Practical Gardening

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 179, 30 July 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

Practical Gardening

I AjlMi H U S

PRUNING PLUM TREES.

PSRPETUAIi FLOWERING CARNATIONS. The perpetual flowering carnation, Owing to its simplicity of cultivation, is becoming one of the most popular flowers. The amateur with a, email greenhouse, who is compelled to economise I ti expenditure, is able to produce flowers of equal quality to those of the grower with a large range of glass, provided attention is given to the few but important details necessary to bring the plants to perfection. The selection of cuttings and their propagation is the foundation iipon which future results depend. Perhaps tho most frequent cause of dissatisfaction is the selection of tho wrong cutting at the time of propagation. The Aery top cuttings, which have a stem before their first set of leaves, should be rejected, also the Blow growing or dormant cuttings at the base of the flower stem, because neither of these is capable of giving pood blooms. Tho correct cuttings are found between these two opposite sets, and have practically no space at all between their leaves, while with the others tli are is a short space between the leaves. It is only, from these cuttings that plants of true perpetual habit, producing high quality bloom, can be obtained. Each flowering growth, taking the average varieties, if well grown, eJiould produce three correct cuttings. These must bo removed with a downward or sideward pull, when they should come away from the stem with a heel, which only requires trimming at the base with a sharp knife to remove any loose bark. The practice of cutting upward half-way through the heel at

the base is now never recommended. The warm end of any greenhouse, provided the light is good, and a temperature of 55 degrees can be maintained, is ideal for propagating. The propagating case should be of the span-roof pattern, which allows full light to play upon the cuttings (a most essential point), and at the same time permits a purer atmosphere to prevail. Of the many mediums that may be used to root the cuttings, nothing equals clean, eharp saud, free from any decaying matter. To root small quantities Sin pots, half-filled with crocks, with a layer of coconut fibre before filling - with sand are excellent. Previous to inserting the cuttings, the sand must be given a good watering to settle it, otherwise they will not stand upright after being inserted. Do not allow the cuttings to be exposed to the air after they have been prepared, but keep them close in air-tight boxes. As each batch of cuttings is dibbled in the pots, give a good watering • overhead with a fine rose to settle the sand firmly around their base, then place them in the propagating rase, which eliould be filled with coconut fibre, to allow the pots to be sunk into it to their rims. The glass is then put in position and kept closed, for twenty-four hours, after which the cuttings must be slightly aired at nights, avoiding draughts and closing again during the day- After about three weeks of this treatment, the cuttings should be in a condition to stand slight exposure to light day and night, and in the case of the majority of varieties should be ready for potting on into 2in pots in six weeks. During the period the cuttings are rooting they will require to be shaded from sun and draughts must not be allowed to enter tho case, otherwise they will wilt and fail to root. Many amateurs make the mistake of spraying the cuttings over head each day during the period they are rooting. This practice will ruin the constitution of the strongest of cuttings and lay the foundation for disease. If the cuttings receive a good watering when they are inserted, kept shaded, and the temperature is not allowed to exceed 55 degrees, water will only be required when the sand Bhows signs of becoming dry, which, in most cases, will not be till cuttings have rooted. It will need careful judgment to 6ee that the sand is not allowed to become too wet or too dry, cxpcrienco being the best guide in this matter. It is important that the sand in which the cuttings are rooting should not be used again for the same purpose. Always use fresh sand for each batch of cuttings. The best period for rooting cuttings is from July to tho end of September. Many favour cuttings rooted in the autumn, but better plants, with flowers of fine quality, are produced from cuttings inserted during winter and early spring. MANURES TOR FRUIT TREES. Manures required for fruit trees that are growing in small gardens differ somewhat to those required for large orchards. Usually in a small garden the ground is well manured and cropped right up to the stem of the tree. The result is that thero is usually no lack of humus in the soil, and it is therefoi'e unnecessary to apply farmyard manure. Fruit trees, however, require an abundance of lime, and as this is often deficient in the soils most trees will be benefited by a good dressing of lime. This can be applied now. Basic slag and bonedust in equal quantities applied at the rate of about four ounces to the square yard is also very good, but this should not bo applied directly after or before lime. If it is decided to apply the sing and bonedust it is better applied now, and the lime in the spring. Fruit trees are also benefited by an application of potash either in the form of sulphate of potash or muriate of potash at the rate of about one ounce to the square yard or two ounces of kainit to the same space. As wood ashes contain a. lot of potash, they can be ufted inptca<\; the ashes should bo scattered an they are obtained. If applied as they are made there is no loss, as tho potash lcA * nto aa soon as the i *ain. comes.

