Evening star., 1953-02-22
This Week in the Garden

The cabbage, broccoli, and let
tuce that were started q week or
so ago should be big enough for
transplanting this week. The
job should be done as soon as
the first pair Of true leaves show,
certainly before the second pair
get very big. Transplanting into
bands or cups is preferred to a
fiat since there viii be less shock
and setback when they go into
the garden. Use a soil mixture
Of equal parts of loan, compost
and sand (if the soil is heavy,
otherwise only a sixth part of
sand. Keep the plants in the
sun, day temperature IS to 70,
night temperature so to SIS de-
grees. for good stock growth.
Several garden clubs have an
nual pruning demonstrations to-
day, but if the weather is bad,
will hold them next week. Try
to take in one of the demon
strationS. They will help you
to do a better job with rose,
shrub and fruit pruning. How
ever. Il should be noted that,
with the exception of grapes,
the job can be done until mid
March. but the earlier the better.
In pruning roses this year it is
important to cover the cut ends
of the, branches with a tree
dressing or asbestos cement to
prevent entry of the saw-fly.
This insect tunnels into, the
canes, causing them to die back.
The handling of plant mulches
at this season of the year is
difficult. When beaten down by
rain they may be lifted with a
fork so as to permit them to
dry out. They should not be
removed until danger of a severe
freeze is past. Even then it is
well to keep them handy so that
they can be replaced if low tenn
peratures are threatening. Keep
ing the soil cool is an important
effect Of q mulch; to remove it
is to let the sun warm the soil.
AS the days lengthen the house
plants begin to grow and will
need more water and perhaps
some plant food. Also, it Is well
to syringe the tops or to wipe
the leaves to remove the accumu-
lation of dust. Many house
plants may be slipped at this
season to produce young plants
for setting out of doors later on.
Young shoots root most easily
start them in a half-and-half
mixture of peatmoss and sand.
If the new shrubs, trees and
rosebushes arrive while the soil
is wet and cold they should be
opened and the packing material
moistened. If it will be some
time before the ground is ready
for planting they may be
"heeled-in" in an out-of-the-
way spot. Dig a trench and
spread the roots out so that the
soil will keep them moist. The
tops need not be covered, al
though it will not hurt to cover
the stems part way. Burying
them in peat moss Is satisfactory
for a few days. ~
Any last-minute seeding with
Kentucky bluegrass seed should
not be delayed. It takes blue
grass from 2 to 4 weeks to ger
inmate; thus 1t can hardly start
to grow until the end of March
and that will not give it too
much time to become well-rooted
before warm weather.
If it is a matter of reseeding
an old thin lawn, it is not neces-
sary to tear up the lawn. The
specialists recommend scatter
ing the seed over the old lawn,
letting the frost carry it down
into the soil. And it Is much
better for the seed. if the old
crabgrasS is left as a mulch.
A fertilizer spreader is a nee
esSary piece of equipment for
those who want good lawns. In
fact, it is more important than
the lawn mower. OF course, if
you have a fertilizer spreader
you will have to have a lawn
mower to keep the vigorous
growing grass trimmed.
Seed potatoes. preferably Ger
titled varieties, and onion sets
should be purchased for delivery
Fresh 10