Practical Gardening

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

Practical Gardening

Practical Gardening

PLANTING DAFFODILS. Daffodils should' 1)0 planted in every garden. Hardiness and ease of culture, variety, duration of blooming season all combine to make them good garden subjects, while as cut flowers they lend themselves easily to effective decoration. Where spacs permits the bulbs should be grown in beds; planted in a mixed border, the best reSults are obtained by placing them in clumps of about a dozen of any one kind, about four inches apart; if mixed the result is unsatisfactory. Do not 011 any account give them any stable manure. Coarse bonedust may be dug in about a fortnight before planting, and basic slag mav be dusted 011 the surface later 011.

Large bulbs, 5 to 0 inches deep; small bulbs, 2 to a inches deep. If the bulbs are not required for exhibition there is no necessity to apply any fertiliser. Some of our best amateurs plant during January, and others wait until February and March. When the soil is workable is the best time, but ife is advisable to get all bulbs in before the end of March. The ground should be well firmed before planting, and deeply dug. The jlroper depth to plant will depend upon the size of the bulbs. The top of the bulb should bo from three to liv.i inches below the surface. From planting time until the foliage I appears the surface of the beds must be regularly hoed to destroy weeds. It is essential to keep the soil clean, as weeds afford cover for snails and slugs, which if neglected will soon damage a large number of blooms. If these pests should prove troublesome, a little lime, superphosphate or tobacco dusted in the evening between the plants will keep them in check, but the wisest plan is to keep down the weeds.

AUTUMN SOWING OP VEGETABLES.

A lot of people make their spring sow- ' ings of vegetables for the general cropping of tho garden in September and October, but as each kind reaches 1 maturity vacant spaces may be seen in 1 tho vegetable garden. Most people, seeing this, consider that the season is 1 over and that they will have to wait 1 until the following season for radishes, spring onions, lettuces, peas, beans, spinach and tender spring cabbages. The season is not over; the fault is that 110 further sowings are made. It is not so much duo to the fact that gardeners and amateurs have iiot sown again in December and January, but that they have sown their seed beds with the object of transplanting from them in tho autumn for spring use, not realising that by the simplest of all methods of cultivation the same crops which they generally utilise in the spring and early summer can be had fit for the table in April and May, and in many cases throughout the winter months. Tho whole secret lies in

the fact that the seeds must be sown where the crop is to stand, and no transplanting be done, except for the crops required in the spring and early summer. All that ia needed is to sow thinly during December or January, single out the plants at the earliest possible moment, and Nature will do all that is then needed to produce crops of the greatest value in the early autumn and throughout the winter. * In the first place, we have begun with crops sown the previous autumn, and these are followed by the u3ual spring-sown crops; but then come the autumn months, with little, if anything, left but winter vegetables, and an entire absence of the summer vegetables, which were over far too quickly. It is here that another cropping becomes so valuable, and is at the same time so easily obtained. The reason why vegetables mature so quickly under the treatment recommended is that during the summer months the earth has been storing up the sun's heat, and consequently seeds sown at the end of December and January find a warm seed bed, and not one that has only just escaped the rigours of a severe winter, as in the case of spring sowings. It is necessary for those who would follow this course to sow in January only early varieties of peas. The following is a list of vegetables that may be sown in January:—Spinach, endives, dwarf beans, lettuces, carrots, beets, turnips, kohl rabi, onions, radishes, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, silver beet, and perpetual spinach. Of course it is only natural that success must depend to a greater degree upon the season being a favourable one for late sowing.

SPRAYING FRUIT.

All apples and pears should bo sprayed with arsenate of lead. The codlin moth is very busy at the present time, laying its eggs on apples, in the eye of the apple, in any odd crevice or on the undersides of the leaves, and it does not take long during this warm weather for these to hatch out. It has now been proved that the number of broods is only controlled by the weather and there has been as many as six broods in a season. However this may be, it appears almost certain that more fruit are spoilt from now onwards by moth. The spraying must be thorough. Spray under and around the fruit.

THE WEEK'S WORK.

