Gardeners’ queries

Press, 26 June 1987, Page 14

Gardeners’ queries

, Could you enlighten me as to the name of the enclosed climbing plant and whether the fruit is edible? — S.S.(Rangiora).

The climbing plant Is Stauntonla hexaphylla, a hardy, initially slow to establish but later strong growing, evergreen. The white flowers are slightly fragrant and the pinkish-mauve fruit is edible.

Could ybu please comment on the enclosed specimen of, Lion’s Tail: whether it is diseased, what spray to apply to keep it free from pests, and what fertilisers to give it? How should this lilant be pruned? The canna ily: should they be lifted annually; should they be pruned and how; should' old bulbs be discarded, and do canna lilies have a prefer-

ence for acid [soil? — P.R.(Chch). I

Leonotis leonurus is a South African plant. It is widely legarded as a perennial rather than a shrub. It will grow to two metres and even more, becoming a bit scruffy unless it ;is pruned hard back each year, preferably at the end of the winter. This plant is more commonly known as Lion’s Ear, and is not generally plagued by problems — a few spider mites were present on the leaves of this specimen for which tetradifon could be applied. Average soil is all that is required, a position in' full sun, and adequate moisture during the growing period. Canna lilies have rhizomes, not bulbs, from which they develop. They may be lifted annually, either in late autumn or winter if desired,

but it is more usual to leave them in site for several years. They can also be lifted and stored for replanting in the spring time, much the same as dahlias and is best done after frost has cut the foliage back. The old central portion of the plant should be discarded. A slightly acid medium is preferred for growing cannas and they are responsive to the application of a general fertiliser mixture.

We seem to be having a lot of trouble with rust in our garden. It is affecting gooseberry bushes, silver beet, and raspberries. Could you advise the best treatment for -the problem? — “CVC”(Chch). The best treatment for raspberries which persistently suffer from rust infection is to apply a very

thorough application of lime sulphur in late August and again before leaf fall in autumn. During the season, zineb should be applied as soon as signs of infection become noticeable, and this should be repeated within 10 to 14 days. Silver beet can also be treated with zineb. It is probable that the gooseberry bushes are suffering from some other ailment as rust is not a problem associated with them.

Gardeners’ Queries should be sent directly to Mr Mike Lusty, , 56 Wayside Avenue, Christchurch 5. Samples should be separately wrapped in a plastic bag with air holes. Provide representative, good-sized samples, and your name and address. A nom-de-plume can be used for publication.