Practical Gardening by Dianthus

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 20

Practical Gardening by Dianthus

Correspondents will greatly oblicc hv observing the following rules In sending questions for publication in tlic-sc column's: — 1. Loiters should be addressed lianlon Kdltor, "Stnr" Oflice. Auckland. 2. Write on one side ot the paper, and make all communications as 'concise as possilile. .'!. Flowers, etc-., sent for naming must be sent separately, and, if possible, packed in a tin or wooden hox—cardljciartl hexes are very liable to be broken in transit and the contents damaged. 4. The full name an.l a.l.lress of the sender must always be sent, but a norn de plume or initial may be given for publication.

% THE WEEK'S WORK. |

. THE FLOWER GRADEN. | . f .• j Select dry weather for planting Roses. p ii Insert Rose cuttings in the open. IK Clear all weeds from Freezia beds. fe _ij Give Lavender a gravelly or chalky soil where possible. fc J. Dig and manure all beds and borders. W. : Clip hedges and clean out weeds and rubbish at the base. ; Now is the time to transplant shrubs. J£ 7 Clean the Daffodil and other bulb beds of weeds, and keep the | ; | surface loose. |; "1 f ■i THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. ;. Prepare the ground for early Peas; dig two spits deep, and use | ;j manure. . £■ _| Lay out your winter work during thin month. Do a little something |; I each week. j!^ : Plant Horse Radish. || J Remove all decayed loaves from the autumn-sown Spinach and keep £ ' the soil between the rows loosened with the hoe. £ .;, Put tools away clean, and with exposed parts greased. A Early Potatoes may be planted in warm districts at the end of this £ •3 month. L ■4 Plant Shallots, Garlic and Potato Onions. . Plant out Cabbage and Cauliflower. j? ij Use every opportunity during dry weather for digging, trenching, <f -I and manuring. f & Clear away old Bean and Pea haulm. It makes good manure. '% ik Collect Pea and Bean sticks; do not let them lie about to rot. % .sijj Keep down weeds and clear away heaps of rubbish; they are X? ; _a harbours and breeding places for slugs. |_ I THE FRUIT GARDEN. £ "J !r Prune Gooseberries and Currants. , 3 Choose dry weather for planting fruit trees. ~% Retain all fibrous roots on fruit trees. ■-1 Before planting fruit trees make soil fine, and spread the roots r> -<) carefully and equally round the tree. W ■% Spray with Lime Sulphur all stone fruits, 1-10. Ft 8 Spray with R>?<l Oil any trees that are affected with Scale or Woolly &>' •_•)] Aphis. fe M Now is the time to transplant fruit trees. fe -3 When preparing the soil for fruit tree planting make the hole three fe : -i feel across and at last two feet deep, well pulverising the soil. jfe. l| THE GREENHOUSE. | V Remove all shading and give all the light possible. r. Attend carefully lo Calceolarias, and give liquid manure. 1 Obconica Primulas should be throwing up flower spikes now. They gf require rather dry surroundings during the flowering period. \ <<; The plants themselves should be kept on the dry side during |= :V c the dullest part of the winter. jfe ii Early-sown Cinerarias should now be showing flower, so should § s|j be encouraged by discreet waterings of soot water. § _cj liquid manure when coming into bloom. _. $ Pot off rooted cuttings of Fuchsias. k

