GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 83, 4 October 1924, Page 17

GARDENING NOTES

CHRYSANTHEMUM GROWING

A REPLY TO CRITICISM. (By 'I Practical.") A correspondent writes as follows:— "In your gardening notes recently flower-growers were advised to cut off all the chrysanthemum shoots so that stronger growths might be made by the plants. That appears to me to be contrary to all I have read in regard to the above plants. And, again, growers were advised a week or so back that the time had arrived for layering carnations, whereas I have always understood that' January or February was the ; best time for this work." Before replying to the queries I wish to thank the writer for mentioning what he considers a mistake. Friendly criticism will always be welcomed. The aim of "Practical" is_ always to give accurate information in as simple a manner as possible, but it should be borne in mind that we are all ■ learners and "Practical" does not in any way pretend to be infallible. With reference to chrysanthemuni shoots being cut off to encourage' growth. This is very evidently wrong. Would my critic be good enough to give me the date of my notes in which that advice was given? When chrysanthemums have finished flowering young growths are pushing up from the ground, and to encourage these growths the old stems should be cut back and the earth loosened round the plant. This refers to outside-grown chrysanthemums. When the young plants, grown from cuttings of these young shoots, have attained a height of four to six inches the tips should be nipped out to, v ehcourage bushy growth. I grow some hundreds of chrysanthemums every year, and have always found this method satisfactory. Tlie operation of layering of carnations must obviously be performed when the. plants are devoid of bloom: Some growers' advocate. doing it before the blooming season, and others afterwards. My carnations bloom all through November, December, and January, and are, at the present time, throwing up flowering stems. The two mam essentials for successful layering are moisture and warmth of soil. In this district the weather- is usually very dry in January and February, and as the ground has considerable warmth in August, without undue dryness, I prefer that time for layering carnations. As to which is generally recognised as the the best time, I cannot say, but either just before or just after flowering are equahy good so long as climatic conditions permit the retaining of warmth and moisture. In this, as'in many other operations in the garden, one must be guided by conditions of soil, climate, and weather conditions, TREATMENT OF. BULBS/ Most of the narcissi are past their best now, while some have completed their blooming. Let mo warn readers against the practice of cutting off the foliage. The reason usually given for this .practice is that the foliage is untidy, which is to some extent true, but if the rest of the bed is attended to and weeds kept down, the narcissi folfage does not cause much unsightliness. However, the best method to adopt is to double the foliage down .ha f-wajr and tie round with some raffia. Where it is intended to lift, the bulbs, the operation may bo earned out as soon as the flowers aro over. Lift carefully and damage the roots as little as possible, and trench the bulbs in again immediately in some out-of-the-way corner where they can remain • till thoy have ripened. Tho foliago should on no account be removed until it starts to die down, when its work of building up the bulb is finished. . : Freesias spread very rapidly from seeds, and to avoid having them coming up all pver gravel paths as well as flower borders the flowering spikes should be cut off as soon as the blooms are past. .Freesias, as indeed most small bulbs, multiply very freely by natural increase of the bulbs, but any specially desirable varieties may be increased by seed. It should be borne in mind, however, that seedlings do not always produce plants similar to the parent. Many, in fact will probably not be worth keeping while others may turn out really fine. Where time and space can be spared, it is interesting to experiment with seed, it sown as soon as the seed is ripe'the young plants should flower the following season, although the first year's flowers would be small. As the young plants are difficult to lift without damaging tho conns, it is advisable to sow the seeds separately one inch apart and allow them to remain until they die down after the first season's flowering. VEGETABLE CROPS. Now that the ground has had a good soaking with nice, warm rain, seeds which were sown will soon make their appearance, and the growth is likely to be somewhat rank and soft, rendering tho young seedlings very liable to be damaged if any high winds occur. Toguard against this as far. as possible, it is as well to draw the soil up along the drills of peas, beans, and other vegetables as soon as the plants are fell enough. _ This helps to prevent them from being .blo\yn out of the ground or twisted off at the roots. Cabbages .are particularly liable to damage in this way. As soon as the Tain has had time to draw away and tho soil is'fit to work sowing and planting of the various vegetable crops should be pushed alon°- so as to get the full advantage of the moisture before tho dry- weather sets in. I'rench beans, butter' beans, and the various climbing varieties may safely be sown' this month, preferably in a sheltered position. These vegetables are only half-hardy, and will not succeed where they get the full force of heavy gales or cold winds. Runner-beans are perennials, and may be allowed to remain in the ground for three years at least with every assurance of good crops. Provision should be made for these plants to climb. The simplest and best method is to place a post at each end of the rows with rails at top and bottom, attaching strings or wires from each at distances of eight inches or a foot apart, lho supports should be at least six feet high from ground level, and when the beans reach the top the tops should he pinched out, when laterals will be formed. The following is an extract from a pamphlet by Mr. W. 11. Taylor, late of the New Zealand Department of Agricul£m e-'i m KS'U' (I l(> tomato 'culture:— Blight annually takes a heavy toll from tomato growers. A summer attended by an abundant rainfall that is beneficial to most vegetable crops is a time when heavy losses are sustained. Too much rain evidently results in soft growth, - which becomes a- prey to blight. When a dry season occurs blightattacks are comparatively rare. In tin's there is an object-lesson which should be taken to heart by. all growers, both those m the open air and under <duss It is evident that blight attacks aro the result of 100 much water, and as attacks occur under "lass where there' is no mmfitll, it -would uppetii' to he cv water in the ji.laat that uaueee t_e

trouble—that is to say, too much water at the roots builds up a soft plant. I have long held the opinion that dry land well manured is the ideal for tomatoes, but that excess of lain on wellmanured lands is nearly certain to prove disastrous. Knowing that the tomato plant is naturally an exceedingly strong plant and that it does not require much water (proved by success achieved in dry seasons), the rational treatment appears to be such as will ensure good growth during a dry season and yet not be at-. tended by disaster if the season should be extra wet. lam satisfied I have succeeded under both conditions by planting in soil in which there was no recently--applied animal manure and comparatively little humus, and by never watering the plants. Fertilising the soil is effected: by applying wood ashes before planting, and a. light dressing of bone dust and superphosphates after the plants have started to grow freely. In brief, I believe a moderate amount of stable manure to he beneficial if the summer weather is normal, but that it is likely to cause serious loss if there is an extra amount of rain; and that the most certain way to ensure an annual'crop is to refrain from using animal manure. • . . Tomatoes should not bo grown more than twice on the same plot without an interval of several years."