PRACTICAL GARDENING

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 99, 20 January 1933, Page 3

PRACTICAL GARDENING

Helpful Hints for Amateur Growers

By

“The Hoe"

Lilies from Seed

Watch any liliums that are ripening their seed pods and save every seed that can be harvested. Liliums are as easily grown from seed as gladioli or dahlias. .Spring is the seed sowing time. Select a bed where the young plants can be allowed to remain until they grow up. Some of the stronger plants will flower in their second year. Growing liliums from seed is really a pleasurable business, anil may be a profitable one, too. Many amateurs have small patches available where desirable plants can be allowed to grow up.

National Flower Show

The National Flower Show to be held in the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday, January 26 and 27, is a unique occasion in the history of Wellington. There will be exhibits from all parts of New Zealand, and from present indications these should include blooms, etc., of outstanding merit. Everyone who is interested in any branch of horticulture should make an effort to attend. It is understood that there is not likely to be another show of the kind for at least four years iu Wellington.

Gathering Blooms for Show

Flowers and foliage for exhibition must be cut before they have reached their best aud, allowing time for transport, it is advisable to select blooms that will be in their prime just before mid-day on the first day of the show. It is necessary, therefore, to read instructions in the schedule as to the time when staging is to be finished. This is usually from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the morning of the opening day. For a local event that gives time to cut late in the previous evening, stand the cut specimens in water until daybreak, then pack and convey them to the show. For exhibitions farther afield it is necessary to cut two days beforehand, and it is all the more important to select quite young flowers.

♦ * ♦ Unusual Foxglove

Last week’s note concerning an unusual foxglove which flowered in a Wanganui garden recently, has aroused considerable interest, aud several correspondents are anxious to know if it conies true from seed. Inquiries are being made on that point. Miss E. Hackworth has some interesting observations to make. .She writes: “I thought you may be interested to know that curious variation grows in many gardens in England, never in the wild state, at least it. had not been recorded. The gardener declared it was a freak, and would ont grow like that from the seed (we had two iu our garden in Buckinghamshire) so we wrote to Carters, the big seed merchants, to inquire about it, and they said it was digitalis grandiflora, and that they could get us seeds, but they did not have any in stock, and it was difficult to secure anv. They never did send us any, so wc tried the ones Mini our garden. We had a beautiful foxglove next year, but. the cup-like flower at the top was not repeated. I should be very interested to know if your correspondent has any success with his seed.”

Propagating Hydrangeas

As soon as the colour fades from the hydrangea blooms cuttings can be taken for rooting anywhere in a half shady place. Spent heads arc of little use to anyone. While the flowers will hang together for months j et, it is as well not to lose the opportunity '.if rooting a batch of cuttings that will make flowering plants for next Christmas.

Cut away the soft tips an dthe faded blossoms, trimming the top of the cane just above a pair of leaf-stalks and the bottom of the cane just below two leaves. Place, the pieces a few inches apart in rows, using a light soil and keeping only a few inches a-bove the ground. One pair of eyes will do all the seeing necessary. The eyes are placed at the base of the leaf stalks. Don’t overcrowd the cuttings In the nursery bed. Even hydrangeas like a little elbow room.

Arrange a border of bricks or timber around the little home nursery and make a few frames to carry hessian for protecting tlie hydrangea colony from the open sunlight. Hydrangeas grow as readily from slips as paspalum plants.

If Sweetpeas are Backward

A number of readers have recently complained that their sweet peas tirevery backward. Many plants are blooming when only a foot high. This is not. due to faulty cultivation, but the absence of moisture round the roots. A long spell of dry, sunny weather with north aud north-east winds and almost an entire absence of dew retards progress. If watering becomes necessary this should be done systematically. Water the plants in the evening if possible. Give them a thorough soaking two or three times a week. Surface sprinklings are useless and do more harm than good. If a sunny day follows the surface soil may become "baked. Break this up with a hoe or fork. 'I he breaking up of the surface soil prevents undue loss of moisture ami encourages growth. A. good plan ft, conserve tiie moist lire round the base of the plant is to bairn up the soil a little. It is surprising, too, what a neat appearance the rows present after this is done. 'J lie shallow trench made can afterwards be used to pour in liquid manure or soot water. Remove all Howers as soon as they form. This gives the plant less burden to support and it can unvote more energy to growth. If plttiiis can be kept, going during :i period of drought they will soon grow away strongly when rain comes.

