THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 162, 22 April 1942, Page 6

THE GARDEN

GENERAL ROUTINE'WORK. (Written for the “ Guardian ” by W. B. Bkookie, N.D.M., N.a,.; PLANTS UNDER GLASS. All shading should now be removed from greenhouses and frames. Fuchsias that are past flowering should be stored in a frost-proof shed for the winter. If the stock has to be propagated from cuttings in springonly one or a few plants of each variety need he kept. The plants will require very little water while they are at rest, but the soil should not be allowed to become bone dry or injury to the roots may result. In early spring cut the branches back about half their length and bring the plants into the greenhouse where they should be watered and sprayed overhead daily to start growth. When the youngshoots are about three inches long cut them off below a joint and insert them around the edge of a five-inch pot using very sandy soil. They will form roots in about three weeks when they should be transferred singly to three or four-inch pots. Potting soils should be brought under cover to keep them dry and warm for winter use. Discontinue feeding chrysanthemums when the flowers begin to open. At this stage they should be brought under cover. A dry atmosphere suits them best especially at night time. Water only in the morning and if damping down has to be done in the house the floors and benches should be dry before closing the ventilators in the evening. Schizanthus that are well rooted in three-incli pots should have a shift into five inch pots. Keep them growing steadily in a cool atmosphere and well up to the roof glass to ensure stocky growth. Cinerarias that have passed through their early stages in a shaded frame should be brought into the warmer atmosphere of . the greenhouse. If greenfly is ti’oublesome fumigate the house with a nicotine preparation. Reduce the supply of water to ferns and other ornamental leaved plants to discourage further growth. At this time most plants begin their resting period and although some of the evergreen kinds would continue to extend growth if given a warm humid atmosphere through the winter such treatment is uneconomical. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Where it is intended to make a new shrub border no time should be lost in getting the area trenched so that the soil will have time to settle before the planting season in May or June. A trench two feet deep and wide should first be dug out and the soil removed to the other end of the plat. Mark out the next trench with a garden line and skim the top two inches of grass and weeds into the bottom of the trench in front. The rest of the top soil should be well mixed with the subsoil to obtain an even composition to the full depth of the trench. If plenty of rotted manure or vegetable rubbish is available mix this in as the work proceeds. Ground treated in this way is retentive of moisture even in the driest weather and during their first year the shrubs extend their roots freely in the soft earth.

Push on with spring-bedding operations. Formal beds on lawns are always attractive in spring when planted with wallflower edged with forget-me-not. Another effective combination is a groundwork of forget-me-not to tulips. In the case of polyanthuses these give the most pleasing effect when planted by themselves. Bulbs and tubers to plant now include hyacinths, tulips, narcissus, anemones, freesias, ranunculus, liliums of all kinds, grape hyacinths, wood hyacinths, chiondoxas, dogs’ tooth violets, crocuses, snowdrops, fritillarias and laclienalias. The last named which are natives of South Africa require protection from frost. Delphiniums, lupins, phlox and many other herbaceous perennials may now be divided and replanted. There should be no delay in this work, however, and unless it can be completed by the end of the present month it will be better to wait until the beginning of spring when the whole border is being dug over and reconditioned. This is the best time of the year to propagate rose trees from cuttings. The cuttings should be made with a small heel of older wood. Choose clean, strong and well-ripened growths. *Make them about ten inches long and insert them very firmly six inches deep in unmanured soil. • During the next month gardeners will be chiefly engaged in the work of gathering and stacking leaves to make leafmould. This most valuable material is indispensable for greenhouse pot plants and wherever plants, are propagated in boxes and frames. When they have been stacked for a year, decayed tree leaves of all kinds make excellent mulching material for shrubberies. To keep the freshly gathered leaves from blowing about the garden Stack them in a square wire-netting enclosure. About the middle of winter turn the stack over with a fork to hasten the process of decay. Advantage should be taken of dry weather to clean the rock garden of all weeds. Any remodelling of the rock structure should be attended to while the weather is still mild. Overgrown specimens of thyme, rock roses and other rampant growers should be reduced to reasonable proportions. THE KITCHEN GARDEN.

Choose a sunny day to earth up celery. It is desirable that the foliage should be dry when doing this work. Sow broad beans, choosing one of the long-pod varieties. A rather heavy and rich soil suits this vegetable best and it is important it should be welldrained. The seeds should be sown in a broad drill spacing them in a double

row six inches, apart. Fork some ground line into the ground before sowing. Plots that have been cleared of crops should be trenched or dug over. A libei’al amount of farmyard manure should be worked in. Leave the surface as rough asi possible and give it a top-dressing of lime. Green peas may be sown in welldrained soil in a warm position. Store carrots and beetroot in a clump of sand out-of-doors. Main-crop potatoes should be stored as soon as possible. Dry the tubers before bagging them. Early spring cabbage may still be planted but it is getting late for this work. A sowing of cabbage should be made to provide plants for setting out in August. Parsnips and artichokes are best left in the soil and dug as required. Stir the surface soil frequently among all growing crops.