Practical Gardening

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 52, 2 March 1929, Page 6 (Supplement)

Practical Gardening

fDIAj^THUS

Correspondents will greatly omlge by observing the following rules In sending questions for publication in these columns:— t—Letters should be in not later than Tuesday to be answered the same week—addressed to Garden Editor. "Star" Offlce. Auckland. 2.—Write on one side of the paper, and make ail communications as concise as possible 3—Flowers, etc., sent for naming, must be sent separately, and, If possible, packed in a tin or wooden box—cardboard boxes are very liable to be broken In transit and the contents damaged . *—The full name and address of the sender must always be sent, but a nom fle plume or initial may be given for publication.

THE WEEK'S WORK.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. New lawns should be made and levelled while the dry weather is on. Digging and trenching and preparing ground for planting in the autumn can be done. Chrysanthemum growers will be busy "taking the buds." Caterpillars are busy, and it is necessary to spray with arsenate of lead. Hand-picking is all right, but not speedy enough. Apply a topdressing of good rich soil to the Chrysanthemums. Liquid manure can be given, but the plan': should have a good soaking of clear water beforehand. Dahlias are flowering freely now. Attend to disbudding, and a certain amount of thinning out of shoots will be necessary. Keep the plants healthy and vigorous, but allow no useless or unnecessary shoots to be produced. The continual hoeing of the soil will be necessary, so as to keep a loose surface soil mulch. Where possible watering can be done, but unless time and circumstances permit it to be done thoroughly it is better left alone. Watering: will also mean more work with the hoe, as it causes the ground to cake, and when it dries it cracks. Bulb planting can be commenced at any time now. Nothing equals bulbs for making the garden gay in spring. The cultivation of bulbs in pots or vases in prepared fibre should be considered. Freesias, Lachenalias, Narcissi, Tulips, Hyacinths, are all good in bowls of fibre. Keep the garden as gay as possible by not allowing any spent . r ,' or pods to remain on the plants any longer than possible. Now is a good time to cut evergreen hedges. It takes longer, but the •ecateurt are better than the shears when dealing with broadleaved subjects such as Laurels. Where water is not available, many plants appear to be suffering; however, although a check, and to all appearances fatal, it is marvellous how quickly they recover and respond to the first shower; in nuiqr cases, catching up, and even passing in vigour and health, their apparently more fortunate comrades that have had the benefit of a regular supply of water.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Prepare aU vacant plots. Dig it up roughly so that the soil gets the benefit of the sun and the drought. Allow no weeds to seed or even to exist; they are easily dealt with while the weather is on. Where water can be supplied, crops, such as Lettuce and Radish, can be kept going by getting ample supplies. Anything that can be used as a mulch should be applied; of course, ib is too late to try and conserve the moisture that is already evaporated, but better late than never, and it will retain what is Be * n *,* r ? on * ?l k®* l «"»P« tor this weather, and where the bicom.^L^ r, nl . B £ an " • hould *»® P' c bed as fast as they !£££ srfr-P" ■"* to ™«i» •» f Potato crops, where the tops have dried off, should be dug and stored. n nS"l* Piek out di^Te crop. Choose well shaped, clean, medium siaed tubers/ 7JT "®ed watenng to keep it going. Onc« rain comes a further planting can be made. comes * CucumWs water to Up them going. It i. often po«ble to waiter. M th, »' *«>'ng with the washing Onions should be stored as soon as- dry. ThlJcLfl he ° P in bun<U ®«. and suspended from the rafters of W * ttacfced With " fly " with arsenate

TO CORRESPONDENTS. G.S. (Rotorua) asks If Sheila Ward and Jack Hobbs dahlias have upright stiff stems to the flowers.—Yes. LILIUM (Westmere) sends a specimen of lilium for examination.—The trouble is lilium rust. See answer to "Inquirer" (Kemuera) in this issue. A.C. (Helen svilte) sends a bunch of grapes for examination, and says that the Tine Is growing close to an ivy hedge and more than half the crop is affected.—The trouble is a small grub which gets between the berries 'and forms a nest. Spraying during the early part of the season is the method of control. The hedge of ivy is one of the bes.t harbours for the insect, and I' doubt if you will have much success until you move the vine or the hedge. I should think you would be well advised to move the vine, spraying with lime sulphur about every ten days or so from the time the vines commence growing until the fruit begins to ripen, with a spell when the vines are in flower, would control. it would also be necessary to spray the ivy as well so as to give the pest no harbour.

