Practical Gardening by Dianthus

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 192, 15 August 1925, Page 24

Practical Gardening by Dianthus

„„„„, < r orre * ponde ?s, s v,m neatly oblige by observing the following rules in sending questions for publication in these columns:— ... 3—Letters should be in not later than Tuesday to be answered the sa:ne week— addressed to Garden Editor, '• Star " Office, Auckland. possibic Write °" ° De Si(le ° £ the paper ' aild make ail communications as concise as nnr.i l e7r f JL oWer ?-' etc " sent for naming must be sent separately, and, if possible, frnnsii n?„A u or wo °den box—cardboard boxes are very liable to be broken in transit and the contents damaged. niumrJr 11 ?^ 1 ! 11 ! unrue , aud address of the sender must always be sent, but a norn de piume or initial may be given lor publication.

* % ! THE WEEK'S WORK. § * *

* THE FLOWER GARDEN. * * Scarlet and other tall growing Lobeliaa should now be broken up * into single crowns. The pieces can be placed in light soil in $ * boxes, which should be stood in a cold frame. % * Pentstemons sown now will give plants to bloom freely during 4j summer and autumn. A sandy soil should be used for rearing 3J * the seedlings. They should be transplanted into boxes at an * £ early stage of growth. When four inches high they should be * •jfi stopped to make them bushy. % * Where there have been losses in the spring flowering plants put out # £ last autumn, an early opportunity should be taken to fill up * >:< the blanks. £ * Ranunculi can be planted now and will give excellent results in * 4: firm but not too heavy soils. If the soil is heavy a good '£. jj- sprinkling of sand should be placed under and over the tubers sfc to encourage the development of roots. Give them open * * positions, or those not much under the shade of trees. $ X Hoe the ground amongst hardy annuals town during the autumn, : ; : s). and they will commence growing and make finer plants by the X * time the flowering period arrives. This will keep down weeds. «jJP Chrysanthemums may now be propagated from cuttings by inserting * :i: them in boxes of light soil in a greenhouse or cold frame. % j-j Only partly fill the boxes »o as to leave space for placing a :jc jj; pane of glass over the top till roots are produced. * * Seeds' of Verbenas for bedding purposes should now be sown in .j. X* pots, pans or boxes, and placed in a frame or greenhouse to * * germinate. Keep them cooler and allow plenty of ventilation x * as soon as young seedlings appear. :|c £ Liliums can still be planted, but there is no time to lose; the sooner -i : 4: they are in the ground making roots the better for the blooms. X * Rose planting should be proceeded with. There is no time to lose ;;- if success is expected. The roots are beginning to move, and * :\f further delay means a waste of energy on the part of the £ I plants. * •j: Pruning can be done now. One of the main points to observe is to * * cut away all old worn out wood. Prune back to plump buds. * THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. * % Potatoes can now be planted in most garden*. Well worked soil * * is necessary for a good crop. In very wet soils lay the seed % X Potatoes on the top of the ground and hoe some soil over them. IC. * In well drained and light soils seeds of Carrots, Beet, Cabbage, -h * Cauliflower, Broccoli can be sown. * * In wet, cold soils make a small sowing of Cabbage, Cauliflower, * ■•-. Broccoli and Lettuce in boxes. A little protection to keep off !£ £ the wet is all that is necessary. * % When the ground is dry enough Onion planting can be done. In * * light soils early planting is best, whilst in heavy or wet soils .£ S it is better to wait till the end of the month. * * Brussel Sprouts are a crop which should be sown early. Most * * failures are due to too late sowing. This crop needs a long # * season of growth, and should be good, strong, well established * * plants before the New Year. ... * X Make a sowing of Turnips. Small sowings every few weeks should * % be made. As soon as the hot weather arrives they soon cease * * to be eatable if old. '~._- ? $ Parsnips should be sown early. This is another crop which fails * * from late sowing. Early thinning of the seedlings is also * j necessary. sjs % Plant Jerusalem Artichokes. This crop is good to put in any damp * * out of the way corner. It is hardy and will survive where other T % vegetables fail. Plant the tubers four inches deep and a foot •M apart. if * THE FRUIT GARDEN. % % If there are any more Peach or Plum trees to be planted it should * * be done at once. The early varieties are beginning to burst £ their buds. # * Apples and Pears can be planted, but it is time all trees were in * * the ground and making roots. * * Any pruning that remains to be done should be proceeded with * * at once. The season is getting on and it is time all this work * IT wii done. v * Spraying of Apples and Pears should be done at once if it is to be * * done. Many varieties of Peaches and Plums have already ~ $ gone too far to use a winter solution on them. Where such ;;< * is the case it is best to leave until the leaf bud begins to burst * * and then spray. ..... -_i * X The pruning of outdoor vines should be done as soon as possible. A * If left too late a loss of sap is liable. Young vines can be planted * * Get all *weeds turned under, but do not use a spade dose to the * * trees, as this tool is liable to damage the roots and cause £ £ suckering, especially with Plums. * * Citrus fruits of all kinds can be planted now if the sod is not too * * wet. Citrus fruits require a well drained soil, and anything * % approaching a sodden soil is no good to them. sjs ****************************************************