TO CORRESPONDENTS. ti.W. iCambridgel desires lo know what chemical manures .an he used its make rink Hvdranceas lilue. —In seme garden-m-ar the sea they tiaturallv turn blue Peaty scill will often turn' them lilue. Iron filings nre used with success; the*.are oflen olitainnhle from a blacksmith, tsr trow a workshop where much filing is done. Iron chips «.r any kind will do. I.OQI'AT lllerne Usui writes: 1 Isnvo «. Lnquat tree almul live years old. and its present position Is unsuitable, ('ml you tell mc IT this is the correct lime lo shift It? Is it ii ss.irv to wr h it licforo lifting, and if wrenching Is required, how lone must II lie done hefore lifting? The tree .1111 lis- moved al any lime during tin- next I »'v months. 11 will he all the better if il Is wren.-lied at once and lirtecl say about th.- end of the month or beginning of next. INTKnKSTI.iI KI-.AIH"i: cllnv of Islands) asks: (11 Would II he detrimental to three-year-old rinus Insigmis to top 111..111 1.,.!-..!.. or after transplanting? IL'i What Is the best kind of Wattle tn plant iv a 1111--.I plantation? c't) What class of soil suits Tulips. .41 Should It.wes nffccu-cl with Black Spot bo sprayed now before new leaves appear?- You <nn ton the Pinus Inslgnls after they Save been transplanted a few weeks. f'J) Acacia ilec-ur rens. the Hln.k Wattle, is the best r..r a mised plaulntion. (:',i A siindv loam, well drained, stills Tulips. i4i Yew Sor.sv the Itoses with a strong solution of t.i m ,. Sulphur as soon ns possible whilst the plants are quite donnan 1. mitl-nits (Aucklan.il asks: HI Would you please (el! mc when lo sow Pnpaw seeds aud how to ireat them: Are t | l( , y ri-nit or vegetable? c.'i My poultry drt'ipplngs are mixed with coal ashes. Would thai hurt the garden soli? i:u flense tell mc the name of j.lanl will, small flower. leaf enclosed.-, n Tl.e I'apaw Is a fruit. Ihe seed should hi- sown in spring in a warm situation: in faci. n really requires) greenhouse culture. When large enough they should ho transplanted and plained out The .■Mi.iale south of Aucklanil is really not warm enough, and I am afraid you will not In. very successful with them unless you have a particularly warm garden. i_!i The poultry droppings mixed with .oal ashes can he used wllli sue-.-ess: ihe few ashes will not he enough 10 barm. (3) The leaf was not sent. so the name cannot bo given. NOVICE lilnc-hiingal writes: Kudosed are some grubs fro y allot nt. which is infested with them. _\re they th,. "(irnss <iru.h." and do they (lestrov oilier plants besides lirassi I have found them at] the- rools of Cabbage, and some onion' seed I sowed came up ll.lcklv. but shortly i afterwards It disappeared ' In put cites. I What is the best way In exterminate! them? When I dig I bring up nnd kill, them: will this get rid of them? If I sowed superphosplinte will, the seeds and plants, would It help lo exterminate them:-—The Insects were too much crushed to know what thc-v wore, bill from your description they arc apparently the "Grass limb." r.r larvae of Hie lirnnzi beetle-. The best method of extermination is by using a soil finnignilt such as Vaporltc or npterltc. sold by seedsmen. Collecting and destroying ihem when digging will also assist, as also will using superphosphate. liig the soil at every j opportunity, and bring llicin lo the pur-! face. They are destructive lo almost all kinds of small plants, mil only (Iniss. A'MATQUR (Tr- Awanmli.) writes- Can wood ashes be purchased rroin nurserymen; if not, where can 1 obtain lliem? Ton should have no trouble in obtaining! what you rcc|iilre in tin. district you; reside In. Charcoal is really wood ashes, inure or less ill a luuipv form. It Is inicclt! by kindling .1 Ure of w.'hjil. and. when well ; alight, covering il with soil or something; damp 10 cause il to smoulder sh.-.vlv. As j si manure for plants in the garden (here Is no need lo burn tho wood in any parsuch as li'iree. will do well, ""bin you should collect the primings of hedges, i Roses, fruit trees. Spread them ont on I the ground lo dry. and on a fine day set light to some of Ihe driest materials 1 ! and when well alight pile on the resi and! reduce them to sishes. When cold these 1 ashes may be stored in boxes or on Ihe 1 floor of a shed where they will be kepi dry till wanted. They should not be allowed to remain out in the ruin, otherwise much of the potash will be washed away. Many gardeners overlook the value of garden rubbish, vfhl.-h they burn. Everything that will readily rot when laid in a heap, or when dug in the soil, should not be burned. PENNSYLVANIA lOnelmngnl writes: ill When putting down my lawn some two ■months ago a lot of seed and soil was washed on to a newly tarred path. The Urass hns rooted and is growing strongly. Would you suggest killing the Crass without destroying or disturbing the tarred surface? (21 What plants (flowers! are suitable for the shady side of a l"en.-c exposed to the south-west winds? «> Carrots wliich came up two months ago appear slow in growing: can they tv ■hastened In any way? c4l How shoulr. Carrots and I'arsnips be grown? I have liacl success wllli the former, aud none with the latter. Co I have just planted fruit trees. Should they be pruned? (ine has only two branches, each about Aye