VEGETABLE MARROWS. If tlie long trailing shoots of vegetable marrows are pegged to the soil and a little soil pulled over the stem it -will be found that the roots are

SEED SOWING IN JANUARY. Many true perennials are best treated as annuals. Among such flowers are included the antirrhinums, Canterbury bells, sweet Williams, aquilegias, forget-me-nots, pansies, violas, alyssums, primroses, polyanthus, gaillardias, coreopsis and various others. There is no need to provide anything beyond a healthy condition for the seedling to thrive in. The most that is required is shading until the seed has germinated. The first thing to do is to make up a bed of finely raked soil, the surface of which in heavy districts should bo further lightened with sand. The ground should be in an open, friable condition and if the weather is dry should be well watered before sowing the seed. Drills should then be made Gin apart and the seed sown and lightly covered. Shading of some sort should bo provided so as to save watering. Branches of macrocarpa or scrim, in fact, anything will do that is light, will give the neccssary shade and can bo easily removed when the seedlings aro through. When large enough they will need transplanting into another bed, allowing about Gin between the plants. The soil for this transplanting should bo good and contain some wellrotted manure so that the plants are large and healthy before planting out in autumn. The plants will be ready for putting into the beds as soon as the summer bedding plants are done and the ground dug over.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Lift, clean and divide bulbs. Dahlias and Chrysanthemums should have the surface soil kept loose around them. Spray Chrysanthemums and Roses for mildew. Border Carnations should be layered as soon as possible. Sow of Delphiniums, and, if the weather is dry, give copious waterings so as to ensure good autumn bloom. Keep spent blooms removed from any flowering plants in the borders to prevent seed forming. Prepare Sweet Pea trenches for autumn sowing. Give a summer pruning to encourage a good annual growth on Roses. Water Asters when necessary. Give artificial manure and tie up tall plants. THE GREENHOUSE. Sow herbaceous Calceolarias. Shade, cool position and moisture are necessary. Sow Primula malacoides. Sow thinly and transplant early. Put in cuttings of Geraniums, Pelargoniums, Coleus, Salvia splendens, Petunias, Verbenas. Sow Schizanthus for flowering in pots. Pot up bulbs for flowering under glass. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Spray Tomatoes and pinch out laterals. Keep Runner Beans closely picked and give the rows an ounce of superphosphate to each yard run of row. Pinch out the tips of Marrows, Melons, Pumpkins, etc., to cause laterals to form. Plant out Celery and shade for a few days. Keep plants well watered in dry weather. Sow Dwarf Beans to provide successional crops Bend down the tops of autumn-sown Onions to encourage ripening. Pull up Shallots to ripen and do not let them lie in the hot sun too long. P the hoe going amongst growing crops. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Spray for brown rot. Use colloidial or wettable sulphur. Peaches and Plums must be sprayed for brown rot. beetle 3 ' 6 ° f ICad t0 * pray mixture to control leech and bronze B«d over trees that require it.

LAYERING CARNATIONS,

After the plants have finished flowering is the proper time to increase carnations by layers. Only non-flowering shoots are fit for the purpose. Some sandy soil should be in readiness, the sharper tlie sand is the better. A sharp thin-bladed knife is necessary, the budding knife is best. In selecting the shoots to be operated upon choose those that are of fair substance, but not greasy and sappy. Cut away the leaves on tlie lower part of the stem up to the

Fig. 1. joint which has to be cut to, in making the layer, and if the leaves at the point of the shoot are heavy draw them together in the hand and cut a little of tlieir tips off to lighten their weight, which in wind would be liable to disturb

Fit:. 3. the layer. The knife is then Inserted on the underside of the shoot at a joint below the uppermost one, which has been divested of its leaves and drawn upward about half way through the stem to the next joint, thus making a tongue like process on the underside of the shoot. A hollow in the earth must then be made about two inches deep and I filled with the sandy soil, into which the stem must be pressed, taking care to

Fig. 4. prevent the tongue from being injured or attaching itself to the stem; then peg the stem firmly down and cover it with about two inches of the sandy soil. Water the soil if dry and see that it is not allowed to become dry for the uext two months, which is the period the layers will require to become well rooted. Figure 1 shows a carnation shoot with the lower leaves removed and the tongue properly formed ready for being layered. Figure 2 shows how to cut the tongue —namely, in an upward direction about halfway through the stem and so that the incision passes through a leaf joint. Figure 3 shows at A a shoot with the tongue wrongly formed, the incision being made towards the plant instead of away from it. Another wrong way is illustrated at B, the cut being made so that it doea not pass through a leaf joint. Figure 4 illustrates at A a growth properly layered and pegged into prepared soil. B shows three other forms of pegs and pins.

