Gardeners' Queries

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30193, 26 July 1963, Page 6

Gardeners' Queries

I recently moved into a new house. In the garden are some plants which resemble silver beet but they have red stems and there are also some that are yellow. My neighbours tell me that they are ornamental silver beet and they were ?:rown by my predecessor or use in floral arrangements. Could you tell me whether they are edible?— (Mrs) 8. E. W. (Chrlstchurcb). The plants, as you have been told, are ornamental varieties of silver beet and can be used in exactly the same way as the more normal kind is used. 1 enclose some specimens that are growing in my garden. Although 1 know they are viburnums I do not know which is which, and it would be appreciated if you would sort them out for me. —A. E. W. (Christchurch.) A. Vibunum tinus lucidum. B. V. fragans. C. V. burkwoodii. Across my lawn are a number of brownish patches. They were not there at the beginning of winter and seem to develop after frosty weather. Is the grass suffering from frost damage and if so why is it only in patches The patches fade away but return after frost. —“Curious.” I suspect that someone is walking across the grass before the frost has melted. The best policy on frosty mornings is to keep right off the lawns. For the last 3 years 1 have grown tomatoes along a concrete fence which faces north as this is the warmest spot in the garden. Is there

anything that 1 should apply to the ground if 1 continue to plant tomatoes in the same spot, or would it be better to give the S round a complete rest?— [. J. P. (Ashburton). Rotation is most important In successful vegetable growing. It is suggested that an alternative crop be grown at least every third year, even if it means growing your tomatoes in a less favourable part of the garden. After the final pick has been made of the tomatoes, collect and completely remove all traces of tomato plants. This will help to reduce the carryover, from one season to the next, of diseases. Sterilisation Is not really suited for outdoor use but if there are no other plants in the vicinity of the border you could try using formalin at a two per cent, concentration. The soil should be dug over before application and it should be watered on at the rate of five pints to one square foot. Cover the soil with wet sacks for four days. This will be most effective if you wait until the soil warms up. Do not plant until all trace of furies has gone; • forking over the soil will help to disperse the diseases. I very much admired the photograph of a cyclamen which appeared on the garden page recently. Could you tell me if the plant had been grown and flowered in a glasshouse as I find it difficult to believe that such a beautiful plant could produce so many flowers when growing in a house?—Miss M.A.B (Christchurch). The cyclamen was bought in April and remained the whole time in a room, ano was photographed in June.