GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 34, 3 November 1928, Page 32

GARDEN NOTES

(By i

“Kowhai.”

LIQUID MANURE. Ona of the most Important Items of garden equipment at present is the liquid manure barrel,, and those amateur gardeners who have not yet made preparation for the feeding of their plants should bestir themselves, for, many plants are now crying out for food. A simple way of preparing the manure is to put a small bucketful of cow manure into the barrel, and then to fill up with water.] Next, a good shovelfull of soottwo If obtainable—is then tied up in a piece of sugar bagging, after the style of a plum -pudding. ■ If a strong stick is placed across the top of the barrel the bag of soot may. be so tied to it that it hangs into the water In the barrel. The soot Itself should never be put into the water, for it is Insoluble and makes a very dirty mixture. The manure, when made, is ready for use in about a fortnight’s time, and when giving it to> the plants put some into a watering can and weaken it down with water until it is the colour of weak. tea. As the liquid in the barrel is used up, more water should be added, keeping the barrel always about three-parts full. One making of' manure of the above quantities lasts for a long time, so that it should not be a difficult matter for any-gardener to have some, even if it is only in a benzine tin. Some people are so delighted with the effect of liquid manure on their plants that they are .apt to overdo it. Remember that plants are like human beings. They require sufficient nourishment, but become ill through over-feeding. Plants, too, have not the power of refusing food when they feel ,that they have had enough. Roses can do with a dose of weak liquid manure once a week during the flowering season. A good routine is to wash the roses with the hose first. This settles aphis (greenfly), caterpillars, and dust, and at the same, time moistens the ground. -Immediately afterwards, liquid manure may be given." It is the safest to make it very weak, and then a good dose may be given. Remove the rose from the can, and pour the manure into the soil round the roots. Later, when the soil is dry enough, the rosebed may be forked over. If this is done regularly once a week, -tho bushes should be strong and healthy, and flowers plentiful. Always remove > faded blooms from the plants at once. . Liliums that are pushing up their-stems may have very weak liquid manure once a fortnight Such annuals as stocks, Iceland poppies, and nemesias may have manure Once a week as soon as the buds begin to form.' 'Carnations may have one dose as soon as the’buds are forming, and then no more until the first crop of flowers is over. Gerberas, doronlcums, aqullegias, pan-sies-and geums may have manure once a fortnight just now, and until their flowering is over. ■*-- /„ Delphiniums, perennial popples, thalic,trum dipterocarpum and campanula perSiclfolia..may. be given one good soaking of weak liquid manure just as the shoots are through, and-then.go more until the buds ate forming when they may have it once a week. • Hydrangeas may be given liquid manure once, a :week :as soon as their buds are formed. Antirrhinums are all the better for an occasional' dose, but should not have it very often. . ' These are some of the main plants that need liquid manure at present. Sweet peas .should not . have it until they begin to form their buds; then once a week. Care must be taken to give liquid manure. always very weak, as too much causes rank growth at the-expense of flowers. Also, as a rule, it Is not until flower buds are beginning to form that-it- is given. An important thing to remember Is that water should first be given, and for two

reasons. One Is that the plants then drink up a certain amount of water before absorbing the liquid manure. The second is that when the soil has first been moistened with water, the liquid manure sinks straight into the soil, and down to the roots of the plants, instead of spreading about, as it does on dry ground. A SLUG TRAP. The following plan for catching slugs has been handed to me. Tins of about the size of a two lb. jam tin are sunk into the soil until their tops are level with the ground. They are then filled with a strong solution of salt and water, and a thin layer of bran is sprinkled on top. The slugs are supposed to make for the bran, which they love, and to fall into the salt water. TOMATOES. There is scarcely a garden where a few tomato plants are not grown. Even where there is no regular vegetable plot, tomato plants may always find a place, for they are decorative at every stage of their growth. If you have a choice in the matter, choose short, hardy seedlings, because the plants do not like to have their roots burled too deep. The soil should not be too rich at first, or rank growth at the expense of fruit may result. It must, however, be deeply dug, friable, and well drained. Heavy soils should have sand, and charred rub- > bish added to them. If manure is used at all, it should be thoroughly decayed, and should be well mixed with the soil. When planting the seedlings always puddle them. in. By : that, I mean, make '•the hole for. the plant, place the seedling in position, and cover the roots firmly with a little soil, and then so pour water into the hole as to wash more soil on to the . roots. Afterwards, when the water has drained away, the hole may be filled right up, and the seedling made quite firm. This puddling in of seedlings is very important at this time of year, for it gives them a good start and prevents wilting. Regular overhead waterings may be given in the evening until the plants are well started, and the soil must not be allowed to cake about the plants. SPINACH. Spinach is such a delicious vegetable, and so valuable where there, are children that it should be grown all the year round. In summer; poached eggs on a bed of daintily cooked spinach make a light and nourishing meal. Just at present, spinach is in almost every vegetable garden, but a little later, when the weather 'gets rather hot (or the successful culture of greens, many gardeners find it difficult to grow spinach. This difficulty may often be overcome by growing the spinach in .shallow trenches, and by planting a row of sweet corn to shade the trenches. Spfnach must have rich soil. If.lt has not been well-manured in the winter, decayed rubbish, and rubbish fire ashes should be dug into the trenches. By growing the spinach .in trenches one may be sure that all the water and liquid manure given is used by the plants, and not spread about on the ground. VEGETABLE MARROWS. The old way of growing vegetable marrows on prepared mounds is not very successful in our dry hot climate. In fact, we can scarcely, make conditions cool enough for the roots, A good idea is to plant rows of sweet corn or artichokes fairly wide apart, and to grow the marrows between the rows. Holes may be dug out and filled in with good, rich, humusy soil for the marrow plants. I think that'marrow plants are much like clematis plants. They like to have their feet in cool shade, and their vines to run up into sun. One of my best crops was grown where sods and garden rubbish had been piled about a foot high along a post and wire fence A little good soil was placed on top, and the seeds sown. A row of corn was planted all along at the foot of the sods,

and as the corn plants grew they shaded the roots of the marrows and kept out draughts. The marrow vines grew all through the corn, and up into the fence, completely covering it, and- the marrows hung from the fence and were a splendid lot. THINNING OUT. The thinning out of vegetable crops should not be left too long. Carrots and parsnips are soon spilt in shape if they are left. With carrots and parsnips, the thinning should be done wnile the ground is - moist, for then they pull out easily, and without very much disturbing the ones' that are left. Water the rows as soous as the thinning is, over. Cabbages, lettuces, spinach,' parsley,, carrots, parsnips, beet, turnips, and sweet corn must .all be thinned out and given suflicle,nb room to grow. Lettuces and greens may be hurried., along with nitrate of soda—joz. in onegallon of water. Carrots, etc., may have a little super- ' phosphate sprinkled along their rows as they grow. This will be hoed in, and ( dissolved by rain or watering. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Aiap.e Leaf.—t-O -uituuoaeuuruiis that" have oecome very scraggy may pe cut hard uaex. muerwuius sp.euu a murnn or cuw ; manure I’uuiiu. idem, and give a gooiL watering; w; Itnuuudeuniouo are piopagateu oy layers, eutrxngs, and.-seeus;. W) xne oiu comen,a trees >vui stand catting oaea; ,’X’ne Japanese mapres Will stand moving, no it either jusc.'flexure Wimer or jus. after.. Give tne loots' a good paddling in wuen you uo it.