FAULTS OF OVERCROWDING. The time will soon be here when lots of seeds and plants will be put into our gardens, sad to say, never to be seen again. Cottage gardens have been termed "plant cemeteries," and perhaps not without good reasons. There are many causes why seeds and plants often disappear without even helping to make the "desert blossom as the rose." The slugs and other vermin take toll of our choicest seedlings, weather and fungi cripple others, but there is cause whereby insects" and fungi gain a and inflict such a large amount of injury, and that is overcrowding. Often we buy a packet of 6eed which contains enough to sow the whole district. We have not the heart to throw any away, so we "shove it in, somebody may like a few." The consequence is that when the seedlings come up we are too busy to attend to them and they get drawn, sickly and weak, and from the start, unknowingly, we are growing and en-

courao-ing fungi pests. The consequence is that instead of having a few good, strong plants sufficient for our needs, which" we should have been able to attend to properly, we have a lot, the majority of which we cannot use and none of which can be considered satisfactory. It would bo better to sow a pinch of seed and look after it, and that have a sufficient number of good plants. It is ae vital for a seeding 24 hours old to have- plenty of fresh air as for a plant 24 years old. It is the same throughout our gardens. Wo are eo anxious to have a little of everything that instead of doubling the return by making "two blades of grass to grow where one grew before," we have four plants trying to exist where there is only room for one, and in consequence the return goes down 50 per cent instead of increasing. We should always give everything room for proper development, and if we do we shall find that our gardens will give better returns Because we have lees plant*? to attend to and the plants have room to grow.

SOWING TINE SEEDS. In sowing small seeds a moderately light soil is more favourable to germination and the subsequent growth of the tiny plants than one of a close or heavy nature. For most plants a compost of equal parts of line loam and leaf mould, with half a part of sand, will be suitable, but where the seed? vre very fine a little loss loam and a little more leaf mould may be used. A mistake often made, when preparing the compost, is to sift the soil very iluely throughout. It is right that the surface soil should be fine — the smaller the seeds the finer the soil— but this is requisite only to the depth of an eighth or a quarter of an inch. Below that the ordinary compost should be used, and this will be line enough if lightly run through a half-inch sieve. With "any depth of very fine soil, the result of watering it is to make it close and pasty. Drainage must be free, for without this no good results can be expected. The box or pan should have a full inch of crocks on the bottom, and over this a layer of the rougher material that failed to pass through the sieve. Then put in the compost, and surface this

with the thin layer of finer soil, on which the seeds must'be sown. Arrange that the level of the soil is at least half an inch below the top of the box or pot, so that a piece of glass can be laid over it, if required, without touching the soil. An hour or so before sowing the seed water the soil, and stand the box on one side to drain before the seed is sown. Sow the seed thinly and cover with a dusting of fine soil; if seed is dust-like, as in the case of begonias, gloxinias, etc., no covering of soil is needed. Cover with a sheet of glass, and over this place a sheet of paper to ensure shade. Watering, if nocessary, must be done carefully. In many cases no further water will be necessary till seeds have germinated. If water is required, especially with fine seeds, the best way is to stand the pot or box in a basin of water ond let the moisture soak through. Every morning the glass should be lifted, and either turned over or the moisture wiped oil with a cloth. Directly it is seen that the seeds are germinating, a little ventilation should he given by raising the glass a little. The paper and glass must be gradually removed as the seedlings show up. A useful tool to give a smooth, fiat surface to the soil before sowing can be made by nailing a piece of half-inch board on to a short handle. A square is best for boxes, but a circle is better for pots or pans. SPROUTING POTATOES. There are several advantages gained in sprouting potato sets before planting them. Ono is that any "blind" tubers can be seen and picked out, thereby avoiding any blank spaces in the row. It is also possible if the sets are large to cut them into two or more pieces and allow each piece to have a strong sprout to each. Sprouted tubers also give a larger crop and an earlier maturturing one. Sprouting is a very simple operation. All that is required is to place the tubers in shallow boxes with the "rose" end, as the broad or blunt end of the tuber is called, upwards. The trays or boxes are then stood in an airy shed or position where they get plenty