MORXINGSIDE writes: Can . you advise' me how to get rid of the Dorer that is killing my tomato plants? Tne pest Is getting worse each year, although I always burn away affected plants. Before the plants were in flower I gave the base of each plant a liberal dressing of White Island So. 1, but that did not seem to have any effect. I thought of painting the stems with arsenate of lead, but did not do so, as I concluded that with the expansion of the stem openings would be left for the insect.—So far as I can see, your only method of control is to apply some insecticide, such as arsenate of lead,.to the stem. The White Island will do good, but it should be applied before the tomatoes are planted, so as to kill any hibernating insects before the plants are put out. It is not unusual tor this small borer to be found among tomato plants, but for some reason or other you seem to have a particularly bad patch. INTERESTED (Ponsonby) complains of runner bean flowers dropping without setting, and says some broad beaus did the same. Also wishes to know if there is any truth in the saying that if the stem of a tomato plant is pierced with a piece of copper wire it will prevent the blight?— The cause of the non-setting of the runner beans is due to the dry weather. Thrips may also be aggravating the trouble, but the real cause is the checking of the growth by the hot, dry spell. The reason of broad beans not setting is just the opposite, and is due to an excess of growth. This can be overcome by pinching out the tops of the plants when in full flower. Shaking the plants during mid-day, when the flowers are dry, will also set the fruit. ihe copper wire statement is • always cropping up, although it is copper nails instead of wire sometimes. Sp far as 1 know there is no foundation that it ever cured or prevented any blight. V.F. (Point Chevalier) asks for information on the cultivation of the peach from the stones? —The cultivation of the peach from seed or "stones" as they are known, is very simple. The stones must be sown in drills, two or three inches deep. There are two methods of sowing, that is they can be sown in autumn, without breaking the shell, when they will germinate the following spring; or the stones can be stored till early spring, when the shells are broken "and the kernels removed and sown. If this latter method is adopted the soil should be well drained and sandy, as there is much more chance of the kernels decaying should a cold, wet spell intervene soon after sowing. When the seedlings are about six inches high, they can be transplanted, if necessary. When dealing with a few seeds the best way is to plant the stones, gay, about a foot apart, and thus avoid transplanting the seedlings. Once the seedlings are growing their treatment Is similar to that accorded the peach tree. As to the results none can tell as the peach does not coma true from seed.

LEMON PILLAR (Manurewa) asks: Ig the Rose Lemon Pillar a climber, as it has thrown out such growths? — Yes. the Rose Lemon Pillar is a climber. The long growths should be tied in. or if nan h J D .> th * ° PeD the S«>WthS can be pegged down. SUNSHINE (Papatoetoe) writes: I am thinking of planting a hedge from cuttings. Is it the right time now? Would tecoma or large-leaved privet be the easiest, and how would I have to plant them to be a success?— Both tecoma and privet will grow frcm cuttings, but if you are thinking of planting the cuttings where the hedf* is to be, then you will have to confine yourself to privet, for 'tecoma under such conditions would not be successful. Tecoma cutshould be made of the young shoots, places about three inches long neing used. The best time to take them is about March and April. The cuttings should he put in sandy soil and shaded till rooted. When rooted plant into nursery beds and cultivate till next season, when they can be transplanted. Privet cuttings should be taken about April, and pieces of the current season's wood about nine inches long can be used. The top six or seven inches of soft growth shonld not be used as cuttings. The cuttings should be inserted quite half of their length in the soil, and the soil well firmed round them Some will miss, and if you are planting them in the permanent position put the cuttings in about six inches apart- Where they all root, and are too thick some can be pulled out next spring. INQUIRER (Remuera) writes : (X) My large bed of Christmas lilies has been attacked j with some disease. The leaves have a scorched appearance, and the blooms were distorted. I enclose a scale of one of the badly affected bulbs. I intend transplanting them; would it be advisable to use White Island Product No. 1 when planting, and would spraying the young shoots in early spring control and check the disease? (2) What is the best green crop to grow in a glasshouse where soil has become exhausted through heavy cropping? — (1) The trouble is lllium rust, and your suggestion of lifting and transplanting is very good. Treat the soil where you intend planting them with the White Island. Spray the young growths with lime sulphur solution is also tlie correct method. The lily rust attacks the foliage and proceeds downwards to the bulbs. It passes the winter in the soil and attacks the young shoots when they come through the soil, consequently new soil and spraying the young shoots will control the disease. During the winter give the bed a dressing of White Island product No. 1. This will help to control any spores that may be present in the soil. (2) Peas or lupins would be best. Bonedust is the best fertiliser to use for the liliums.