SEEDLINGS OF PRIMULA SINENSIS.

These should be grown as hardy as possible during the summer months, and a position in shade outsido is preferable to growing in the greenhouse. It is advisable to cover the plants in very wet weather and, for this reason, if possible stand them on a bed of scoria in a cold frame. If wet weather comes the lights can easily be placed over them.

WORK DURING MIDSUMMER. Usually it is the gardener that needs watching from now on—watching and stimulating and encouraging and exhorting. For it is not to be denied that midsummer is an alluring time, with something about it, something other than the heat, that makes it difficult to stay on the job. But stay on the job one must, if all the work that has been done up to this time is not to go for naught. In other words, when one starts a garden he starts something which must be finished or seen through to a finish. Loose, light soil half an inch deep everywhere, dust actually, and tho sprayer ready at hand for instant action; these are the two most important things. After them comes the prompt picking of every vegetable and flower at the very instant that it should bo picked, not a day later. And after this comes tho further sowing of such things as may still be sowed for succession. Never enough can be said about doing things in the garden on time, for time is either your friend or your enemy. Better keep him your friend, for lie is a dangerous enemy.

WATERCRESS. It is not generally known that watercress can be produced in a garden without a running stream in it. They can be grown in a trench about six inches deep, two feet in width, and of any desired length. The best position is on the south side of a wall, or buildin" where they will get some shade. The trench should be taken out to a depth of about IS inches, and the bottom rammed very hard. If it is a lio-ht, gravelly soil, a good layer of clay puddled into the bottom will help to retain the necessary moisture. Put a good layer of manure into the completed trench, and fill in the soil to within six inches of the top. Either plants from an existing bed, or seeds, may be used to make a start. Seed' sown now should produce a splendid crop during autumn and winter. I

SOWING PERENNIALS. Among the perennials are some of the best of garden flowers and especially so because they are permanent, and beyond the cleaning and division of the clumps that may be necessary they need little work and give a good display year after year. Perennials, like most other hardy plants, can be sown at almost any time of the year, but to get the rest results in the shortest timo they should be sown about January. GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS Commence to summer prune gooseberries and red and white currants. Cut back inside shoots to about three leaves from the base. Leave one or more strong shoots at the extremity of each branch to extend the size of the tree and with a view of keeping the balance and shape of the tree.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. GRASS (Roskill) sends grass for identification.—lt is dogstail (Cynosurus crista- !:" s ) • If Is a very good grass, especially for lawns. Keeps green over a long season, Is strictly perennial and forms a beautiful turf. W.S. (Takapuna) asks: Can you give me a remedy for blight oil dahliasV All the young shoots have curled up and the loaves are deformed and do not open properly.—Spray with lime sulphur solution one part, water 75 parts, and add loz ot arsenate of lead to each gallon of spray mixture. ORANGE (Panmure) asks: (1) When to sow azalea seed? (2) Do young lemon trees growing from seed sown last October need any special treatment?—(l) oow az.iiea seed as soon as it is ripe and will shake out of the pods. (2) They will need no special treatment except that it will be best to transplant them next spring, say, about September. Remove a portion of the long tap root before replanting. W.S. ((Rotorua) asks: (1) In transplanting loganberry cuttings to permanent beds, should they be pruned hard back when transplanting or before or after planting? (2) How many years do loganberries last before they retiuire to be renewed? (3) I have some bushes of red and black currants four years old. ■ The red are yielding enormous crops, but black bear less each year; hardly anv this season, although they are making very large, liealthy-looking bushes. Could you tell me the cause of the above?—"( 1) Plant, then cut linek in late winter or early spring, just before plants begin to grow. (2) I cf.nnot say for certain, as I have no figures available, but if properly treated they last a long time, unvway, up to 20 years. (3) I cannot say, except that the black currant prefers a rather heavy, moist soil, and your light soil is ©seducing exceaa o£ tkxkL.