Practical Gardening

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 126, 29 May 1937, Page 6 (Supplement)

Practical Gardening

THE PERSIAN LILAC.

SYRINGA PERSIC A. Whether this really should be called the "Persian lilac," or whether, as some avow, it is a native of China, I do nol know, but certainly we do not see it a; often as we should. Even in gardens where the large and colourful liybric lilacs inav be seen in profusion, wc often miss the delicate sweetness ol Syringa pensiea. Forming but a dwarl shrub, with narrow, lance-shaped leaves it can be utilised for fronting or out skirting a group cf lilacs; or it may be planted in perfect harmony with othei choice subjects in the shrub border. The small lilac blossoms, lavender in colour are borne so profusely as to cover the plant almost completely, and it inaj truthfully be stated that these blossoms are pleasingly fragrant. S. persica var alba certainly offers a nice contrast tc the type, its white blossoms showing tc good advantage. TRANSPLANTING. This work, one of the most importanl in horticulture, is not always given the consideration necessary to get the best returns. Ir_ good nurseries the younj evergreen and deciduous trees in stoci are all lifted and transplanted bad again each year so that when requirec for sale a well-rooted plant is assuret and failure after planting in permanent position is seldom seen. Unfortunately judging from the appearance of the roots of some young trees offered cheaply, thii extra work is not performed. Again the transplanting of flowering annuals also seedlings in the vegetable garden chiefly celery, members of the cabbage family and others, is not done as ii used to be. In gardening nowadays ii seems to be considered as & waste o time to transplant seedlings with tht object of getting a good ball of root! to plant later in their growing quarters Celery and cabbage are now taken fron the seed beds and plaated where thej are to grow, and the same applies t< many flowering annuals which, in moa cases, it would be advantageous t< transplant at least once to get goo< roots before planting in the beds o borders. We are in a hurry to atten; to ' all departments that constitute > good and useful garden; we blunder 01 and astonish ourselves with the result* we do get at times. In most casei where favoured with success we havi to thank a favourable or cool weel after planting, also the water supplj for a liberal supply of pure water. Evei with these favours mentioned, it is no' the method to ensure an even crop ol either celery, cabbages or flowering sub jects. The old-fashioned method of trans planting to get & good ball of root! before planting in growing quarters will be found the best, although entail ing a little more work. Of course, then are plants grown for flower and kitchei gardens that must not be transplantec after sowing. Where shrubs or trees have to be shifted to a fresh positior in connection with alterations or a nev garden being laid out, the present montl is very suitable for the transplanting of many kinds, and in a genial climatt like ours it is surprising the kinds thai will grow after being treated this way The success after a tree or shrub hai been shifted depends largely in the firsi place on getting it out with as muel care to the roots as possible. Somi kinds, especially deciduous trees, are no much trouble if lifted and planted abou the end of July, but even now, before the fall of the leaf, many kinds caj be transplanted with perhaps a greatei assurance of success and with lees sign: of having been so treated when growtl again commences. In autumn or sum mer transplanting of trees or shrub the work should be got along with as quickly as possible. In many caee of a tree not starting into growth aftei being shifted, the cause of failure mighl be traced to the roots being too lonj exposed to the air and dlying winds In digging out the tree, as the wori. proceeds, a few old bags should alwaybe handy and when the soil has beai forked from between the roots and the} are exposed to the sun and air, it wil be advantageous while working on tht other or opposite side, to' cover those ejyposed roots with bags, anu while beini shifted to the new position good wil result through keeping the roots covered These remarks principally apply to largt trees, but even small ones should nol be neglected in this respect. Planting should be carried out as quickly as pos sible after lifting, and if there an many to be treated they should be laic in close together in a trench near where the work is being clone, so that the} will only be a short time exposed to the air as the work of planting goes on The advantage of transplanting decidu ous trees this month is that if the wort has been properly carried out, the t'-ee should inake new roots before the grounel gets too cold, so that the followinj spring the tree will break into growtl: showing few signs of having been interfered with. If the work has been pro perly done the leaves may fall earh but the tree, having ripened its bud>< will not suffer.

THE LESS HARDY PERENNIALS Many of these succumb quite unnecessarily every winter because they are denuded of their protective top growth in the pursuit of tidiness. The her-

baceous lobelias, for instance, will often survive an ordinary winter if their top growth is left intact, as will also many of the half-hardy salvias, the pentstemons ana many other plants on th© borderline of hardiness, the cutting back of which should be deferred till September. These remarks apply with equal force to the choicer occupants of the hardy fernery. The old foliage of these affords the best winter protection and should be carefully removed only just before the young fronds begin to develop in spring. In the semi-wild or bog-garden when the leaves of the gunneras have been blackened by the recent frosts, they may be cut off and placed over the crowns as a protection against severe frost. In the colder districts it may be necessary to afford them additional protection,' for which purpose dried bracken, or a good covering of tree leaves, packed around and over the crowns, and finished off with a few green boughs makes a safe and not unsightly 1 covering.

