Garden Notes Growing Without Soil

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 7 (Supplement)

Garden Notes Growing Without Soil

TTYDROPONICS—a somewhat LI frightening word—may not appear to have much connection with horticulture to those who have never met it before. But what it means is the art of horticultural cultivation without soil, or what is sometimes called tank, or liquid, culture. A T o doubt some of the extravagant and irresponsible statements that have been mode about this have done much to discredit it. But the proposals for intensifying home-produced food have caused many believers horticulture again to give expression to their views that much might be accomplished by its aid. Of course it is an old storv. Pincc the time of Pasteur scientific workers have regularly practised growing plants m liquid and in nutrient salts on a small scale to study the effect upon them of various chemicals. Large-scale practical demonstrations of this method of horticulture have been carried out in the United States of America. Many commercial growers at once started putting ii]) large installations, often causing themselves thereby grievous losses.

Experiments in England In England no large-scale commercial installation yet exists, but some quite promising small-scale experiments have been carried on. Other experimental work lias shown that it is possible to produce tomatoes in a much shorter period and with a. better fruit yield than that commonly made bv commercial horticulturists. Other crops ' than tomatoes, such as French beans, lettuce, radishes and carrots, and, in non-edible horticulture, a large variety of flowering plants have been shown to grow and flourish. Of course it is (in extremely scientific mutter to take care to see that the essential elements arc present in the right proportions in the chemicals provided for the plant food. One of the advantages of this type of culture is that soil pests arc eliminated and growth can be controlled by adjustments in the chemical solution used. Xo doubt in the future the possibilities of this departure will be fully exploited. However, the old-fashioned methods of soil cultivation will long be the mainstay of vegetable production. It is a step nearer the time when we shall carry our meals in tabloid form.

LACHENALIAS HAVE MANY VIRTUES. THE charming little early flowering Tachenalias do" not seem to be nearly so popular as they should be. They flower very early and have beautiful foliage of shining green, some varieties being marked with dark spots, j Tlic flowers arc bell-shaped and drooping, and are borne in spikes about nine inches high. They look very pretty planted as an edging to beds. As pet or basket plants they arc ideal. When planting in hanging baskets the bulbs i should be placed round the sides as well as on the top; they then come through the sides, and when in blooin look just like a ball of blooin. Place some moss round the sides of the basket to prevent the soil falling or washing out. They are not particular to soil, any good light , soil will suit them. The bulbs should be [placed an inch or so apart. Place the bulbs about half an inch below the surface. + + + + LATE-SOWN CARROTS AND TURNIPS Late sowings of carrots and turnips should be thinned before tlicy get too crowded and drawn. Short Horn and other varieties need not be tliinncd so severely as they can be pulled for use as soon as they are large enough. Turnips should be thinned to six inches apart, because tliey will make long leaves during the moist autumn months. The growth of both may he hastened by ii slight sprinkling of superphosphate of lime and nitrate of soda. Keep tlio ground stirred between the rows with a Dutch hoe. +++ + ' TWO GREENHOUSE PLANTS. OAINTPAULIA IONANTHA is a pretty though rather small plant suitable for the warm greenhouse, where its blue blossoms will appear continually through the winter months. Seed may be sown from now onwards, according to the time tlio plants are required to blossom, eight months being a fair period to allow. Another greenhouse subject that may be sown now and flowered in small pots is the Streptocarpus, or Cape primrose. In this case the resulting plants will be blooming before the summer is over. Both the above may ba treated like Gloxinias. <•>

This Lily Is Hard To Beat Liliuin candicrum can be lifted and replanted. There are few, if any, plants with white flowers that can excel this beautiful lily. Space should be found for it in every garden, especially where there is a demand for white flowers. There have been complaints that this variety will not do well, but there is eoine reason in most cases of partial failure, such as planting: the bulbs too deep, transplanting at the wrong time, or overmuch manure about the roots. When plaiftiijg the bulbs put them just deep enough to have an inch of soil above the bulb. Of course, drainage 'must bo taken into consideration. The plants will not give satisfactory results if planted in a position that is waterlogged some time after every rain. The best time to transplant is soon after the flowers fade, and before the old flower stem is entirely dead, because this plant never takes a season for rest. When the present flowering season is nearly over the new bulb will form and begin to send up the growth that is to give next season's flowers. + + + + [ RASPBERRIES AND > LOGANBERRIES AS soon as the fruit has been gathered the old canes should ' be cut away for the benefit of the j young ones, upon which next year's crop depends. The young ) canes can then be tied into their 3 places, whether grown upon poles or wires. Short suckers seldom produce any fruit and may be cut away. Tlio secret of getting good raspberry ' and loganberry canes is to give tile 3 voting trees tlio best attention, so tliat 2 they can grow strong. This means i plenty of air and light for the foliage. :> Four or five canes at the outside aro e enough for one pillar or post. When i, trained to wires there -should lie six o inches between every two canes, though t a littlo more would bo better. Some--11 times raspberries and loganberries are - grown upon double fences formed of [1 wires or laths of wood. Tlio fence should be a little wider at the top than e the bottom to give the flowering and fruiting shoots more room. <S>