THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 206, 13 June 1936, Page 3

THE GARDEN

GENERAL ROUTINE WORK.

(Written for the “Guardian” by J. A. MCPHERSON, N.D.H., N.Z.)

Sow seeds of the fibrous—rooted Begonias, they take some time to develop through the seedling stage. Cuttings of Tradescantia (Wandering \Villie) will root ‘l'eadily this month. Place pieces in pots of sandy soil, four cuttings in each four inch pot. Rooted cutting of 'Geraniums can be potted into four inch pots. Pot firmly and do not use too much netrogenous manure in the potting soil. Have a good look over all large trees and prune back branches that over—hang valuable parts of the flower garden or that are rubbing and causing bark bruising. All branches should be out back to a good main stem or branch, and at no time should “snags” be left. Beds of Azaleas, Rhododendrums, and Heaths should be very lightly pointed over. These plants are surface rooting and deep digging near them will injure the roots. Immediately the ground has been dug over, apply a mulch of half-rotted leaves. Excessive growth on lawns should be lightly cut to keep the lawn even. Keep the soil stirred in the herbaceout border and mark those subjects it is intended to lift and rearrange for a better colour effect. i Plant Lilium regale. This being a stem-rooting species, 'it should be placed at least six inches below the sur—face soil and given a mulching in summer. Lift and force both rhubarb and seakale, and prepare new beds for the permanent planting of both. All cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts, etc., will benefit if the soil is drawn up round their stems. It gives them support during high winds. Lift roots of parsley and mint and place under cover of a frame or greenhouse to provide clean and early leaves. Finish the pruning of wall fruits, and then give attention to apples, pears, and plums. Plums, apricots, and peaches should be early planted since they come into bloom very early in the seasbn. . Mustard and cress should be sown in protected frames or in the greenhouse.

SH RUB BORDERS. Much work requires attention in shrub borders at the present time. There is pruning to be done, ground to be manured and forked over, and. most difficult of all, shrubs which have outgrown their allotted Space, to be cut lover or removed altogether. ‘ Pruning presents a few difficulties if the type of plant growth is not taken into consideration. The golden rule is “prune so as to permit of the maximum amount of growth before‘next flowering season.” Bearing this in mind one can see how stupid it would be to prune spring flowering shrubs at the present time. They have mane all their flowering wood during the summer, and this wood is just waiting for the springtime to push the buds into bloom. Under this heading come a host of subjects, including Prunus, Apricots, Spiraeas, Forsythias, C’ydon—ias, Cytisus, Deutzias, etc. All these should be left well alone at the present time, an]. pruned immediately after they flower. This permits of the maximum amount of new growth being produced before the next flowering season. Unfortunately late «spring pruning is often neglected on account of pressure of other work, but failure to carry out this necessary work eventually results; in otherwise choice shrubs becoming a 1 tangle of useless wood with very littlel flower. ‘ ' l

Shrubs that bloom from mid-summer onwards, as for exampre the Buddleias and Tamarix can be pruned hard back at the present time. Evergreen shrubs can be pruned now for shape, but where it is intended to reduce their size considerably, especially if ifi be a, holly or laurel hedge, leave the work over till early spring when root action is more active. Old scraggy rhodode-ndrons can be cut hard back with perfect safety is this work is carried out in early spring.

There are some shrubs which donot like the pruning kpite, and it is as well to note that magnolias should never be pruned, otherwiSe the branches will sulk and take years to recover. Lilacs should not be pruned as ordinally shrubs, all they requlre is the weak spindly shoots being taken out to give the stout shoot-s furnished with plump flower buds, more room to develop.

Shrubs notecl for their berry-bearing, qualities, if continually running to soft, sappy, and excessive growth, should be severely root pruned. This will have the desired effect, and give both a, balanced plant and a display of ber—rres. -

Where shrubs have ureached the over—crowding stage, if pruning cannot be done: in such a, way as not to spoil a. shruh’s individuality, then some of the specimens must be removed to other quarters or chopped down. It is a big sacrifice, but we can hide behind “the old- and very true saying that the life

of a successful gardener is made up-o‘: sacrifices. ' _

l For the established shrub border ‘blood and bone meal is an excellent manure to fork in at the rate of on to two ounces to the square yard. SMALL FRUITS. . Even the very small garden should not be without its supply of small fruits. If ground space is limited, then grow them as cordons trained to divid—ing walls or fences. It must be admitted that not nearly enough use is made of divisional fences, and garden judges make particular note where such wall space is utilised, to advantage. Gooseberries and currants grow read—ily from cuttings, and the sooner they are in the ground for this season the better. Make the cuttings nine inches to a foot long' and bury at least twothirds of their length in the soil. Make sure that the soil is very well firmed round the base of each cutting. With curt-ants it is not necessary to remove the lower eyes on each cutting, but with gooseberries this is essential in order to obtain plants that will not sucker. Just for an example, take a cutting of firm wood produced last season and make it 12 inches long. Now with a sharp knife cut out very cleanly (it will not matter if you take out some of the wood) every eye except the last three at the top of the cutting. When such: a cutting 1s planted for two—thirds its depth, it will quickly root and produce a nice tOp of three main branches. Next season the rooted cuttings are lifted and planted out in their permanent positions, but instead of planting each to the same depth again, just bury the roots for two to three inches. This then provides the plant with a short main stem from which no growth can come since the eyes were taken out last year and the wounds healed over. With the semi-weeping varieties of gooseberries this main stem is a real boom in keeping the tips of the branches off the ground. It also allows free access into the bush at pruning time and enables the ground under the plants to be regularly cultivated. With black currants the position is different. All eyes are left on the cut—tings, for eventually these will shoot away and give strong young weed in a year or two, wood that is necessary for regular replacements of old stems. Pruning gooseberries presents no difficulties. First pull out all extra sappy wood that has sprung up (mainly during late summer) through the bushes. Usually a few of these can be found and are easily distinguished. Remember that they bear on the young as well as on the two—yearold wood. Young growths required. as main ‘ branches should be left their full length, but all others require shorten.— ; ing back to six or eight eyes, while all ‘ laterals should be cut back to two eyes. l Encourage weeping types to keep high—}or by pruning to a top—side eye. Each ‘year a definite quantity of old wood 1 should be out out and replaced by the lnew growth. ‘ \Vhen trained up fences as cordons, i pruning and pinching back the lateral j growths in order to form spurs is under—taken at regular intervals throughout the growing season, so that little actual ‘ pruning should be required at this time of the year. Red and white currants fruit on spurs and consequently young lateral shoots should be attended to; in December and. January by pinching back to six leaves. At the present time these laterals can be further out back to three eyes. The leading shoots of the bushes should not be cut back more than one-third of the new growth and they should never be summer pruned as is the case with the laterals. Peri—odically old and gnarled growth should be cut right out from We base of each bush. Black currents differ from both red and white in that the fruit is bornei on one-year—old shoots. That is why strong shoots should be encouraged from the base of the bushes in order to permit of the cutting out of all wood finished fruiting. No summer pruning must be given black currants, the secret of success is in the production of vigorous young wood which we know cannot fail to produce fruit- from top to bottom. l