GARDENERS’ QUERIES

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33750, 24 January 1975, Page 15

GARDENERS’ QUERIES

Replying to your article concerning the temperatures and short day length about setting of fruit of pumpkins. I did not know that male flowers develop into fruit, as your article states, unless there has been a mistake where the sentence was placed. I am very interested if the statement is correct.—A.L. (Hari Hari).

A correction regarding the: above occurred in the paper in the following week. Due to a printing omission the impression: was given that male flowers de- 1

velop into fruit but this, ol course, is only true of female flowers subject to satisfactory cross pollination and fertilisation. I am enclosing leaves of my Jack Humm. I have had the tree for three years with great success, but lately it looks very like dying, the leaves are dry and shrivelled with what looks like burning on the edges. I would be obliged if you could tell me a remedy.— C.L. (Rangiora). Due to the complete de-

hydration of the leaf samples by the time they were received it has been impossible to make a diagnosis. Specimens should be placed in a polythene bag and consist of several fully representative samples which should not be folded up. It is suggested that in the meantime you apply a fungicide, such as captan or benlate. plus kelthane and repeat in about two to three weeks time. I have a climbing honey suckle which is covered with a small green insect. It also ; collects a lot of blow flies : and its leaves and flowers are : very sticky. I have sprayed with Jeyes Fluid but it seems ( to make no difference. Could you please advise?—K.H. | (Kaikoura). ' Your problem is very probably I caused by an infestation of aphids which are also exuding a so-called honey dew which in turn is attracting blow flies. Apply menazon either in the evening or early morning. It may be worth while to repeat the treatment In three to four weeks time. Could you please tell me how to get my cauliflowers to form large curds instead of "blowing up?" They do not seem to hold together and brown quickly, although it does appear that they could have been good specimens.— R.M. (Christchurch). Cauliflowers are amongst the most difficult of vegetables to grow well in the home garden, particularly consistently so. Adequate fertiliser, lime and correct varietal selection, together with moisture when needed, are essential, but on top of this adverse weather can greatly affect their development. For instance, they do not like extreme heat and curds are not so likely to form unless the plants are well tended. There is no remedy for a curd which tends to break up instead of forming a tight head and once they open up they should be cut and used as soon as possible. Recently in the process of reorganising the garden several bits broke away from a large clump of oriental poppies. Can these be utilised or are they useless; and what about the original plant?—S.B. (Christchurch).

Provided that the plants have been heeled in for the meantime thev could all be replanted. Oriental poppies can be grown from root cuttings utilising short lengths of about pencil thickness.