HINTS ON PRUNING ROSES

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 188, 9 August 1924, Page 20

HINTS ON PRUNING ROSES

The time is at hand for pruning Roses. This does not include what are called "ramblers"; the hest time for dealing With thorn is in the late summer. The art of pruning is a matter of perplexity to some amateurs. Roses do not all grow alike or produce their flowers in the same way. Some, like the Hybrid Teas, make their growth in sprina, and flower from the top of it in summer. Others, like the Gloria de Dijon, throw up long shoots and flower from the sides of the shoots; they may or may not carry a flower on the top of the shoot, but at any rate the be t flowers come from the sides. Then there are the "ramblers"—those that flower only once a year, such as the Crimson Rambler and Dorothy Perkins. These throw out gross, fat, blind shouts from or near the base of the plant one year, and from the sides of these shoots come the best flowers the following year. Then the Banksian and the Persian Yellow do not bear flowers on the new growth until the third year; they carry their flowers on the second growth from the new shoot. There is also diversity in habit even among

Roses of the same class. It is a curious fact that the more inexperienced an amateur is, the more he wants to prune his roses. One would think he would be most reluctant to cut off any shoots whatever, but it really is just the opposite and he frequently errs by pruning too much than too little. One reason why we prune is to stimulate growth, or stronger growth than the plant would have made if it had been left unpruned. It follows, therefore that where a variety will make good growth without being pruned, there 13 no need to prune in order to stimulate growth, he Hybrid Perpetual does not, of its own free will, 6end up strong flowering- shoots from low down the plant, but has to be made to do it by ihard pruning; all it would do, if left 1 alone, is to grow on higher from the top, the new shoot being small and short, carrying thin and undersized flowers. The Hybrid Tea, the present predominating class of garden Roses, is remarkable for its activity in growth, and the reason for hard pruning is disappearing. With the Pillar Roses of the Crimson Rambler type no pruning is needed to make them grow; but if left alone they would ge,t completely out of hand, and pruning is necessary in their case to keep the plant within bounds. Then, again, in the case of large, old bushes, pruning is necessary to admit light and air to the centre of the plant. Another reason for pruning is to keep the plant young in respect of growth. A young- plant, when received from the nursery, is a plant of one year's growth. It has no old wood, but only that which has grown up in the summer previous to planting, and we should prune to reduce an old plant to the state of a new plant. As a rule it will be found that the stronger a Rose grows the less it should ibe cut back, and the shorter its growth the more the shoot should be reduced in length. On each growth there are better eyes than others; some rosy, perhaps, and prominent, others green and flat, and it is from the former class of eyes that the best Roses will come. Before we begin to cut we select three or four of the strongest of these young shoots in preference, choosing those that spring from outside rather than the centre of the plant; cut off all sidegrowths quite close to the_ main stem, I and cut the shoot through" just above an eye. The best tool for pruning is a good, strong pair of eecateurs with a curved blade, or blades like a parrot's I beak.

PLANTING FRUIT TREES.

Before planting fruit trees examine the roots, and if any are broken or bruised cut them away, as shown at A Fig. 1, and at the same time shorten the long fang-like roots, like those marked B, to induce the formation of fibrous roots, Fig. 2, which promotes fruit bearing , . Take out a hole two and

WHAT IS A ROCK GARDEN?

Mr. W. Watson, one of the appointed | judges of a rock garden competition at the Royal Horticultural Shows at Chelsea, writes in the "Gardener's Chron- j icle"; "My idea of a rock 'garden is i that of a garden designed for the successful cultivation of Alpine plants. Except in very large gardens, the use of big boulders of stone is a mistake, however picturesque they may be in themselves. Imposing piles of rocks ire not gardens, nor are such arrangements as are sometimes set up as rock gardens, but which are nothing more than weathered slabs of stone placed irregularly in turf, with a few lowgrowing plants set here and there, in any sense a garden. It is not a garden art to transfer big chunks of rock to a garden and decorate them with Buitable plants. Picturesque, if you like, but in no sense rock gardening. The question we judges put to ourselves with regard to them was, if we had to decide, which of those exhibited we would prefer for the collection of rock plants, and as a pleasing rockery feature in our own gardens. Tha stones should always be looked upon as a, means to an end, that end being the :ultivation of Alpine plants in a garlen which, without them, did not furI iish conditions suitable to the welfare !)f Alpines.

FERTILISERS IN SMAIi GARDENS. Amateur gardeners are o ft en «-._,. as to the amount of fertiliser nwffi their small plots, the usual"» *<* giving only the amount per acre-rf following table shows approxL t^ c the proportions from icwtTpTfi per acre into their equivalent quantitS 1 Rood (} of an acre). orVlijTof 'an acre 1, )!" 1, (W0 ° £ » «od 1 square yard (1-4450 of an acre) Quantities '»* per acre. Boot 2r perch S y q °" e cwt. lbs. lbs ywfl « 1 28 J ■ °|- 3 iS l\ J C 1(58 41 J| S 224 51 J* 1001b per acre equals lib for a plotlox43ft sooib :: :: ig » m*** 4001b „ „ lib 12 J » MANURING AT ILB PEK ROD E °.: S lota aP r* a T s ' • 630?" «* „ 271n „ 15yds " '."ll™ " „ 24in „ 15yds sioz " " ISm „ 15yds 45,' « „ ltitn „ luyds „ ...2Joz „ em „ isyd S ;; :::2joz " „ 6in „ 15yds lj 03 || AUGUST THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. " With the arrival of August work will crowd upon the gardener, and the work done at this period is that upon which depends the success or failure of ,the garden. Iso effort should be spared to get all the ground possible into a good state for sowing and planting, and every spell of suitable weather should be made full use of. Plots intended for 60win» with Onions, Beet, Turnips, and Carrots should be lightly forked over and the surface worked down to a good tilth. Sowings may now be made, in favourable weather, of Brassicas such as Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Brussel Sprouts, while small sowings should be made of Broad Beans, Lettuces, and Radishes, and early Peas may be sown as may also Oniona and Leeks. A SUBSTITUTE FOR SEA KAI£. Place a number of Swede Turnips in a box of soil, make the soil firm, place them in a dark, warm place. In a week or two there will be a nice crop of blanched tops possessing a very delicate flavour. It is advisable to reduce the shoots to three or four of the strongest.