Irises in New Zealand

The experience of an iris enthusiast, determined to introduce new and attractive plants to New Zealand, is delightfully told in the latest year book of the Iris Society (England). Miss Jean Burgess, of Waikanae, whose work is well known to iris lovers, gives an interesting account of nine years of successes and disappointments in this field of flower development. The difficulty of acclimatising some species is fully explained. Miss Burgess has many new and charming varieties to her credit, as she is a skilful hybridiser. In discussing this phase of her work, Miss Burgess puts forward the suggestion that the crossing of old varieties in a new land may produce seedlings with something of a pioneer spirit in them. In the case of gladioli such has undoubtedly been the case, as many New Zea-land-raised seedlings have proved their worth when exhibited in England and America.

Growing Prize Blooms

Although preparation of the soil and selection of suitable varieties are important factors in the production of flowers of exhibition standard, the finishing of the blooms is a factor of vital importance. Each plant, aud flower must have adequate room for development, and thinning must be rigidly adopted. In the ease of annuals, such as clarkia, godetia, larkspur, sweet pear, marigold, and others, each plant should have at least a square foot of soil. Twice as much it the room can be spared. In the ci.se of perennials, ine thinning of shoots is all-important. Delphinium, phlox, and similar, strouggrowing perennials can be assisted to produce perfect spikes of bloom by cutting out the weakest stems, leaving three or four of the most vigorous shoots. The subsidiary spikes of bloom which are formed on plants ot delphinium, larkspur, and stock must be pinched out, as they deprive the main spike of a vast amount of nourishment and prevent them from obtaining their maximum size. Disbudding of carnations, asters, dahlias and zinnias must not be delayed. In each case remove the side buds ijj their early stages, leaving the terminals to develop to their full size and beauty. I’erfeet blooms, however, will not win a prize if the stems are crooked. Staking must therefore be done in good time. When shoots are blown over they commence immediately to grow upward at the tips and so form kinks in the stems which cannot be rectified. Insert the stakes whilst the plants are quite small and loop up the shoots as son as they make a few inches of growth. During dry weather keep the sell sufficiently moisC but not by a daily damping of the surface. The ideal method is to prick it over with a forir, then give sufficient water to penetrate to the lowest roots. Finally, cover the soil to the depth of nt Icust four inches with partially-decayed manure. This mulch will assist in keeping the soil moist and cool, and water, in the form of rain or thruogh the watering can or hose, will carry down, the plant food present in the manure into the soil, and so assist the plants to make vigorous growth. When mulching cannot be adopted, hoeing tlie surface will prevent soil moisture from escaping into the atmosphere. This is particularly necessary after heavy rain or the application of moisture iu any form, because the surface becomes consolidated into an impervious layer, through which air cannot enter to sweeten and oxygenate the soil. , . Although an adequate amount ot water must be given to the plants, it must be remembered that it is an easy matter to ruin the blooms by applying it too freely, especially to heavy soil. When soil is kept perpetually moist, air is driven out, resulting iu the decay or the roots, which must have oxygen tor their development. Sweet peas are particularly liable to suffer in this respect, and wholesale bud-dropping is the ultimate result. The feeding of plants to prepare them for exbibitioß requires keen judgment; it is easy to ruin them completely by too liberal applications. Over-fed plants produce thin, sappy folia“e. Sweet peas are liable to contract*"streak” disease, and most plants are easily killed by one strong overdose of chemical manure. if the soil is prepared properly, feeding is not generally necessary until the flower buds are showing. Then a Stimulant may be given to help them -o swell to their maximum size, but feeding must be discontinued as soon as the blooms show colour. All plants must be sprayed regularly with an insectiForward blooms can lie retarded a little by shading them with paper cones but these must be kept sufficiently far from the blooms to allow free circulation of air. Backward blooms can be hastened by cutting them and placing them in tepid water in a warm room or greenhouse.

