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Are you watching out for those Pests?
Any signs of black fly yet? Some gardeners think that this pest is
encouraged by broad beans, but there is no foundation for this. You may
quite likely find it on your "runners." Wherever you come across it, take
the measures recommended on pages 7 and 8 of
the April Guide. And if you are growing broad beans, remove the growing tips
when the plants are in full flower. If the winds are high and the plants
look like being broken, put in a few stout stakes and run some stout string
around the rows.
While the April Guide deals with other garden pests that may be a
nuisance in June (slugs on your lettuce, cabbage root fly and carrot fly),
it may not cover some pests that may trouble you. Celery fly for
instance. Brown blisters may appear on the leaves. Watch the seedlings
carefully for blistered leaves, and destroy them or crush them with your
fingers....
Then onion fly may also cause trouble, especially on dry
soils. [content edited]
Feed your CROPS
Beet, carrots, parsnips and onions benefit by a
dressing of [organic fertilizer]. [content edited] |
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LETTUCE
Don't forget to sow a short row of seed every fortnight to ensure a
succession. And if you transplant the thinnings from earlier rows, see that
you give them a good start. Don't put them on lumpy ground and don't water
them late on a cold evening or leave them without water at all. If the plot
reserved for lettuce is lumpy and not easy to break down to a fine tilth,
sift some fine soil over the surface, see that the seedlings are firmly
planted and watered well at the right time until they are firmly
established.MARROWS
Although marrows are usually sown in the open towards the end of
May, it's not too late to sow in June. In a sunny corner dig in some
well-rotted manure or compost and set a few groups of seed––four or five
seeds to each group––about 6 in. apart and 1 in. deep. Later, thin each
group to two plants, 12 to 15 in. apart. Marrows need a lot of water. Make
sure they get it, particularly in dry weather.
Couple of Tips
First, as to cabbages: when you cut one, make two nicks crosswise
on the top of the stump, and within a month or six weeks it will sprout
again and give you a crop of tender greens.
Second, if you have any grass left in your garden and are not suing
the mowings to feed stock or make compost, give your runner beans a mulch of
2 or 3 inches. This will help to conserve the moisture and benefit the beans
considerably. next |
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