VOLCANIC (Mt. Albert) asks: (1) Willi White Island Product No. 1 get rid of ants? What is the most effective method or clearing them out of a house? (2) Should iris bulbs be planted now, how deep, and treatment? (3) When should anemone and reuuncull bulbs be planted? (4) Is this the best time to sow pentstemon seed? (5) Can clematis seed by sown now?—(1) White Island Product No. 1 will destroy ants if it is sprinkled about where their nests are. They are difficult to clear out of a house because of the difficulty of locating their nests?. A thick solution of sugar with a little arsenic added, and small portions placed so the ants have easy access to it, is said to be very good, but the mixture is poisonous, and needs very careful handling and proper attention. (2) Iris tingitana bulbs can be planted now, although April is quite soon enough; the ground Is very dry now, and planting would not be very satisfactory. They need a well-drained soil and sunny situation. So long as the soil is of fair quality no manure need be added. Plant the bulbs about three Inches deep, that is the crown of the bulb should be about two inches below the surface of the soil. (3) Anemone and ranunculi can be planted now. Bonedust Is the best manure to use. (4) Yes. (o) Yes.

EARWIGS IN FLOWERS. Earwigs are well-known garden marauders which have a special love for rose blossoms, dahlia flowers and a few other choice garden products. A free use of an insecticide deters them, but seldom secure eradication, and the usual method adopted is that of trapping. Dry hollow stems should be cut and suspended from a branch (Fig. 1) where the pests are noticed. They will shelter in this and may be caught at any time. Cow parsnips, angelica, and other wild flowers will furnish these traps. A match-

box filled with dry paper or moss (Fig. 2) is also an excellent trap. They can be shaken out of the paper every second or third day. Fig. 3 represents a favourite method of trapping adopted by dahlia growers. A small flower-pot partly filled with moss, dry paper or leaves is put on the end of the stake. These flower-pot traps do quite well on the ground also. A roll of paper (Fig. 4) is also very efficient as a trap or even a handful of dry paper itself serves excellently. All such traps must be examined regularly. The pests may be shaken out into a pot of hot water or a small dish of insecticide, where they soon die.

GLADIOLUS SOCIETY. The popularity of the gladiolus is increasing by leaps and bounds, and the recently-formed Auckland Gladiolus Society has started work in earnest. No doubt the flower is deserving of enthusiastic support, for it has adapted itself to Auckland soil and climate and splendid results are obtained with a minimum of expense. One thing in favour of the gladiolus is that a good collection can be grown in a relatively small space. Those wishing to join up with the society should communicate with the secretary, Box 1648. Auckland. A meeting of the newly-formed Gladiolus Society was held on the 12th inst., and a most enjoyable evening was spent by members. The subject for the night was harvesting of corms and treatment of spawn. As the present month is a most favourable time for this operation the following points should prove of interest to growers of this favourite summer flower:— The corms should be lifted as soon as the foliage commences to turn yellow in colour. Care should be taken to keep the varieties separate and the crop should be laid out in the sun to dry off. The drying period usually occupies two to three weeks, but it is most desirable that some protection be afforded whilst the bulbs are on the ground in case of rain. When thoroughly dried off the tops—that is, foliage—should be cut off to within (say) one inch of the bulb and the old corm removed from the base, and, together with the foliage, should be carefully burned to prevent spread of disease. During this operation the spawn, or bulblets, which it is intended to grow for increase in stock should be placed rfside and labelled. When the refuse has been taken from the bulb it is. advisable to place same in a solution of formalin 40 per cent for thirty minutes, to circumvent the ravages of disease, which usually spreads during the time bulbs are out of the ground. Formalin 40 per cent can be purchased from any druggist or seedsman, and should be diluted in the proportion of loz to 4 gallons of water, say, 2 tablespoonfuls to 1 kerosene tin. After soaking the bulbs should be placed in shallow boxes and put away in a dry place for storage during the winter months. The bulblets saved can be planted at any time, preferably about July, and it will be found of very great benefit if, before planting, the outer husk is removed. In performing this operation care has to be taken not to injure the kernel. It has been proved that by peeling the bulbs far better crops have been obtained, as at times the small bulblets do not appear to have enough energy to pierce this hard shell, with the consequence that quite a number are apt to rot in the ground without shooting.

LAYERING WISTARIA. It is not generally known how easily young plants of wistaria may be obtained. Take a fairly old tree, for instance, and from a number of young growths that push forth from some portion of the trunk not far removed from the base, select o.:; or more and make a

notch on the lower side by removing a portion of the wood at a point that can easily be brought in contact with the ground. Then make up a mixture of loam and sand and peg the notched portion of growth into this. Keep it moist, and by autumn the shoot will be found to have rooted nicely.