CORRESPONDENCE

E.B.S. (Wellington): (1) Have round that totara is an excellent vood for garden stakes, particularly the encl which enters the ground is coated with tar or creosote. Red pine is more generally used, however, and lasts well if treated in the same way. (2) J lie inmate of Stewart Island approximates that of the South Island mainland tn Otago or Southland, except that there are seldom extremes of heat or cold. Frost is almost unknown, though the rainfall is fairly heavy. The climate is excellent tor vegetable growing, and the soil rich and black. Laud is not easily obtained. It must be understood that the greater portion of Stewart Island is scenic reserve. Privately-owned lam or Government leases are available in and about Half Moon Bay. and the town of Oban. An inquiry addressed to the secretary. county office. Half Moon Bay, would elicit information as to available laud and its price.

How to Root Rose Cuttings

February is one of the best months of the year for planting out rose slips. A patch of ground in which there is plenty of root fibre, such as would be left after weeds have been hoed off at about the surface, makes an ideal place for the rooting of rose cuttings. Slips put out during February can be rooted and ready for transfer into their flowering quarters by June. Most of the strong-growing varieties will do well enough on their own to please all but the pernickety people. Those which are not strong enough to stand up without the aid of a wild briar foster parent can be done without. There are many beautiful roses that are willing workers on their own roots. It is time that a move was made to supply roses free from the briar encumbrances, which spoil so many of the plants growing in the small amateur gardens where the eyes of those who own the roses are not trained to distinguish between the real rose foliage and that of the rogue rose.

Time and again I have been annoyed by the presence of the useless, small, pink-flowered climbing briar which so many, of my friends are harbouring around their homes, writes “Red Gum” in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” During the spring season I saw thousands of the misfits —which should have been chopped out and destroyed long ago. Growing roses on their own roots at home for use at home is one way of getting rid of the rubbish, which is not worth harbouring. Warm and not cold weather is the time for rooting rose cuttings.

Winter Flowering Sweet Peas

Many gardeners experience difficulty in raising early-flowering sweet peas, and I. too, must confess to a number of disappointments. Seed may be planted now, and the method adopted by a very successful Australian grower might well be followed here. Wherever the soil is rich and friable, or can be made so, and there is plenty of sunlight and warmth during the winter flowering season, the plants will come into bloom early and produce flowers of nice quality. Only on a northerly outlook is it worth while attempting to get good work , out of the early-flowering sweet peas, he says. Beds that are_ halfshaded during the cold weather areuseless for the work. The best position of all is an open place where the plant rows can be run north and south. There the vines will catch all the sunlight that operates. Protection from the south and west should be provided in- all cases where the peas are grown. Prepare the. land to be used by Jigging the whole area at least a spade deep. Sweet pea roots do not always dive deeply ; many of the feeders travel parallel with the surface. Where only a trench is dug, the lateral roots are not given a fair chance. If the position selected is a narrow one, however, little more than a trench can be prepared for the peas. Under such conditions that will be quite enough. , A 12-inch digging will do quite nicely. Fill in the lower half of the trench with any good old stable litter you can find. Add a sprinkling of superphosphate or some special sweet pea manure such as can be purchased at any of the seed stores. A lot of chemi* cal fertiliser is not desirable. Sweet pea plants are not gross feeders. They seem to be well satisfied with homely food, fair treatment, and plenty of water.. Rather err on the safe side than be too lavish with chemical preparations. Fowl or pigeon droppings are as good as anything else. Use whatever is at hand, and make the best of it. , . Sweeten the soil first by allowing it to stay in the rough for a week or so after being dug over. There is no great hurry for the seed < sowing. Firm the soil in which seed is to be sown. The voung plants do better under wellpacked conditions than when they are grown in a light, free medium. Scratch a line where the seeds' are to be sown and drop the seeds at an inch or two apart. Be prepared to lose a few seeds to be on the right side. Not every young plant will live long enough to do the work -you require of it. Half an inch of cover will be quite enough. Don’t be too free with water. Give the young plants a chance to come along in their own way. They will do that if the soil is kept moist and the weeds are not allowed to choke them.