TO SUCCEED WITH ANNUALS. Many people fail to get a good display of flowers by not sowing early enough. Another reason, and one even more prolific of harm, is sowing the seed too thickly, or too deeply and not thinning out the young plants soon enough or sufficiently. Many people, again, do not think hardy annuals worth taking any trouble about, little knowing the exquisite beauty that many of them return for really but little pains bestowed; that little, however, they must have, and at the right time. For sowing, choose a fine open day free from frost, when the ground works well, and rake the surface over. Mix small seeds with from five to six times their own bulk of dry sand, so as to make it easier to sow thinly. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out well, allowing each one ample room to grow, and expand to the full according to the known size to which the plant in question grows. It is worse than useless to thin after the plants grow leggy. If the thinning out is done carefully and early enough, many of the youngsters can be replanted elsewhere if done immediately. In dry weather, give the annuals a thorough soaking once a week. Some annuals thrive better in calcareous soil than in one that is rich in humus, e.g., mignonette and portulacca. Others have the reverse propensity, e.g., asters and Marvel of Peru. As a rule a soil that is rich in humus tends to, and fosters growth rather than flowers in the case of annuals, e.g., Mina lobata and the climbing nasturtiums.

_ Jl? ■'DiAj/thus

UXY- OF- THB-VAUXY. Satisfactory plantations of Convallaria majalis should not lightly be disturbed, for this plant usually takes a year or two to become established again. If, however, the beds have become overcrowded or infested with perennial weed#!, lifting and replanting is the only remedy and should preferably be spread over two or three seasons, treating a portion of the bed each season. The present is the best time for the work, and the whole of the crowns should be lifted from the section marked out for treatment. These may be laid in ashes temporarily, while the ground is being deeply dug, thoroughly cleaned and enriched with plenty of half-decayed leaf soil. Clean and sort the crowns, which may then be tied in bundles and returned to the ashes until the ground is prepared and in a suitable condition for replanting. Choose a fine day and plant them in rows six inches apart, placing the crowns two or three inches apart in the rows. This is best done by cutting a shallow trench across the border, against the side of which the crown* may be placed, the soil being drawn ur to them as the work proceeds. Tread each row in lightly before opening the next trench and finish off the bed with a covering of fine soil when the planting is finished. Lily-of-the-vallev beds which are not in need of replanting should now be cleared of all dead foliage and weeds, and afterwards topdressed with a hftlf-inch layer of sifted leaf soil. A damp and shaded position and a compost almost entirely I composed of leaf soil and sand is neces isnrv to grow these delightful' and verj ' difficult subjects so far as the northeri I parts of New Zealand are concerned.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. These are indispensable for the supply of cut blooms when most of the other outdoor flowers are past their prime and, tliey are also very useful for fillingup gaps in the autumn flower border 5 . To ensure a good stock for next season a few stools of each variety should now be lifted and boxed up, carefully labelled, and placed in a cold frame, where they may be given protection during severe weather, or, where they are grown on a large scale, the stools may be planted in rows on a dry border. In either case airy conditions are essential to the production of good cuttings, and these should not be hastened in any way, for cuttings taken in August and early September make better plants than those which are "struck" early and allowed to become hard before planting out time.

TO A GLADIOLUS, "GERTRUDE PROPHET." By HFBERT J. BARRETT. Flower from the sword, green as the sw.-i rd. That grows on the Emerald Isles! Say! Is this worth Flora's smiles? ! It's beauty held me. awed, seduced. The bloom through me God has produced. Perfect and pure, it will endure, Such charm cannot decay ; Mine? I -nnc since passed away. Each Raiser thinks his bloom's the best; j Sweet flower, I'm simply like the rest. A Man of Kent, I often went Far from the madding crowd. Where Flora wove her shroad. The entire world now lies between This land and that sweet village green. You ask its name ? A Glad, won fame; You find it is a spike— One that I loved; still like. Rrenchley, the home of many a queen ; Your name is in the bloom I mean. Is there a Of wondrous size; God's Kingdom here improved by man ; If yon become a Hybrid Fan : Earth's Daughters, too, a world-wide fame' Posterity will laud their name. Come brothers, sisters, let us be The workers in God's hand! Add something to His land. Give Flora many lovely flowers To help produce her stately bowers. The above ode was published British Gladiolus Society's annvuil, and is from the pen of a member of the Auckland Gladiolus Society. many of us are not bothered with a poetical complex, at least it is gratifying to know that the A.G.S. has talent that is worthy of recognition by the parent society, the B.G.S.

