GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2752, 22 April 1916, Page 14

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kowhai."] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. . "Homeland," Clareville, writes: "I am anxious to plaut a lucerne hedge as 'a shelter for my garden, and should be very glad of advice as to. when and how to plant it. I know little about gardening, so I find 'Gardon Notes' very useful every week, especially as I have not long left England." Before ordering the tree 6 for your hedge the ground imiat be thoroughly prepared. If the hedge is to be along a fence the ground should be trenched for a distance of about three feet out from the fence. Beginning at one end of the fence, mark off a strip and lift the top soil, placing it in a barrow. Break up the subsoil to a depth of a foot and work into it some well-rotted manure. Now throw the top soil from the next strip on to this worked subsoil and proceed to break up and manure the next piece of subsoil. Continue till you come to the end of the fence, when the top soil in the barrow will cover up the last strip, of subsoil. When planting the young trees have them about 18 inches from the fenoe. Tell the nurseryman who is supplying tho trees the length of the hedge, .and he will send you the requisite number of tTees. Trim the trees back to all ong height. Get the ground ready and the trees in as soon as possible now. Supply water to the young trees if the weather is at all dry. ROSES.—PREPARING THE GROUND AND PLANTING. The ground where roses are to be planted should be prepared some time before planting takes place. Those who have a. heavy clay soil should proceed to orepare their ground in the following way: Remove the top soil, and thoroughly break up the. subsoil, mixing 'with it horse manure, ualf-dccaycd loaves, road grit, sand, and ashes from the rubbish fire. Too muoh grit cannot be-added, as it is such a splendid thing for keeping a heavy soil open. Remember that this is your only chance of attending to the subsoil, and do the .work thoroughly. The top soil can be improved from above ground at any time. Roses cannot thrive in a soil that keeps water lying round their Toots during winter; hence the importance of breaking up a clay subsoil and of making it porous. Roses that are made to endure the hardships of stagnant water about their roots become so chilled that they never recover from the shock, and the growth in summer is sadly lacking in vigour. There is nothing to be gained by making the subsoil too rich, because roses are shallow rooters, and goodness comes up, but always washes further down, and so away from the roots.. As long as the subsoil is in good heart and well drained, that is all that is necessary.

Ashes from the rubbish, fire and decayed leaves may always be mixed with the top soil, and, when brought in contact with the roots of roses, will encourage the growth of fibrous roots. Fresh manure should never be allowed to touch the roots, but,, at the time of planting a little borfedunt may, with advantage, be mixed with the soil that is to cover the roots. A light, sandy soil is, on the other hand, too porous,_ and steps must be taken to make it retain a certain amount of moisture. Remove the top soil and bury cow or pig manure H to 2 feet below the surface of the soil. If a little clay can be' mixed with the soil that is to cover the manure, so much the better. This will make a nice foundation for the roots of the roses, and the clods of manure underneath will prevent the water from draining away too rapidly. The treatment of the top soil is the same as for heavy soils.

I cannot impress upon amateurs too earnest)}- the 1 mportanco of thorough soil preparation before attempting to grow roses. Roses should be planted only wlion the soil is friable. Should the ground be very wet or sticky, planting should be deferred till it is drier. Some gardens'are always hopelessly wet during June and July, and the owners should make a point of planting early in May, or of postponing the planting till spring. Autumn planting has an advantage over Rpring-planting in that the bußhes will flower sooner. But if the soil is a cold wet one the planting should be done early, while there is still time for the roots to become established before the cold weather sets in. Those who have a well-drained soil may plant at almost any timo during the winter. . In planting roses make the holes wide enough to allow th<> roots to be evenlv snread out to their full length. So often the poor plants have their Toots thrust into a hole far too small for thepi. How can they search for and obtain food for the plant when they are so sadlv cramped? I Before planting the rose trees, have a good look at the roots to see if they will rest on a. fiat base. Sometimes is is necessary to make a little mound of surface soil in i the middle of. the holo for the base of the steni to rest on, and the roots will go down the sides of the mound and out on to tho bottom of the holo lha size of the mound will depend upon the requirements of the roots. The next point to be observed is the condition of the soil that is to surround the roots of the rose bushes It is important that the B ? ~,?t ,k® very" fine, A layer should be placed over the roots, and pressed firmly onto them. Then another, luyer should bo added, and pressed firmly down, and so on till the hole is filled. The depth of 'planting can .be regulated by_ the junction of the stock and the rose proper. This should be, when planted, about, two inches below tho surface of the soil. The rose itself has a chance to make roots then, and may even in time become independent of the stock. In grafted roses this junction is the most vulnerable part of the plant, and, if exposed, a heavy frost may do untold damage to the plant.

WINTER-FLOWERING SHRUBS. Winter-flowering 'shrubs should be planted as early as they can be obtained from the nurserymen. _ Get your orders in without delay, and in the meantime prepare the ground' for their reception by trenching it, and adding to it anything that is specially appreciated by the shrubs that are to live in it. i CAMELLIAS. Camellias are already beginning, to flower, and will continue to bear flowers till the end of the winter. They naturally prefer a slightly shady position. Tho soil should be deeply dug, and a topdressing of well-rolled manure given after tho plants are put in, DAPHNE. The flower buds on tho daphne bushes are already showing colour. Daphnes like a cool, moist root-run, and a position shaded from the midday sun. The soil should he a mixture or loam, leaf-soil, peat-soil, and sand in equal partß. The ground should be trenched, and the subsoil thoroughly broken up. The loafeoil, peat-soil, and sßnd should be added tothe sub-soil as itell aa to the top-soil. PYRUS JAPONIC!. This will thrive in any well-worked soil, arid may be grown as a bush or as a climber. The scarlet japonica brightens up tho garden wonderfully during winter. (To be continued.) .RASPBERRIES. . -If the old canes of raspberries have not yet been cut out, the work should be done now without delay. Thin out the new canes to aeout half a dozen of the strongest. Clear away • all weeds, and mulch the ground all round the clumps with halfrotted manure, or decayed rubbish from a rubbish hole. Do not dig tho ground be. tween tho clumps of raspberries. > RHUBARB. Winter-hearing'rhubarb should have some well-rotted manure worked in among tiio crowns and all round the plants, Supply water and liquid manure as soon as growth commences freely. Keep the dead leaves cut off summer-bearing rhubarb. Leave the leaves to die naturally. VEGETABLES. CAIuiOTS AND BEET. . Carrots add beet that are matured may ho lifted ami stored in dry sand. Great care is necessary in lifting l>eot, because if tho skin become.? broken the beet will bleed. Cut (lie tops oil' the carrots, hut leave the tops oil tlie beet till it is required for use. PARSNIPS. Leave parsnips iu the ground till the end of July, unless the ground is wanted.

The flavour of parsnips is much improved after frost has been 022 the ground, ' TOMATOES. Drive ia a few tall stakes round tomato wishes, and on frosty nights throw pieces of Borim, or sugar bags cut open, over the plants. Have the stakes so that the covering will be about a foot above the plants. A Maori sent the following piece of unique composition, written in rather bold text hand, when asking for a seed catalogue from Messrs. H. 0. Gibbons and Co., Ltd., 180 Lambton Quay, Wellington "H. C. gipons N Co.. Ltd—Well Sair I wone sum your Cattle Lock will you please the sen mo wone think que very much.—(Sgd.) Rano TiMwha, Kawhia.-"

Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about roses, tulips, win-ter-flowering shrubs, and vegetables.