HAVE YOU A PROBLEM?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 11 February 1939, Page 14 (Supplement)

HAVE YOU A PROBLEM?

F.B. (Takapuna) asks: < (1) Would you please let me know when gerbera can be replanted f (2) The leaves of a large number of vegetable plants are a pale green to yellow. This has been getting worse during the last year. Could you tell me how to correct thisf (1) The best time to move gerbera is about September, but they' can be moved almost at any time during summer provided you can give them water. (2) Due to lack of nitrogen and in a measure to dry weather. Applications of liquid manure or clear water and manure would soon alter it.

A. T. ROSE (Point Chevalier) asks: Could you inform me what is the trouble and remedy for the brown spots on the apple and plum leaves I am forwarding: f The ..trees are three years old and are fruiting this season for the first time, and although they were covered with leaf in spring the foliage is dying off fast, although the fruit is not affected. I have sprayed with arsenate of lead, but the leaves are still dropping off. Due to a fungoid disease known as spot, or circular spot. There is not much known about it and it is not considered a serious disease. Spraying with lime-sulphur I—l2o should control it.

ST. JOSEPH asks :—Your article on lilium longiflorum. lias resurrected an old argument. Would you please settle it for us through your correspondence column. There are two lilies sometimes called Christmas lilies. One is short, about 2 feet high, with large, pure white trumpets, often seen in shops, and seems to be considerably more common than the other in gardens. The other grows from a rosette of leaves which persist most of the year, only dying down immediately after flowering but soon reappearing. It grows 4 or 5 feet high, and has larger heads of small flowers with shorter trumpet. A. says the first it the Christmas lily or lilium longiflorum, and the second is lilium candidum, the St. Joseph or Madonna lily.

The first is correct, linum longiflorum, growing 24 to 36 inches high, with large, long, white tubular or funnel shaped flowers, and blooming about November and December and known as Christmas, Easter. Bermuda and St. Joseph's lily. The seeond variety is lilinro candldum; It flowers much earlier, usually about October, Is three to f<mr feet high, and has a head of a dozen or more white flower*. The flowers have abort" trumpet* and the petals are reflexed.

H.B. (ift. Albert) asks:—Would you please inform me what is the best time to prune roses, climbers and otherst Where to cut shoots Jor planting as cuttings, and how long they should bet

Prune the majority of roses In July. Ramblers should have the old flowering shoots cut away as soon as flowers are over in January, and the young basal shoots tied in place for next year's flowering. Shoots for cuttings can be taken from recently flowered growths. Make them about six to nine inches long. Plant in sandy soil in a shady position and deep enough so that only one or two buds are above the soil.

KOOLER asks: —Would you please assist me regarding the following queries re gardening t (1) I have noticed just recently a slight brown spot on the fruit of my outside grape vine. Could I adopt any measure to prevent any trouble developing. (2) Last year, about this time, I saw a nice crop of passion fruit wither just before tipcn ing. The vine was infected with a little brown moth which I was told ioas the cause of the withering. How could this be preventedt (3) I have a three year-old Oravenslein apple tree which haa grown quite well and healthy but never produced a blossom. The past two seasons I have bent down all the current year's growth within three or four leaves of the winter pruning. Could 1 do anything to encourage development of fruit. (4) 1 have a nice crop of onions nearly full grown, but the blight prevented them from developing fully. What puzzled me was that a crop of potato unions six yards aicay, also a nice patch of red shallots alongside them, were not affected with blight. The only difference 1 could see was the potato onions and shallot* grew in a slightly cooler position and not so much sun, but both were affected icith blight last year in a different part of the garden. Do you think the position of my ordinary onions wag too enclosed t (1) It might b£ due to several causes, but dust with flowers of sulphur. This can do no harm, but will Keep any fungus in check. (2) Difficult to control, but spraying with Dicotine sulphate solution is the best method. (3) Three years is not a great age for a fruit tree. You are rather impatient. Give It another year or so to redeem its character. (4) No, the position had nothing to do with the difference in the crops. The Brown Spanish onion is particularly liabie to rust, while potato onions and khalloU are more resistant, i