Inches, and about as thick ns a pencil. ill I should certainly advise you to gel rid of the (irass without destroying tho tarred surface. Much of the (irass could bo pulled up and the soil brushed ofT. The best way In finish the work would be to brush a thin .oat of tar over the currnce after having denned o/T as much as possible of the soil. CM A south-west aspect is cold, and consequently It Ik not a position where It i.i possible to get many early flowers. Aquileglas. I'ansles. Primula. Polyanthus, linffodils. would do well with a south-west, aspect. (.X) The weather Is cold and growth Is slow, and your Carrots are doing fairly well. You could give them a pinch of nilrntp of soda, say. a limit bnlf nn ounce to two yards' run of row. Hi Carrots and Parsnips need a deep soil, and one fairly good, but fresh stable manure should not be used .Inst before sowing. Parsnips require a long Mason of growth, ami should be sown n..t Inter than the beginning of August. The Ttnbit nf sowing Parsnips In late summer Is no good. The result Is only ililn. small roots. Cse honed usi a, a manure when sowing tho seed. 13) Fruit ire.-s should he pruned the year they are plained. Tho particular tree you mention should have the two branches out ha.-If to about tbe second or third bud rroin Die stem. Treat tbe others likewise. Prune so ns to eneotirn.ee a sturdy tree, tbe branches coming from clr.se to Ihe stem. Young trees should be heavily iiruned for three years, after which only light pruning Is usually necessary. All tlie questions referred io above nre fully described In "Brett's Cardonlng tiulde." You should secure (his at once If you wish lo be successful In your gardening operations.

GARDEN MAKING. One of the most pleasurable undertakings about a house or a home is tho milking of a garden. Love for the work may not exist when Ihe work is first begun, but as it proceeds it gets so interesting that one likes tlie work. I.ike everything else, garden making must have a beginning, and those who have never undertaken the work must expect disappointments. If you know nothing about the gardening yourself, seek out a friend who is interested, and got him to give you a rough plan of suggestions—a few lines and numbers on a. rough plan will help considerably, and it is always possible to alter tbe numbers. If you have a plan, and work to it. you know just what you want. A planting plan should also bo made, so that, you can plant as you go on with the work.

One of the greatest landscape gar donors of the present day says:—"Every amateur gardener should strive to bo his own garden architect, because until ho has learned to build a garden ho cannot know how to appreciate its greatest beauties. Its beauties aro things concoaled; give the garden some special feature nnd then conceal it. Even in the smallest of gardens this can bo done, but in a large garden the possibilities are enormous. One thing that beginners must remember is to do no more than they can manage comfortably in tho tiino at. their disposal. If too much is done, something is likely to be overlooked, and tho design will not be truly and faithfully carried out. Do a little at a time, and do that well, and tho whole scheme will in time become a greater work ol' beauty. Remember that it is important that the ground work should bo thoroughly done before anything is put in. What, is possible now will bo impossible in a little while when trees nnd plants have been set out in their proper positions. Surface cultivation will have to be done at all times, but deep digging is both impossible and n wrong practice amongst growing shrubs. Even with hedges it is just as important that the ground should bo ns well prepared as with (lowering shrubs, but with hedges it is not important to keep the ground stirred after they have grown a certain size. Walks and paths should be carefully made in the first place so that they will last for many years to come. Put 'the big stuff underneath, and the fine lon top."

Sulphur is cheap, and is not often recommended as a manure, but a light dusting on the soil before planting will aid materially in producing a good and a clean crop of potatoes, peas, etc.

CHRYSANTHEMUM CUTTINGS. When taking cuttings of Chrysanthemums, be careful to choose those that arise from the soil, as suckers. Avoid sideshoots or branches from the old stem, as well a« those from early suckers that were pinched back because they were too early, because they never form good plants." The illustration shows which to take and which to avoid. Look out, also, for rust when taking the cuttings. In consists of rusty brown spots or patches on the leaves. (See illustration.)

IUO'HT SORT OF rnnvSANTIIEMUM t.TTTIXG. If it is present, even the clean cuttings should be dipped in sulphide of potassium, at the rate of one ounce to a gallon of water. £50 FOR DAFFODIL BULB. Our London correspondent states that at tho Horticultural Show recently hold in London Messrs. Barr and Son.-. exhibited, among a wonderful group of now seedling Daffodils, a Daffodil with a delicately-shaded pink trunmpet, surrounded by a halo of ivory petals, which is valued at .C.'iO a bulb. They also showed a pure white Daffodil, the only riliS in existence. A now and valuable orchid was another exhibit. It is a Hrasso Laelio ( attlcya, and hae Daffo-dil-yellow petals, with sepals of a deeper yellow streakiM with apricot, and an apricot tip striped with pink. The plant is worth tsin. The largest Malmaison Carnation in cultivation--a perpetual—was exhibited by Messrs. Stuart Low. It in a 'bright cerise, measuring sJin in diameter. PREPARING GROUND FOR VEGETABLES. When digging or trenching ground for I vegetables it is a good plan —even an | indispensable tiling—to bear in mind ! what is to 'be grown in it when the j season comes round. The ground for Carrots, Parsnips and Hoot should not 1>- manured at all. Peas. Henns, Scarlet Runners. Onions, and the Cabbage tribe all require plenty of manure, and this should not be overlooked. Pea.* Kke a deep soil, and if it is possible to dig tbe soil two spits deep, so mild) the better. A heavy or poor j subsoil should not be brought to tho ! top. but it should be dug over all tho same, and left in the bottom. There is no better way of overcoming drought than having a good portion of the ground deeply trenched, and it is indisponsn/ble not only for Peas, but for root crops. PARSNIPS. Parsnips improve in quality if left in the ground during tho winter nnd spring months, more especially in cold climates As fresh growth commences in early spring, some of tlie starch contents arc converted into sugaT, and tlie roots become sweeter as a result. For this

