FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL GERMINATION OF SEEDS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27989, 8 June 1956, Page 8

FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL GERMINATION OF SEEDS

GARDEN NOTE.

[Specially Written tor 'The Press”] [By T. D LENNIE. A.H N.Z.]

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1956 Fixed principals govern the germination of all seeds, and it is as well to know the simple facts. It is a common experience to meet disappointment over the germination, and wrongly blame poor seed when the seed is not at fault. The perfect seed contains a young living plant, and will immediately respond when nature’s conditions are present, for then the wonderful protoplasm comes to life and the seed germinates. At least three conditions must be present to bring this about, for without them the seed either dries up or rots away. These conditions are a temperature • exceeding 40 degrees, presence of moisture, and availability of oxygen. A wet, sticky soil means a cold temperature and absence of oxygen, and this will make it clear that winter sowing is not wise. As a matter of fact, the temperature of the soil must exceed the 40 degrees for most seeds, and that is why much better results follow sowing under glass. It will thus be seen that it is not always right to blame the seed for poor germination. FLOWER GARDEN No time should be lost now in planting flowering bulbs, especially anemones, ranunculus, narcissus, hyacinths, tulips, and iris. Hybrid Watsonias are fine summerflowering bulbs, in habit similar to gladiolus, with tall spikes in white pink, purple, and scarlet. Nerines (spired lily), belladonnas, and the tall white Galtonia or Cape hyacinth, are also good garden subjects for present planting. Bearded iris can be subdivided where the clumps are two big. Most people will now have, visions of planting, and undue haste in the work is not advisable, for much care should be given, not only to the selection but to the positions to be filled.

In most cases, the owner’s views require little modification and expert advice is always accepted without much question. One of the most important points to be considered is that of ultimate height in relation to room available and aspect, for it is folly to plant a tall-growing shrub or tree where there is only room for a dwarf grower. The question of street alignment trees is not difficult, for there the position calls for subjects of sufficient height to display their beauty over the fence and from a wide street angle. Here the flowering fruits are unexcelled, peach, cherry, apple, prunus, and a P ric °t_- These make a gorgeous . ect ln September and October and ri Reserve their place of honour. Other good things for variety’s sake include the popular forsythia—known as the golden bell flower—the laburnum, kowhai, rowan, silver birch, and New Zealand ribbonwood, .these are mostly deciduous, of course, and the addition of arbutus, viburnum, japonica, or an ornamental cypress would be fitting. Another aspect of the season is the desire to replace an obsolete shrub with one more up to date, and with the improvement in newer things now available, the change-over can be made with good effect. In many suc h a move is long overdue. Where evergreen shrubs are favoured, the camellia and the rhododen-

dron will be first choice. The Japanese Susanqua type of the former flower very early with a profusion of small flowers in lovely shades of pink and red and are very decorative. Modern rhododendrons offer a wide choice of bright colours, and room for one or two should certainly be found. When planting, do not be content with just digging a hole, ana covering the roots. Make the hole wide and deep, and mix in farm manure or compost around the roots. It will be opportune also to renovate garden paths and rock edgings, for this work can be done when the ground is too wet for judicious use. Edging plants should be trimmed, for they should be subordinated to the rocks, which really line the paths, with the plants to relieve the outline and fill in the gaps. Chrysanthemums are passing their best and when that stage has been reached the removal of the finished stems can be done. These stems should be cut off just above ground, leaving the way clear for the basal shoots to develop. There is a tendency to allow rubbish to collect and this should be avoided for accumulations of the sort breed garden pests and are just the places where slugs come from in spring. Heaps of this nature should be burned or dug in for compost with the free use of lime.

These garden heaps cannot always be avoided but once the installation of compost bins is tried, there will be no going back to the older untidy method of disposal. The four sides of empty packing cases will serve for several years and permit of efficient compost making by the building of straight-sided heaps. Compost calls for the addition of activators and worm breeding through the addition of animal or poultry manures in layers throughout the filling. The more quickly the box can be filled, the greater will be the heat produced, and this is important in destroying weed seeds and blights. Up to 180 degrees will be generated in a box filled within two weeks, and it is worth while achieving this desirable result. SWEET-SCENTED DAPHNE In many gardens it will be found that sweet-scented daphne develops a scraggy habit, with yellowing foliage, and fails to flower properly. In most cases, this results from wrong planting in too dry a summer position, and in too poor a soil. Really the daphne is a bush plant, hating lime. It is often thought to need heat and dry conditions, and many people plant it close to house foundations. Such plants can be found to develop the yellowing condition. In addition, the daphne is subject to red scale on the older, wood. This is controlled by spraying with one of the recognised insect controls. These little red scales are found clamped on the base of the older branches.

The variety odora rubra is sometimes affected with a virus leaf disease, to which the newer Daphne leaucantheum is not subject. There is also a very sweet-scented bushy species called Burkwbodi, well worth growing for its dwarf, upright evergreen foliage. It bears small clusters of purple flowers.