GLADIOLUS PICARDY. A CANADIAN GEM. At a meeting of the Auckland Gladiolus Society held recently there was an interesting discussion on varieties. Many new varieties were described, but the consensus of opinion was that Picardy is still the world's best gladiolus. This glorious salmon pink variety has won many championships, and will undoubtedly win many more. Not only is it a remarkably vigorous, grower resisting disease, but it also multiplies so rapidly that although a relatively new variety it is now one of the cheapest varieties catalogued. Pioardv was raised in Canada, and can be said to be one of the most striking introductions of recent years. ARISTOLOGBIA GRAHDIFLORA. Aristolochia grandiflora (syns gigantea and gigas) is not common in cultivation, but in the size of its flowers is eecond only to those of Raffleeia Araoldii in this respect, the latter, it is said, having the largest flowers of any plant. Nevertheless, the flowers of this plant are strikingly handsome and render it well worthy of a place in a greenhouse where tropical plants are cultivated. Aristolochia grandiflora is easily raised from seeds or from cuttings of the young growths taken during the early part of the year. It grows readily in

i weu-urmiieu, ioniiiy sou ana. require l light position in a tropical tempera ,ure to attain the best results. Durin unny weather the foliage should b yringed freely and established plant will benefit greatly from regular feed ng with liquid manure, particular! vhen the buds are developing. Afte lowering the plants should be reste KDmewhat, although the soil must neve je permitted to dry out completely, an n the spring the growths should I >runed hard back and the plants potte )r topdressed. From this time o increased supplies of water may 1 ?iven and syringing practised to encou ige the production of young growtl which will flower in the late summi and autumn. The flower measuri about eight inches across and has "tail" about twelve inches long. ] colour it is a creamy white, attractive' veined and blotched with deep purpl and becoming in the centre and throi a rich vinous purple.

TO COBXESPOHDENTS. F.T,. (Mount Albert) asks: (1) Re sweet oranges. Would you give me a mixture of bluestone and lime and bluestone and soda, proportions of eaeh? (2) The most suitable time to spray? (3) A suitable manure for the above? (4) Time to apply? (5) Amount for each tree, sav four years old?—(1) The best sprav mixture is : Bluestone 31b, lime 41b, water •>0 gallons. If soda is used instead of lune increase it 25 per cent; that is. use •>U> of washing soda in place of 41b lime. (2) At or shortly after blossoms fall, when the fruit is very small, and everY four weeks after if it is necessary. (3) Superphosphate three parts, sulphate of ammonia two parts, sulphate of potash one part. (4) August or September and November and December. (5) Use Soz at each application; more if necessary. FLOWER POT (Auckland) writes : How to make concrete flower pots? An account was given in the "Star" some weeks ago. but, sorry to say. I have lost the date of the paper?—lt was in issue of April 24. 1937. OATS (Otahuhu) asks: (1) Are the fo'low Jng spray mixtures equally effective in controlling the potato and tomato blight V Bordeaux, Burgundy, lime sulphur. (2) The strength of the above mixtures to be used on tomato plants at the following stages : One week after pricking out intii boxes; one week before planting into field; one week after planting to field? (3) What strength should be used on tomato plants grown under glass? (4| The method of pollinating cucumbers grown under glass?—(l) Burgundv mix ture is said to give best results with potato blight. Bordeaux and Bnrgundv mixture are both better than lime sulphur for controlling fungi disease the potato or tomato. (2) Sterilising tlie soil by means of formaldehyde or steam is more important in controlling disease in seedlings than the spraying. (3i Bordeaux 3-4-50. (4) The usual method to transfer the pollen to the pistillat" flowers by means of a small camel-hair brush, or a rabbit's tail is verv good for the purpose. HEDGE (Albany) asks: (1) What is the name of a quick-growing, pricklv hedse ?£? .». ? .S row for shelter for cows in this district? (2) Does a persimmon bear fruit every year, if it is health v. Mine has had no blossom or fruit this year, for the first time, although it look* all right?—(l) Seedless barberry or box thorn. (—) It should fruit every vear. unless the tree loses vigour from overcropping or some other cause.