewhat resembles that of the Ice Plant. The tender young tops are
pinched off for cooking, and they make an elegant Spinach, which is
free from bitterness, and is therefore acceptable to many persons who
object to the sooty flavour of ordinary Spinach.
Tomato.—By the third week in May the plants for the open border should
be hardened. In a cold pit or frame they may be gradually exposed until
the lights can be left off altogether, even at night. A thick layer of
ashes at the bottom of the frame will insure drainage and keep off
vermin. If the plants are allowed plenty of space, and are well
managed, they will possess dark, healthy foliage, needing no support
from sticks until they are in final quarters. Do not put them out
before the end of the month or the beginning of June, and choose a
quiet day for the work. If possible, give them a sunny spot under the
shelter of a wall having a southern or western aspect. On a stiff soil
it is advisable to plant on ridges, and not too deeply; for deep
planting encourages strong growth, and strong growth defers the
production of fruit. Tomatoes are sometimes grown in beds, and then it
is necessary to give them abundant room. For branched plants three feet
between the plants in the rows, and the rows four feet apart, will
afford space for tying and watering. Each plant should have the support
of a stout stake firmly fixed in the soil, and rising four feet above
it; and once a week at least the tying should be attended to. As to
stopping, the centre stem should be allowed to grow until the early
flowers have set. It is from these early flowers that outdoor Tomatoes
can be successfully ripened, and the removal of the main shoot delays
their production. But after fifteen or twenty fruits are visible the
top of the leading stem may be shortened to the length of the stake.
The fruiting branches should also be kept short beyond the fruit, and
large leaves must be shortened to allow free access of sunshine. Should
the single-stem system be adopted, three feet between the rows and two
feet between plants in the rows will suffice. On a light soil and in
dry weather weak liquid manure may, with advantage, be alternated with
pure water, but this practice must not be carried far enough to make
the plants gross, or ripening will be delayed. Fruit intended for
exhibition must be selected with judgment, and with this end in view
four to six specimens of any large variety will be sufficient for one
plant to bring to perfection.
Turnip to be sown for succession. It is well now to keep to the small
white early sorts.
Vegetable Marrow.—In cottage gardens luxuriant vines may every year be
seen trailing over the sides of heaps of decayed turf or manure. All
forward vegetables are prized, and Marrows are no exception to the
rule. An early supply from the open ground is most readily insured by
raising strong plants in pots and putting them on rich warm beds as
early as the season and district will permit. Late frosts must be
guarded against by some kind of protection, and slugs must be deterred
from eating up the plants.
JUNE
To some extent the crops will now take care of themselves, and we may
consider the chief anxieties and activities of the season over. Our
notes, therefore, will be more brief. We do not counsel the cultivator
to ‘rest and be thankful.’ It is better for him to work, but he must be
thankful all the same, if he would be happy in his healthy and
entertaining employment. Watering and weeding are the principal labours
of this month, and both must be pursued with diligence. But ordinary
watering, where every drop has to be dipped and carried, is often
injurious rather than beneficial, for the simple reason that it is only
half done. In such cases it is advisable to withhold water as long as
possible, and then to give it in abundance, watering only a small plot
every day in order to saturate the ground, and taking a week or more to
go over a piece which would be done in a day by mere surface
dribblings.
Asparagus should be in full supply, and may be cut until the middle or
end of the month. When cutting should cease depends on the district. In
the South of England the 14th is about the proper time to make the last
cut; north of the Trent, the 20th may be soon enough; and further
north, cutting may be continued into July. The point to be borne in
mind is that the plant must be allowed time to grow freely without any
further check, in order to store up energy for making robust shoots
next year. It is a good plan to insert stakes, such as are used for
Peas, in Asparagus beds, to give support to the green growth against
gales of wind; for when the stems are snapped by storms, as they often
are, the roots lose their aid, and are weakened for their future work.
Beans, both Dwarf and Runner, may be sown about the middle of the
month, to supply tender pods when those from the early sowings are
past. A late crop of Runners will pay well almost anywhere, for they
bear until the frost cuts them down, which may not happen until far
into November.
Broccoli.—- Take advantage of showers to continue planting out.
Cabbage.—Towards the end of the month sow a good breadth of small
Cabbages and Coleworts. They will be immensely valuable to plant out as
the summer crops are cleared away.
Capsicums may be planted out in a sunny sheltered spot.
Cauliflowers that are transferred now from seed-beds must have
plentiful supplies of water, and be shaded during midday for a week.
When the heads are visible it is customary to snap one of the inner
leaves over them for protection.
Celery to be planted out without loss of time, in showery weather if
possible; but if the weather is hot and dry, shade the plants and give
water. The work must be well done, hence it is advisable to lift no
more plants than can be quickly dealt with, for exposure tends to
exhaustion, and Celery ought never to suffer a check in even the
slightest degree. When planted, dust lightly with soot or wood-ashes.
