GARDEN TOPICS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 71, Issue 37, 23 November 1950, Page 3

GARDEN TOPICS

AMONG THE FLOWERS Written for the “Guardian” by A. F. MORGAN, N.D.H. (N.ZJ. F.R.I.H. (N.Z.) This is one of the busiest months of the year in the flower garden, with planting out work to be completed, lawns and edges to be cut, cultivating work to be done, weeding, and the control of pests and diseases, to mention but a few of the jobs which will all be requiring attention at the moment. Every effort should be made to have the garden in good order, with all these odd jobs Avell up to date before the holiday period, in order to be able to relax for a time without any ill-effects toi the garden. There is still abundant moisture just below the surface in most cases, although it may appear dry on the top, and if plants are given a good watering when first set out they should not look back. Shallow hoeing of the surface is most important after artificial watering and there is a lot of truth in the old saying that “the gardener’s best watering can is the hoe.” Soil moisture is certainly conserved by frequent stirring of the surface soil, and the time is well spent on this work among all growing plants. “Deadheading,” which simply means the removal of spent flowers, is another important detail which should be done frequently to prolong the life cf flowering subjects. The object of the plant is to flower and set seed, and seed formation is a very heavy drain on the vigour of the plant, causing it to “go over” much sooner than would be the case if flower heads are regularly removed as soon as they wither. Iceland poppies are a good example of this, flowering for weeks longer if kept “deadheaded.” Even among the flowering shrubs, the removal of the old flower heads from rhododendrons and azaleas gives them a much better chance of forming the new flower buds "for next season. In addition to longer flowering periods, the general appearance of the garden Is also improved.

Seed Sowing Looking forward to spring displays for next year the sowing of such things as polyanthus, anemones, wallflower and winter flowering pansies should be done during November and December. Polyanthus and anemones should be sown immediately to enable well grown plants to be formed for setting out in their flowering positions next April. The comparatively new race of winter flowering pansies, if sown in early December and planted out in a well manured, warm position in late summer, will flower throughout the winter months and are very useful subjects. Wallflowers should be sown very thinly in shallow drills in the open ground during December, and when about three inches high they should be lined out in a spare piece of ground .-allowing one foot each way between the plants. Tops should be pinched out to keep them bushy, and the plants “wrenched” during March. Wrenching simply means cutting with the spade held upright and driven in to about half its depth along each .side of the row of plants, keeping approx. four inches away from the plants on each side. A fortnight later the spade is again used, this time to cut between each plant. The object of this wrenching is to induce the plants to form a ball of fibrous roots, and it is essential to do this to transplant wallflower successfully. The plants are usually set out in their flowering positions during April-May.

Shrubs The pruning of early spring flowering shrubs, and in particular the flowering brooms, should not he overlooked at this time of the year. Other shrubs, such as azaleas, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and camellias should be mulched with compost, sawdust, partly decayed leaves, stackbottom or any other available organic material, to conserve soil moisture and provide the cool root conditions which these shrubs like. Lilies respond equally well to this type of surface mulch.

Feeding Garden Plants Roses, sweet peas, hydrangeas, dahlias, and many other garden plants respond remarkably to a weekly or fortnightly feeding of liquid manure, and although perhaps a little trouble, it is time well spent to grow these, and many other plants really well, and keep' them flowering for a much longer period. Whether animal manures, or fei’tilisers are used for making up this liquid food, it is essential firstly, not to make them tooi strong, and on no account apply them when the soil is dry. If it is considered that the soil is on the dry side water thoroughly first and apply the liquid manure a day or two later. Chemical manures have the decided advantage in that they, are clean to handle, odourless, and can be made up in small quantities as required. Experiments carried out at the John Innes Horticultural Research Station have shown that the ideal liquid food should be composed of mono-ammo-nium phosphate, potassium nitrate and sulphate of ammonia. However, the mono-ammonium phosphate is difficult to obtain, but the following mixture can be used with success: —Six parts sulphate of ammonia, three parts superphosphate and one part sulphate of potash. One ounce of this mixture is used to each two gallons of water, well stirred before applying. Animal manures (sheep or cow) made into liquid food by suspending a sugar-bag of the material in a drum of water for a few days, should always be watered down until about the colour of weak tea before use.

Vegetable Garden Successional sowings of spinach and salad crops such as lettuce, radish, spring onions and turnips, and the planting out of cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce to mature in late summer and autumn should be attended to during November. Support should be provided where necessary for such crops as tomatoes and climbing beans. Beds can be prepared for an early planting of celery, and earlier planted potatoes can be earthed up and the planting of the main crop completed. Asparagus should not be cut for too

long each season, as this may weaken the crowns; about 6-8 weeks is usually long enough. The sowing bf winter greens, such as savoy cabbage, broccoli, and curly kale should not be overlooked, and garden swedes can also be sown now.