Gardeners’ queries

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32459, 20 November 1970, Page 7

Gardeners’ queries

My 34-year-old asparagus bed fell away in production this season. Could you please inform me of any way I could improve the bed for the future?— “S” (Christchurch). No crop will last for ever and you have had an extremely good run from your asparagus. A useful life expectancy of about 20 years is considered good. You could attempt to give the bed a further trial by giving an adequate dressing of fertiliser containing urea, superphosphate and muriate of potash in the rate weight ratio (ounces) of 1:1:1 per square yard after cutting ceases and again. in early spring. This could be supplemented by poultry manure. But it is really time to put in a fresh planting. Can you give me any directions for the pruning of Chinese gooseberries? The Agriculture Department used to have a booklet on this but it is out of print My vines have borne fruits this last season but have climbed over every tree around.—“ Constant Reader” (Geraldine). The bulletin which you are after is No. 349 "Chinese Gooseberries, their Cuture and Use.” There is also a very up-to-date publication produced by the Horticulture Division, “The Home Orchard” (Bulletin 310) which can be thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in fruit growing including Chinese gooseberries. Both publications would probably be obtainable direct from the publishers, P.O. Box 32, Auckland. In pruning these very rampant growers it . is essential to remember that they fruit only on current season’s growth predominently on the first three to five buds. The most simple method of pruning is the renewal system which, although perhaps not as productive as, say, spur pruning, is ideally suited to vines which are being grown on fences. The objective is

more or less complete replacement of as many of the old canes as possible. During the summer, about January, reasonable shortening of fruiting shoots is worthwhile and, if there is an excess of new canes some can be cut right out. Enclosed sample of some of my cabbage seedlings, which I sowed a few weeks ago. Some appear to have

no centres, others in the same row are quite O.K. Is there a problem and if so, what to do?—“Mugsle” (Christchurch).

The seedlings without centres have developed minus terminal bud, a genetical fault which cannot be remedied. Seedlings of this nature should be discarded because they will never heart up. Reading an oldish book I came across references to Burgundy mixture and flowers of sulphur. Could you please explain what these preparations are and whether they have any relevance in modem day gardening?—P.S. (Timaru).

Burgundy mixture was an alternative to Bordeaux mixture. It is made by adding copper sulphate to sodium carbonate (washing soda). Its main attribute is that it is easier to prepare and handle than Bordeaux mixture, against which it must be stated that it was recommended as a spray to apply only at bud movement as plant injury is thereafter most likely. Flowers of sulphur is pure sulphur which has been precipitated in a fine powder for dusting on plants to protect them from fungus diseases particularly powdery mildew. It is also useful to acidify soil or to correct a sulphur deficiency. When boiled with

lime it forms the now comparatively more widely used preparation of lime sulphur. Neither flowers of sulphur nor Burgundy mixture are of any significance in disease control today as there are so many superior substitutes.