THE LAPAGERIA. An old-fashioned green house climber the lapageria will recommend itself to the amateur and others whose glass is of moderate size, and desire a showy and handsome plant. Its flowers are extremely pretty —long, wax-like fleshy bells—and the plant itself is attractive, and never obtrusive. It grows well in the varying temperature of a cool house, under fairly cool treatment, and, once established, will not require any more care and attention. This climber does best when planted in the greenhouse border, and not when grown in pots. It prefers a loamy peat, but, failing peat, it will flourish in a light, sandy loam, cnriched with much well rotted and sifted leaf mould. Good drainage and depth of soil are esesntial. The lapageria is slow to lake to its new compost, and, after planting, progress will be rather tardy and disappointing. It should be shaded for a time and regularly watered. Every year it should be over- j hauled, all weak growths and spent branches being removed, to make way for the young streamers. These streamers must be tied in position, lest they intertwine into a hopelessly tangled mass, and in order to allow the elegant foliage to develop properly. The usual type of lapageria is known under a specific name of elrosea; there is, however, a distinctly superior variety of it known as superba; and another, the ' beautiful wax-like white, alba, is a favourite with everyone.

THE PERSIMMON. A correspondent writes asking for information about the persimmon. The persimmon is quite handy and does well in many places about Auckland. It has not, however, been widely planted owing probably to its rather slow growth and also to it not being a very popular fruit. This latter objection would soon be overcome if the fruits were not eaten till they are ready. The fruits are astringent when unripe and should not be eaten "until they are perfectly ripe, in which stage they are luscious, and melting, even more so than a ripe pear. The trees do not transplant well unless they are prepared, but nursery grown trees that are transplanted yearly to prevent the growth of the taproot will transplant all right. The ground should be prepared well and, if all the area is not trenched, the portion where the tree is to be planted should be dug out three feet deep and if the soil is at all poor some manure should be added. The trees will often stand the first year without making any growth, but ' the following year will start away and do well. The tree is dioecious and unless several trees are planted together they do not crop. As there is no way of telling a fruiting or pistillate tree from a staminate tree until it has flowered, only worked trees should be planted so as to be certain what is being planted. There are many varieties, almost all of which are of Japanese origin and, as the varieties have not been properly tried or compared one with another, little can be said for or against any of them. The trees bear early, often two years from planting, and if both staminate i~nd pistillate varieties are planted together, they bear enormous crops, so much so that a certain amount of thinning is necessary, or the trees are dwarfed by the tax on their energies. The position required is in full sun and the soil must be well drained. The roots go deep down and unless there is good drainage the trees are short-lived and do little good.

THE LEAF-CUTTING- BEE. One of the leaf-cutting bees has a special love for the foliage of rose bushes about this time. The insect is not unlike the ordinary bee and its method of injuring the foliage is to cut out. semicircular pieces from the leaflets, as shown in the sketch. The insect carries these pieces off to its nest. The nest is often in the gravel of the nearest path, probably underground, or it mav be in the

interstices of some old wall near at hand, a dry site being invariably chosen by the bee. The insect only works during strong sunshine and it may be fairly easily caught and destroyed or it may be dashed to the ground with a strong stream of _water from the syringe. The pest will never touch foliage recently treated with insecticide. Though by extensive laceration it renders the bushes most unsightly, it scarcely ever does sufficient damage to cause serious annoyance.

A NEW STYRAX. Styrax Wilsoni is a charming deciduous shrub from Western China, where it grows about 10ft high. Here it forms a graceful bush, with small slender branches, clothed with dainty ovate leaves often less than an inch long. In December it has small drooping white flowers with golden anthers, the flowers being borne with great freedom. Although Hot one of the hardiest species, it succeeds in the open in the South of England and gives good results when planted against a wall. Give well-drained, loamy soil, to which a little peat or leaf mould has been added.

THE MUSK ROSE. I When a vigorous growing rose is wanted to plant at the foot of an evergreen bush or tree the musk rose (Rosa moschata) should be selected. When planted in good heavy loam it grows fast and reaches a height of quite twenty feet, the branches being well clothed with bluegreen leaves, and during December with large clusters of white vejlow-stainened flowers, each flower being about lJin across. It is very fragrant; in fact,, a well-flowered plant scents the air for a considerable distance. When allowed to ramble freely over an evergreen support the large clusters of white flowers are seen to the greatest advantage against the dark background.

DON'TS FOR AMATEURS. Don't omit to place sticks for the support of chrysanthemums growing in pots until the growths have fallen over and become c ':ed. They will never regain their •• peliness. Three canes are usually sufficient for a plant grown for decoration only. Where it can be done it is a good . practice to tie one cane on each plant to a wire stretched along the row and secured to posts at each end. Don't make the mistake of giving chrysanthemums stimulants of any sort too soon after potting or planting, or more harm than good will be done. Wait until the pots are becoming well filled with roots and then commence with weak doses. Soot is a useful and handy manure for chrysanthemums.

