Garden Tasks that Need Atten- 

 tion Now 



THE spring flowering bulbs are pushing 

 through the ground in February. 

 Keep the weeds all pulled and the soil 

 stirred around the plants. If there is not 

 a good supply of moisture, water the beds 

 about every other day. It is also a good 

 plan to mulch the bed with a light covering 

 of manure. This mulching is especially 

 important if the soil is a hard clay or adobe. 

 Bulbs really should have a light soil, 

 but by preventing the ground from drying 

 out, they can be grown in the heavier 

 soils. 



If you have a wall or fence covered with 

 Boston ivy (Ampelopsis tricuspidata) or 

 Virginia creeper (Ampelopsis quinquefolia) , 

 The vines should be trimmed close to the 

 support now for they will soon send out a 

 wealth of foliage, which will cover a wall or 

 fence in a remarkably short time. Clean 

 out the dead leaves from among the 

 branches and from around the stems on 

 the ground. 



Clematis in several species, including 

 Montana, caerulea, and florida, flower 

 from year-old wood. They will stand 

 severe pruning back at this season. Cut 

 off the newest shoots except in places where 

 the vine must be trained. In that case the 

 older wood may be removed, too. 



Often insects will be at work on the 

 plants in the conservatory at this time of 

 year. Spray the piants with a solution of 

 whale oil soap. Mix in the proportion of one 

 pound of soap to one gallon of rain water. 

 This is the stock solution and is made by 

 boiling the soap in the water. For spray- 

 ing mix one-half pint of the stock solution 

 with four gallons of soft water and use it 

 on the plants twice a week. 



This is a good time to divide ferns. If 

 you have some that are getting too large 

 or if you want more plants, take the larger 

 ones out of the pots and carefully divide 

 the crowns, potting each piece separately. 

 Make the soil of one third mellow loam, one 

 third leafmold, and one third peat with 

 enough sand to make good drainage. 

 Set these pots every week into a tub of 

 water so full that the water will completely 

 cover the pots. Leave them submerged 

 two or three minutes. Sprinkle them 

 thoroughly every day in addition. 



Make hanging baskets for the house in 

 winter and the porch in summer. Place 



a layer of moss in the basket; over this put 

 a layer of soil about an inch deep. Put in 

 the plants and fill the basket with coarse, 

 fibrous loam. Some of the best plants for 

 the hanging basket are Asparagus Spren- 

 gerii, Asparagus plumosa, and Boston fern. 

 Give the conservatory a general clean-up. 

 Wash the woodwork and the windows and 

 pots. Change the plants about so that 

 they will have a better opportunity to 

 develop naturally. There is often a ten- 

 dency to have the plants too close together 

 and this results in some of them becoming 

 one-sided or spindling. They should be 

 changed about often. 



Plant the Spring Vegetables Now 



IF YOU are not following a year around 

 rotation, now is the time to begin 

 planting spring vegetables. Early this 

 month, work the ground thoroughly and 

 plant the early crop of potatoes. If the 

 soil is a black heavy soil, do not plow it 

 when it is too wet. It will turn up in great 

 chunks that are very difficult to bring into 

 proper tilth again. 



Cut the tubers about two weeks before 

 you intend to plant. Let them lay spread 

 out in a shed where they will dry and cal- 

 lus over. There is then less danger of 

 their rotting than if they are stored in wet 

 soil. If the soil appears to be too wet and 

 you are anxious to get an early crop, do not 

 put the potatoes in the ground at all, but 

 place them on the surface to sprout and 

 cover them with a layer of straw. This 

 method has the advantage in digging, too: 

 all that is necessary at harvest time is to 

 take away the straw with a fork and the 

 potatoes will be found exposed or at least 

 partly above ground. 



Either Burbank, Early Rose, or Gold 

 Coin are good varieties for an early crop. 

 Burbank has the preference throughout the 

 state; practically all of the market potatoes 

 are of this variety. It develops to its best 

 on sandy soil, such as is found in the Salinas 

 Valley, but it does well even in heavy 

 soils. 



Horseradish roots and onion sets may be 

 planted. The white sets are usually pre- 

 ferred. American Wonder peas, Early 

 Egyptian beets, Big Boston lettuce, Early 

 White Flat Dutch turnips, Danvers Half 

 Long carrots, French Breakfast radish, and 

 prickly spinach may be planted. 



In starting an asparagus bed, purchase 

 one-year old roots. It takes a year for 



26 



them to become established, but the second 

 season they will produce a good crop of 

 crisp shoots. The Palmetto variety is used 

 most for planting in the southern part of 

 the state. Conover's Colossal is also a 

 good variety. The Palmetto, however, 

 usually bears two weeks earlier. 



The largest artichoke is the Santa Rosa. 

 It is rather expensive, however, and the 

 Large Green Globe will give good satis- 

 faction and can be started much more 

 cheaply. 



Plant chicory, collards, cress, water- 

 cress, celery, eggplant, kohlrabi, leek, mus- 

 tard, peppers, salsify, tomatoes, beets, 

 broccoli, brussels sprouts, early cabbage, 

 carrots, kale, lettuce, onion sets for green 

 onions and onion seeds for large onions to 

 be used dry, peas, parsley, parsnips, rad- 

 ishes, spinach, and turnips. 



How to Make a Fernery 



r I "'HIS is the last month until November 

 -*- for making a fernery. The best soil for 

 ferns is a porous one made up largely of the 

 leafmold usually found in a shady ravine. 

 Ferns are to be had of almost every size 

 from the tree ferns to the dwarf Cystopteris 

 fragilis and, of course, should be arranged 

 according to size with the tallest in the 

 background. 



The best tree ferns for the beginner are 

 Dicksonia antarctica and Alsophila australis. 

 These are both vigorous growers and are 

 among the most beautiful of all the ferns. 

 They should be set from five to ten feet 

 apart on the side of a ravine. Avoid all 

 formality in arranging them, for the value 

 of the fernery is largely in its naturalness. 



Among the tree ferns, set some of the 

 following: Woodwardia, Asplenium, Poly- 

 stichum, Lastrea, Polypodium, Osmunda, 

 and Pteris tremula. 



In front, set the dwarf er sorts: Blech- 

 num spicant, Scolopendrium, Adiantum Cap- 

 illus-V eneris and Cystopteris fragilis. Most 

 of these ferns are evergreen and require 

 an unusually large amount of moisture. 



The kinds mentioned can be purchased 

 as small plants from the seedsmen. They 

 will be shipped in pots and when trans- 

 planted should be placed in the soil at 

 about the same depth at which they were 

 set in the pots. Press the soil firmly 

 around the roots and water well. If there 

 is danger of strong sunlight on them a 

 part of the day, provide artificial shade 

 until they get a good start. 