A METHOD OK I.IFTINC DKKP-UOOTKD PARSNIPS.

reason, and to keep tlie roots moist, only a fow day-' supply should bo lifted at "a time. A good method with deeproot'd Parsnips is to trench the ground and lift the roots as the work proceeds. PROPAGATING BUSH FRUIT. (Jooseberrics, also lied and Black Currants aro easily and freely propagated by cuttings during winter. The earlier I hoy arc put in after tin; loaves are off the more chance there is ot success. The cuttings are formed of clean, straight, healthy shoots of the past season's growth. In tho case of P.luck Currants, none of the lower buds should be removed. The reason is that the buds 'buried on tho stem will eventually grow and produce sucker.-. In tho ca~c of Red and White Currants and Cooseberries, however, tho lower buds should be removed, as what is required in these is a clean stem and suckers are a detriment. Ton or twelve inches is long enough for Black Currants, hut Rod and White and Oooseberrios should be liftoon or eighteen inches and only four or live buds should lie loft at the top, the rest removed. Cut the cuttings across smoothly just below tho tips. The outting-s should be inserted six inches deep, and six inches apart. The easiest method is to take out a "nick," that is. make a small drill or trench with the spado, leaving the back perpendicular and drawing the soil towards you. .Make the trench the right depth, put the cuttings in upright against tho back with the base of the cutting rolling on the soil. Return the soil, treading it (irmly. If the soil is very heavy a sprinkling ol sand nlomr tile bottom of the- trench will lie found helpful in getting a good strike.

PLANT FRUIT TREES EARLY. Now is the time to plant f;:;;t trees. Amateurs generally delay the planting. until duly and August. One of tho greatest advantages of early planting is that the soil i< then warmer, its summer heal not. having had time to dissipate, and consequently the pruned roots of early planted frees aro easily encouraged to put forth quantities of new roots, which help tho trees to start freely and break strongly into growth in spring. If planting is lon£ deferred, the soil, especially whore heavy, becomes sodden and cold. Planting then cannot be so well carried out. and it is not pleasant work. Wet. plastic soil cannot bo packed around the roots so easily under such conditions as can soil which is comparatively dry. Tho spell of div weather recently experience:! has been ideal for planting. Another advantage one gets by early planting is that one gets the first pick of the trees, and probably the best at tbe nursery.

USEFUL HINTS. If Rambler Roses have not already received attention, it should be given immediately, as otherwise beautiful young growth will lie formed on the old. and too high up to be advisable. If, however, the old growth lip cut away as soon as flowering is over the young growth comes from the baee. SHRIVELLINT; APPLES AXD PEAKS. Many Apples and Pears (grown by amateurs) now in store are found to be soft and shrivelled, as well aa of poor flavour. This ie almost invariably due to the gathering of the crop before it has reached maturity on the trees. Lateripeninj; varieties suffer most. To avoid this the fruits should be allowed to hang on the trees till the pips are quite brown or black. SUPPORTS FOR TENDER PLANTS. During the nutumn, -when Michnelmns Daisies nre rut down, they should be tied in bundles and kept, dry till spring. They Tvill then be found useful for supporting tender plants, the tops being particularly pood for leading young Peas up to the netting. Moreover the colour does not attract attention. CAKN'ATION" SUPPORTS. Buy several ooifc of thiekish wire, eul off in lengths of about two feet, and twist round a thick stick or broom handle. This whpn slipped on" will pive a splendid almost invisible' support for Carnations, which require no tii-intt up. ns Ihe stalk will easily twist in and out of the spiral wire, and gives support all the way.