GARDENERS’ QUERIES

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32321, 12 June 1970, Page 4

GARDENERS’ QUERIES

In gardening books and talks on gardening, leaf mould seems to he referred to as something apart from ordinary mixed compost but in neither books nor talks is there reference as to how leaf mould should he prepared. My experience Is that leaves take much longer to break down than other garden refuse. Therefore is it a good or bad practice to mix leaves with the ordinary garden refuse or should they be treated separately and if so, how? —F.A. (Ch/C’h).

It is true that leaves take a considerable time to rot down before they can be termed leaf mould: in fact it may take about 12 months. Used alone, I2in layers should be formed over each of which should be sprinkled sulphate of ammonia. The complete heap should be covered with soil. Only thin layers should be formed if used in a compost heap with succulent matter in between. Irrespective of how composted, the leaves must be wet when stacked.

1 have room for three apple trees in my section. Could you please advise me of prolific fruiting hardy varieties as they will be the only apples we will have. We do not want Sturmer but one early dessert is required? “Cheviot Gardener." This is one of those questions which comes up every so often and always it is answered with trepidation. Most apples will crop well given proper attention. And all are hardy. It is almost impossible to single out particular varieties as all have their attributes and so much depends on personal taste, for instance whether a very sweet or an acid flavour is preferred. hard or soft fleshed, red, green or yellow skinned and so on. For early fruit why not choose between Worcester Pearmain and Irish peach; then what about Cox’s orange pippin, Spartan or Richared delicious; and for late varieties Golden delicious. Splendor, Granny Smith and Ballarat seedling are all excellent apple varieties. We have a weeping elm which has been grafted on to a different species of elm. The weeping elm has been strangled and is now dead. However, the stock is now sending suckers up over a considerable area which Is a nuisance to us and to our neighbours. We would like to kill the lot and would appreciate your advice on method

and suitable poison.—J.M. (Rakaia).

Stump swabbing, bark frilling or ringing and then spraying or painting the wood is the best method of eradication of elms or most other woody plants, using 2,4 D or 2,4,5 T preferably diluted with diesel oil. Suckers can be sprayed. Late winter is the best time to carry out this treatment although it has been tried successfully at other times of the year. It may be necessary to repeat the application. All sprays, not just these particular ones, should be kept out of the reach of children and they should not be allowed to run around during spray operations. Once absorbed these hormones are safe.

We have a problem with a fairly recently sown lawn. The seed came away well and a good growth of grass resulted. Then patches developed which seemed to make the grass disappear and moss and slime appeared to take over. There does not seem to be any regrowth of grass in these places while the moss. If that is what it is, is growing luxuriantly. Good seed was reputedly used and the lawn has had water and fertiliser on it. How can this matter be resolved and further spread prevented?—S.A. (C’h/Ch).

This occurrence has been noted several times this season and various factors could be considered in finding the reason(s)) for it. It is most uncommon to find this happening so soon particularly with regard to moss which would normally follow slime after quite an interval. Drainage is important and slime does not develop unless some surface water is pre-. sent. A shaded or low level 1 area sometimes takes considerably longer to dry out. Even though the area was [ presumably worked to an even depth it occasionally happens that some parts become more consolidated on top causing sealing and preventing penetration of moisture. A suggested remedy is to pierce the affected area with a fine-pronged fork, giving it a slight forward and lateral wrench and withdrawing it vertically. This should be repeated at 4in intervals. Condys crystals at one ounce to a gallon of water to 10 square yards could be applied for slime but this is only a (palliative if drainage from [the surface is poor. The crystals, if placed in a muslin bag, can be dissolved readily lif put in hot water.

I have a purple lilac about 7ft high which is at present covered in buds. 1 wish to prune it back a bit and wonder how and when. Aiso'l have enclosed a piece of a plant which came up in the garden about two years ago which doesn’t appear to be a weed. It is branching with 3ft stems.—Home Gardener (Ashburton).

As a general rule lilacs do not need pruning and if the purpose is to reduce growth or create a smaller subject the object defeats itself. Light pruning if desirable,) removing thin spindly twigs and intercrossing branches, should be done immediately after flowering and spent flower heads can be removed at the same time. These should be cut back to immediately above a pair of buds. Large overgrown specimens may be rejuvenated by really hard cutting back in the winter months. It normally takes three to four years before flowers can be expected after such treatment. Cut surfaces should be sealed without fail.

Herewith please find an apple (variety unknown). It has had reasonable attention over the 10-12-year period in which it has been in. Both last season and the season just concluded an occasional apple has gone bad on the tree. The whole crop has now been harvested and use of some (not all) has shown dark bruiselike defects when peeled. What is the cause, and what spray should be used in the future to avoid a repetition.—“ Apple Lover” (Christchurch). The apple is of the variety Ballarat seedling and the trouble afflicting it is what is called watery-core, glassiness or glassy core, a physiological upset, the exact cause of which is not known. Temperature variations and heavy applications of nitrogen are thought to be contributory causes. No amount of spray ing will counteract its presence. The fruit which went “bad” on the tree will have contracted a disease, brown rot being a possibility. Apple for identification S.S. (Rakaia) Reinette du Canada. Incidentally it would be advisable to give your trees a very thorough spraying with lime sulphur now and to follow this up in mid-win-ter with an equally good coverage of winter oil. The main reason for suggesting this is because of the exceptionally heavy mite infestation noticeable.