THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 121, 4 March 1939, Page 3

THE GARDEN

GENERAL ROUTINE WORK. (Written for the “Guardian’-’ by W. B. Brockie, N.D.H., N.Z.) THE GREENHOUSE. On the greenhouse bench tuberous begonias will from time to time require to be restaged so that each plant will have ample room for healthy development. Remove all spent blooms, and continue *to pinch out the seedbearing flowers while these are still in the bud-stage. Water frequently with weak liquid cow manure. Plants that have finished flowering should be removed and stood outside in a position sheltered from wind to ripen the tubers. These will require no further watering after the stems and leaves begin to turn' yellow. Chrysanthemums will now have their pots well filled with roots and it will be necessary to continue with feeding and top-dreSsing until the flowers . expand their florets. Unless this is done the soil will soon become exhausted. Weak liquid manure may be used and this can be made by soaking a bag of cow, horse or sheep manure in a barrel of water and diluting it in the water- / ing can to the desired strength. See that each plant gets its share once a week. Top-dressing should also be done at intervals of about a fortnight from the time .when roots begin to show on the surface. A good material for this is made up of rich turfy loam and well decayed - stable manure in equal proportions. Two or three handfuls of this spread over each pot will be sufficient for one dressing. It is not desirable to pack it firmly as it will soon settle down after a few wat- * erings when the young roots will have found their way into it. A rose can should he used as this distributes the water evenly, keeping the top-dressing material firm and obviates all danger of exposing the roots to the sun. The plants should also be syringed during hot weather in the morning and early in the evening. Soot water well diluted is better for this purpose than clear water as it makes the foliage distasteful to insect pests. Second crown buds will not have formed on most varieties. All lateral growths below these selected buds should be pinched out so that the energy of the plants will be wholly devoted to developing them. THE FLOWER GARDEN. In the herbaceous border look over the tall-growing autumn flowering perennials such as Rudbeckias, Heleniums and Michaelmas Daisies. Stakes must be examined and new ties made whenever needed as it is upon attention paid to these matters that makes all the difference between a creditable display and a poor one. Growth may be quite satisfactory and the flower heads large, but if the stems are permitted to fall over, becoming entangled among other .. foliage, the graceful appearance of these .plants is entirely spoiled. Stakes w'hich have served their purpose in supporting earlier flowering subjects should be pulled up and stacked away. Remove all spent annuals and cut off seed pods from those which are still flowering. Keep the hoe going among the plants and cut away all decayed leaves and stems to maintain a fresh and tidy appearance. Hollyhocks sown now will produce strong plants for flowering next year. The seeds should be sown, in a moist partially shaded spot or in 6-inch pots, in a light open compost. Prick out the seedlings in boxes or in nursery rows, and when they are large enough plant . them out where they are to flower. Young plants established in their flowering quarters before winter will make the finest specimens, but excellent results are obtained by planting well developed seedlings in early spring. Sweet peas can be sown now where they are to flower next year. Choose a position .sheltered from cold easterly winds. The ground for them should be rich and deeply cultivated. Mix some . lime with the soil when preparing the trench. Plant out polyanthus and primroses. Theso plants require a. lot of lninnis in the soil. Many plants which are not hardy enough to withstand frost require to be propagated from cuttings each year. There is no better time than the present for this work. Marguerites, calceolarias, irisenes, helitrope, lantana mesembryanthemum, Agathea coerulea, Scabiosa columbaria, are all tender subjects, and need protection through the cold months. The cuttings may be rooted in shallow frames, in well drained sandy soil. Insert the cuttings firmly 3or 4 inches apart. When theframes are filled, water the soil through a fine rose can and spray the cuttings early in the evening on bright days. Air should be admitted to the frames for an hour or so in the mornings. Until the cuttings are rpoted cover the frames with scrim in the day time except during dull weather. Later on, mats should be kept in readiness for covering the sashes on frosty nights. Violas, pansies, pentstemons, verbena, salvia and antirrihinums may also he propagated from cuttings in similar frames. Continue to plant all kinds of spring flowering bulbs. The sooner this work can be taken in hand the better will be the results as moots commence to grow straight away. It is essential to keep the rock garden neat at all times. Weeds, howevei small, should be removed and old flower stems cut over. Plants which are rambling beyond their limit will require ' to be reduced to prevent weaker neighbours from being overgrown. After weeding and cutting back, give the soil a -light forking and top-dress the straggly stemmed kinds with grit. VEGETABLES. The spell of dry weather coming after a good growing season has accelerated the ripening of onions and where theso are matured as evidenced by the yellowing tops the crop should be harvested without delay. Choose a sunny day for the work, preferably when the soil is hot and dusty. The

bulbs are pulled up and left lying on the surface of the ground to dry, afterwards tying them in bunches to be hung in a dry shed. Most summer crops are now over, and all decaying vegetable matter such as cabbage stumps, potato and pea haulms should be cleared away to make a. tidy appearance in the kitchen garden. If trenching is being done all of this rubbish can straight away be buried in the lower spit. Early planted celery will be sufficiently advanced in growth to require blanching. First tie the stems of each plant together just below the leaf blades at the same time removing any of the outer stalks that may he split or decayed. When all are tied up give the roots a, final watering and on the day following pack the soil from each side of the trench firmly, round the plants.