of light and no frost. In a. few weeks the tubers will produco dark green sprouts and can bo planted out as tlie opportunity occurs. Planting should be done before the sprouts get too long to minimise the danger of breaking off the sprouts. If the sprouts are long more care must bo taken when planting. Although not generally practised, it is a good plan, especially if. a first-class sample of tuber is wanted, to rub off the weaker shoots, leaving two of the] strongest. This iuduces tlie production of a crop of medium to large tubers. THE USE OF MANURES. Gardeners often ask whether they should use artificial manures. The value of manure depends chiefly upon _ thej amount of cultivation the soil receives. Unless a soil is in a good fiiechanical condition it is impossible to obtain good results from the use of manures. To be in a good mechanical condition it must bo well-drained, either naturally or artificially. This is the first step towards obtaining a friable soil; manure will then help to a certain extent. In heavy soils there is generally enough plant food, but it is in an unavailable condition, and it is to render "this available) that drainago and cultivation are necessary l'he effects of cultivation are to break up and pulverise the soil and make it yield through the soil water those foods which the plants most need. Another effect it has is to make the soil hold more moisture, and tlie more it can hold without reaching saturation point the more food there is available. When saturation point is reached and the soil is drained the surplus water is carried away from the roots. A\ lien draining and cultivation is carried out the use of manures is to supply a surplus of available plant food so that the plants are forced along faster than they would be in state.

AUTUMN-SOWN SWEET PEAS. Although quite liavdy, the plants that were sown in autumn will need the protection and support of soinc short twigs to hold the growths upright. Left lving