Don't fail to keep a sharp lookout for black fly, and deal with them before they get too numerous. Either dust tcbacco powder on the shoots when they are damp or spray with one of the advertised insecticides. As the plants grow, they must be given more room to develop properly. Don't, when rather thick sowing was practised, leave seedling polyanthus crowded together. Transplant them into a well-dug and moderately-manured plot in shade, keeping the rows nine inches apart. They must be well attended to in tli-? matter of watering. Dryness at the roots is the one thing polyanthuses refuse to bear. Don't allow asparagus beds to be spoiled through the strong growths being blown about and snapped off by wind. Support is easily provided by means of a few strong sticks inserted among the stems, and wires or strong string placed round the margins of the bed.

Don't allow seed pods to form on sweet peas or other plants. If the blooms are not all cut for decoration, go round the plants two or three times a week and remove all fadsd flowers.

BULBS IK FIBRE. Although it has been mentioned in previous articles on bulb-growing for earlyspring decoration indoors that many beautiful flowers can be got from plants potted or "bowled" in fibre, this method has not been so fully described as the 1 methods of forcing in pots of soil, in I bowls of charcoal and shingle, or in glasses of water. A correspondent to an English paper writes as follows on this subject: I agree to the cleanliness and charm of fibre-grown bulbs, and there is no doubt that it is a comparatively simple matter to grow them if one is a fairly careful and systematic person. Frankly, I do not think the average person would find it quite so easy to grow bulbs as well in pots or bowls of fibre as to grow them in pots of soil or in bowls of charcoal and shingle. My own failures with forced bulbs have all occurred when using fibre or the familiar mixture of coconut fibre, ground oyster grit and charcoal, sold by most nurserymen. All my failures, I am free to admit, were due to ignorance or neglect, and the former, in my first years of experience as an indoor winter gardener, were generally owing, I now like to believe, to a small oversight of which any beginner may be guilty. I put my early failures down to my having placed the bulbs in bowls of fibre that were too heavily soaked with water or to having allowed my pots of fibre to get too dry or waking tliem too soddened. Anyway, when I began to grow bulbs in winter in a small lean-to greenhouse in a city suburb most of the bulbs either went mouldy or became "blind"— that is, they failed to bloom. Consequently I am a little discreet about advising novices to grow bulbs in fibre. If they do two or three small things with care tliey can succeed, however, with a very little trouble for the rest. The two things to make sure of at the outset are good fibre and good bulbs, and the best way to do this is to go to a good firm and pay a fair price. If voij can reasonably afford it. it is well worth while to buy really choice bulbs. Save on the ground of cleanliness I do not particularly recommend fibre for flower pots; bulbs grow just as well, or better, in ordinary garden soil than in any fibre I know. If pots are used, see that they are the usual garden pots of coarse red material; do not use glazed pots for growing any plant in, a certain amount of porosity being desirable, although not essential, where bulbs in fibre are concerned. Naturally, if one objects to a common • red pot on a table it can be dressed up in paper frills — a process which must be taken in hand by an artist if vulgarity and absurdity are to be escaped, or it can be stood inside a decorative pot, the base stood on an ■inverted 6aucer, so that the flower pot can drain and is free from possible contamination of stagnant water. In bowls of fibre no drainage hole is neces-

sary, and the bowl may be, in invariably is, non-porous. Prettier effects may be obtained by using only one kind of bulb in each pot, and, whflj the majority of bulbs look equally wejj in large rooms, grape hyacinths, snow, drops, crocuses, scillas (squills), anj similar small things look equally »ejj in rooms of moderate size. Having got the bulbs, bowls and fibre, with 4 few pieces of charcoal, proceed as follows: —Place in the bottom of the bowl some pieces of charcoal, to ke*p tha moisture sweet; over this put a layer of damp fibre (it must be nicely w e t, not soggy) thick enough to bring the nosei of the bulbs, when planted, just below the rim ot the bowl, say about half an inch. Fill between the bulbs with more damp fibre. That is all, except that the bowls should be placed in a frostfree, airy room, or elsewhere, but not a closed cupboard. If the fibre becomes too damp you will have no flowers, so that the bowls should be inspected on the same day of each week for a month or so, in f«.";t, until the shoots are an inch hig'n. 1 % 0 not swamp the plants every tinu >".i look at them. Insida six weeks from planting, the bowla should be ready for standing about the rooms, and a few weeks later the bulhg should flower.