Pea-sticks laid across the trenches will give shade enough with very
little trouble.
Chicory.—This wholesome esculent is used in a variety of ways, and is
very much prized in some households. The blanched heads make an
acceptable accompaniment to cheese, and are much appreciated for
salading; they may also be stewed and served with melted butter in the
same manner as Sea Kale. To grow large clean roots a deep rich soil is
required. If manure must be added, use that which is well decayed, and
bury it at least twelve inches, for near the surface it will produce
fanged roots. Prepare the seed-bed as for Parsnips, sow in drills
twelve inches apart, and thin the plants to nine inches in the rows. In
October the roots will be ready for lifting, preparatory to being
packed in dark quarters for blanching.
Cucumbers for Pickling may be sown on ridges.
Endive is not generally wanted while good Lettuces abound, but it takes
the place of Lettuce in autumn and winter, when the more delicate
vegetable is scarce. Sow in shallow drills six inches apart. Thin the
plants, and transfer the thinnings to rich light soil. They must be
liberally grown on well-manured land, with the aid of water in dry
weather.
Lettuce to be sown and planted at every opportunity. A few rows of
large Cos varieties should be sown in trenches prepared as for Celery,
there to be thinned and allowed to stand. They will form fine hearts,
and be valued at a time when Lettuces are scarce.
Melon.—For a final crop in houses sow as previously directed, and grow
the plants on in pots, until the house can be cleared of the former set
for their reception. The growth should be pushed forward to insure ripe
fruit before the end of September. In the event of dull weather at the
finish, there will be all the greater need of abundant but judicious
ventilation, and of a warm dry atmosphere at night. Before they become
heavy every fruit should have the support of nets or thin pieces of
board suspended by wires from the corners.
Mushrooms may be prepared for now. The first step towards success is to
accumulate a long heap of horse-droppings with the least possible
amount of litter. Let this ferment moderately, and turn it two or three
times, always making a long heap of it, which keeps down the
fermentation. When the fire is somewhat taken out of it, make up the
bed with a mixture of about four parts of the fermented manure and one
part of turfy loam, well incorporated. Beat the stuff together with the
flat of the spade as the work proceeds, fashioning the bed in the form
of a ridge about three feet wide at the base, and of any length that
may be convenient. Give the work a neat finish, or the Mushrooms will
certainly not repay you. Put in rather large lumps of spawn when the
bed is nicely warm, cover with a thin layer of fine soil, and protect
with mats or clean straw. This is a quick and easy way of growing
Mushrooms, and by commencing now the season is all before one. Nine
times in ten, people begin preparations for Mushroom growing about a
month too late, for the spawn runs during the hot weather, and the crop
rises when the moderate autumnal temperature sets in.
Onions to be sown for salading. Forward beds of large sorts to be
thinned in good time. The best Onions for keeping are those of moderate
size, perfectly ripened; therefore the thinning should not be too
severe.
Peas may still be sown, and as the season advances preference should be
given to quick-growing early varieties.
Turnips may be sown in variety and in quantity after Midsummer Day. Sow
on well-prepared ground, and put a sprinkle of artificial manure in the
drills with the seed. By hastening the early growth of the plant the
fly is kept in check.
JULY
For gardeners July is in one respect like January; everything depends
on the weather. It may be hot, with frequent heavy rains, and
vegetation in the most luxuriant growth; or the earth may be iron and
the heavens brass, with scarcely a green blade to be seen. The light
flying showers that usually occur in July do not render watering
unnecessary; in fact, a heavy soaking of a crop after a moderate
rainfall is a valuable aid to its growth, for it requires a
long-continued heavy downpour to penetrate to the roots.
Summer-sown Vegetables for Autumn and Winter use. As the month advances
early crops will be finished and numerous plots of ground become
vacant. In many gardens it is now the practice to sow in July and
August seeds of quick-growing varieties of Vegetables and Salads to
furnish supplies through the autumn and early winter months, and this
system is strongly to be commended. These sowings not only increase the
cropping capacity of the garden but they extend the use of many
favourite Vegetables which from spring sowings customarily cease at the
end of summer. Two things are essential to success. _Early-maturing
varieties only should be sown and the plants must be thinned
immediately they appear (thus avoiding transplanting), so that they
receive no check in growth._ The following subjects are especially
suited for the purpose: Dwarf French Beans (sow early in July), Beet,
Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower (sow early in July), Italian Corn Salad,
Cress, Endive, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Onion, Parsley, Peas, Radish,
Spinach, and Turnip. Potatoes may also be planted in July, but only
tubers of early varieties saved from the preceding year should be used.