011 llio soil, the slugs and rain take all the life out of the small plants and they get a check, which takes them a long time to get over. Where the seeds are sown in pots, and it has not been convenient or the weather good enough for planting, the little plants should have a few twigs placed to them. INSECT PESTS. There arc several varieties of scale insects that attack fruit trees. They do not move about in search of food, but build a tiny house over themselves where food is plentiful. The best known is the one known a.s mussel scale. The young are produced from eggs which hatch out in October and November. The general treatment to get rid of these pests is to spray with some oily material that will form a thin film over the shell and prevent the young from breathing. Red oil emulsified is one of the best sprays that can be used for this purpose when the trees are bare of leaves in the winter. In bad cases two sprayings are often necessary, but tip second dose will amply repay for the application. Mites arc another class of blight, which, though nearly always present, are very rarely seen. They arc really a small species of spider, but are so small they cannot be seen without the aid of a microscope or strong magnifying glass. These mites can both bite and suck, for they are provided with mandibles and hollow beaks, and_ by means of these they eat their way into leaf and fruit. The one known as red spider is the best known, and perhaps the most feared. They do not confine their work to fruit trees., but attack almost all garden plants. The first signs of their presence is a marbling of faint yellow streaks through the natural green; on some plants the leaves curl, shrivel and fall, while on others they hang faded and yellow, and their living colour is gone. Reproduction is by eggs, those laid in the summer hatching quickly, while those deposited on the approach of winter remain unaltered' until hatched by the hot sun of late spring. These eggs are generally to be found in the folds of the. buds, in the hollows of the trunk and under splinters of dead wood. The smallness and helplessness of most orchard pests makes them an easy prey to their natural enemies and to weather conditions, such as heat and cold and especially wet. Yet they are not wholly unprotected, for I the tiny threads which cover woolly aphis are resinous and sticky, and when matted together they are waterproof, and only force will make water penetrate through. Therefore when spraying a considerable force must be used to penetrate their shelters. The green and black peach aphis are easier to get at as long as they are sprayed' from various angles, so that the spray can get into the various holes and corners formed by the leaves curling when they have been bitten. Thrips are another troublesome pest to gardeners and orcliardiste. They usually appear in the lato spring and cannot stand wet, but revel in a clear, dry heat. Their greatest fault is that they go principally for the flowers, and if the season is late or they make an early appearance, they force their way into the opening flowers and destroy the stamens bearing the fertilising pollen. Their life work seems to be in multiplying themselves, and as soon as the first lot get to work on the flowers they begin to reproduce themselves in myriads. As tliey have no wings they are forced to get their food near where they are hatched. The same spraying just as the buds are showing signs of life will do for most of them in" the same way as the red spider is controlled. It is all these things and a knowledge of when to spray that go to make up a successful grower, but the worst enemy is perhaps the codlin moth. This comes just before the calyx of the apple is closed and unless spraying with arsenate of lead has been done previously nothing can force the poison in afterwards. Sprayings with arsenate of lead must be continued every three weeks so as to be prepared for each successive flight of the moth. EAST EOTHIAN STOCKS. These arc not often grown, having to give way to the more quickly-grown and farge trusses of flowers of the ten-week and Beauty varieties. The East Lothian are of a different liabit, being perennial and flowering during autumn and winter. The seed should be sown now, and the plants put out when large enough. They need a rich soil. Their chief drawback is the attack of the cabbage fly and aphis during the hot weather. If this is controlled these stocks give a nice bit of bloom in autumn.

HERBACEOUS CALCEOLARIAS. Herbaceous calceolarias should be shifted into their final pots before they begin throwing up their flower stems. At preeent this will apply to the earliest sown batch intended to bloom by the end of September, or a little later,

Repotting Herbaceous Calceolarias. according to the stage of growth. Use in pots and a rather light but rich eoi!. This may consist of three parts of loam, one of leaf mould, a little well-rotted manure, rubh'd through a Aiii riddlo, and sand in proportion. PRUNING FRUIT TREES. Pruning operations will now be in full swing. In pruning the young trees heavy pruning will bo required in order to produce strong growth and a good frame; but as the tree advances in age, the pruning will be reduced considerably. It should be remembered that strong, heavy pruning results in wood growth, and that weak pruning steadies the tree, and promotes an even growth. When framing and building a tree, the former consideration is observed, and when the tree is coming into fruit bearing or is mature, it will he pruned according to the latter. Any operation that will cause the tree to produce lees wood growth will induce the tree to become more fruitful, provided the tree be in a healthy condition; 60 that when trees are mature, pruning operations, as a rule, should not be severe, but rather the reverse. Old fruiting wood, and dead and dying wood should always be removed, and aged spurs should be considerably reduced, in order to make them produce new growths; crowded and overlapping laterals should be shortened back; fruit bearing in the higher portions of the tree should not be encouraged, -md due consideration should be given to the admission of light and air to all parts of the tree. Where varieties of fruit trees are prone to Bearing crops every second year, their lateral system should be pruned so that they will not produce too heavy a crop in the fruiting year; and at the same time they will produce wood in their fruiting year to give a crop the subsequent season. A model tree will always he light on its topmost leaders, bearing the major portion of the crop in the lower regions of the tree. The main point to be_ noted is that a heavy wood growth in the upper portion of the tree tends to reduce the bearing capabilities of the tree in its most useful parts.

Plum trees do not need much pruning. It may be necessary to cut out a few branches where they have become too thick, but rigorous pruning should be avoided, as it induces too many shoots to grow.