GARDEN NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25134, 15 March 1947, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

(Specially Written for “The Press.”) [By T. D. LENNIE. FJ.H M N.Z.)

THE FLOWER GARDEN Plant early-flowering lilies. This particularly refers to L. eroceum, candidum, and longiflorum. The first is the orange cottager’s lily, flowering in November. Candidum is the favourite Christmas or Madonna lily, and the third is the long white funnel-shaped St. Joseph’s lily. A cool situation is best for all three, and bulbs should be planted six inches deep. Spring-flowering bulbs can be planted, and when it is realised how grandly they respond in their season, it is no wonder that they are largely planted by home gardeners. , Clumps of polyanthus and auricula can be removed from the borders, broken apart, and planted temporarily in the back garden. In their place, lotv growing bulbs—freesias, anemones, sparaxias, ranunculi or crocus will capably fill the positions. Overcrowded narcissi or other bulbs will benefit by being lifted, replanting the best after digging in compost or old manure. In early districts, the popular cutting narcissi, Soleil d’Or, Grand Monarque, and double Romans can be planted outside, or boxed for flowering under glass. Dahlias are now justifying their position as the premier summer border-flower and are making a wonderful display. Help to prolong by removing spent blooms, tying up main laterals, and watering freelv in dry weather. Mildew and leaf spot on roses are rampant at present. Plants should be sprayed with Bordeaux or colloidal sulphur. These are serious rose diseases. Cuttings of geraniums, carnations, hydrangeas, fuchsias, gazanias. arctotis, and pentstemon can now be propagated.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Growing crops should be attended to by weeding and watering. Both attentions are very necessary. Examine celery for signs of aphis or rust on the leaves, and spray accordingly. Winter greens are developing well, ana with plenty of white butterflies about it is necessary to dust Derris over the leaves, especially in the centre. Spraying arsenate of lead is more economical where numbers have to be treated. Harvest ripened onions by lifting and leaving on the surface for some days. Later crops should have the tops bent over to hasten ripening.

Potatoes can be dug. Early cabbage and lettuce can be planted. Seeds to sow include:— Lettuce: All the Year Round or Neapolitan. , • _ Cabbage—Ellams Early, Wheeler s Imperial, Flower of Spring, or Jersey Wakefield. Onion.—Brown Spanish, Pukekohe, or These are all regarded as due for March sowing. Vacant patches should be filled by sowing a green crop for digging in with lime in the winter—lupins, barley, oats, or mustard are the best. Don't waste vegetable or house refuse. Put it on the compost heap with the addition of some manure, and a soil covering. THE FRUIT GARDEN Gather apple and pear crops as they mature. At the moment, this refers only to early sorts. Later sorts will benefit by being left until they begin to fall or birds start on them. A light pruning of peach and nectarine trees can be done when the fruit has been picked. Evidence of the damage done by grubs 1 on the foliage of pear and prunus trees by the black slug is now apparent. This would have been prevented had animate been sprayed on in January. Brown spotted leaves on strawberry indicate a disease peculiar to this fruit. If the disease is bad pick or mow off the foliage, spraying lime sulphur over the crowns. Old black currant and gooseberry bushes should have a pruning, to remove old limbs or growths too close together. HYDRANGEAS I know- of no garden shrub to rival the hydrangea in length of flowering, and this is one important reason for its

popularity. It is easy to grow, with distractions by way of disease, and has a great decorative value both on and off the plant. With many people, pruning is a very uncertain process, though this bears a close relationship to future display. Most established plants produce each season at the base of flowering shoots, plump buds in pairs, and these are destined tc develop flower heads the following year. In addition many healthy stems occur which are non-flowering. Pruning off flower stems back to the buds indicated will lay the foundation of. next season’s flowering. During the winter the cutting out of stems now flowering can readily be done, with a further thinning of surplus old growths. Usually a sort of hedge cutting of outside heads is made, without any reduction of the profuse basal parts. Really a modified form of rose pruning is called for, whereby a good deal of old wood is removed.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Reader, Rakaia.—“Enclosed are three separate cuttings from trees in our orchard. We are rather worried as to what has attacked them. All the trees are sprayed and in no way neglected. —No. 1: peach dieback of laterals, gumming at eyes, not thriving because of these diseases and consequent disability. Prune back all leading shoots to green leaf growths, and spray again with lime sulphur summer strength. • No. 2: plum shows shot-hole fungus rather badly; also leaves stuck together by roller grub. Spray lime sulphur as above, also arsenate of lead to control b Na 3: apple shows mildew and black spot Would say your November-Decem-ber spraying of L.S. or Bordeaux had been omitted, or the fungoid diseases mentioned must be met by more than one spray. The weak growths would indicate a hot, dry soil with insufficient watering during the summer. You will be able to prune all fairly hard In winter.