PRACTICAL GARDENING

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 147, 17 March 1933, Page 3

PRACTICAL GARDENING

Helpful Hints for Amateur Growers

By

“The Hoe"

(COPYRIGHT.)

Timely Topics The present is a good time to take cuttings of hydrangeas. • • • Those roses which arc of weak growth should not be propagated by cuttings, but by budding. Pansies and violas which have been blooming a long while will need assistance with a good fertiliser. Seeds of blue or white lobelia can be had for sowing any time now. Lobelias should do nicely in rockery pockets and on banks' where slabs of stone hold back soil enough to give such useful plants a foothold. It is a mistake to allow outdoor tomatoes to go on producing flower trusses which will be too late to develop into fruit. Remove the tops, also any leaves which are obstructing the sun, but do not strip the plants of their foliage. » » * Gather the seed pods of any liliums flowered at home. Every seed should be saved for sowing in the early spring. It is a shame to waste lilium seed, and all the more so because of the ease with which young plants can be brought up to the flowering stage: To Ripen Green Tomatoes A good way of ripening outdoor tomatoes which are picked green because the sun will not ripen them is to place them in the dark, either in boxes with lids or covered vegetable dishes. Make sure that they do not touch one another. Turn them after a day or so and in a few days it will be found that they are quite ripe and with a flavour equal to those ripened out of doors.,

Banks of Wallflowers A bank covered with dwarf golden wallflowers was an annual feature in. a garden I once knew, writes a correspondent in an exchange. The effect was remarkable, as seen from a distant roadway, and I remember how passers-by surmised that the flowers were daffodils. The wallflower is well suited for clothing banks, because it can thrive where soil is dry and hard. The Tom Thumb form of Blood Red would make a line show. Replanting Violas Some gardeners have the idea that when a clump of violas has flowered well ,it cannot be relied upon to give another good display and should therefore be discarded. Left as a big clump, it might not do so well, but pulled to pieces it will provide material for making many new and fine-flowering plants. When the plants have been lifted you can divide them and replant iu the same place, or, if you are not wanting violas in that particular spot next year, you >can prepare a strip of soil for them as a spare border. In either case, dig over the soil and add to it a few spadefuls of leaf-mould and sand to ensure good drainage during the wet months of winter. Get these well mixed up with the soil and preparations are then complete. Choosing the best of' the plants, pull each apart in several pieces with your fingers. Each piece must have a little tuft of roots attached to it. A leafy stem without roots, or roots without a growh or two rising from them, will be unsatisfactory. Make a small hole for each piece with a trowel, a few inches apart all over the lied. Insert the piece and fill in the soil around it so that it is quite firm. Not only will these new plants flower well next year, but they will also flowef earlier than undivided clumps.

Control of Eelworm Numerous correspondents have re- j quested information regarding the | treatment for eelworm in narcissi j bulbs. Unfortunately, the effective treatment of bulbs and soil infested with this pest is laborious and difficult indeed. The eelworm is a microscopic insect that cannot be seen by the naked eve. The insect enters the base of the foliage and works its way down to the base of the bulb and gradually extends its operations until the whole bulb has rotted. The first indication that the eelworm is present is the forming of a dark round ring, sometimes near the base of the bulb, sometimes near its neck. , ■ Many years have been spent in an effort to eradicate the eelworm, but when it is realised that once it gains a footing, it will remain in unplanted ground for as long as three years, the difficulties will be appreciated. The principal method of killing the pest is by what is known as the hot water treatment. The bulbs are placed in a bath of water, heated to a temperature of 112 degrees Fahrenheit, and kept at that temperature for as long as three hours. The bulbs must be dormant, otherwise they will be injured. The treatment is certainly not easily applied, and most amateurs would be well advised to destroy infected bulbs. Should diseased bulbs already be growing, it must be remembered that narcissi or onions must not on any account be planted in the infected ground for a period of three years. In America there are several chemi- > cal preparations on the market which * are claimed to eradicate eelworm, but these are not generally available in New Zealand. There is one preparation, the basis of which appears to be formalin, with which “The Hoe” has had a measure of success, and with which he is carrying on further experiments. It is also understood that, the Department of Agriculture has used this preparation for certain diseases. When its effect is definitely determined, it will be made known to our readers.

Self-sown Seedlings Many of our flowering plants propagate themselves by self-sown seeds. Seeds of such plants as forget-me-not, foxglove, valerian, evening primrose, alyssum, and many of the annuals and biennials, germinate readily when cast on to the soil from the seed pods which are allowed to remain on the parent plant. To save the resultant seedlings is economical and practical, for, it properly tended, these will grow into sturdier plants, than tlwse sown from seed in the orthodox manner. It is not difficult to understand why. Nature’s cycle has operated, ami over this it would be presumptuous to suggest that man could score.-1 have seen, for example, self-sown cornflowers develop into large bushes which made the plants from the following spring sowing look mediocre. When large enough to handle, the seedlings should be lifted when the ground is moist, or after a preliminary watering, each with a good ball of soil, and replanted. Planting should be firm, aud followed by a good soaking. Frequent hoeing will assist healthy growth ami prevent weeds choking the ybung plants. Old Antirrhinums Now that antirrhinums have given of their best, the question arises: Are they worth saving for another season. The answer is yes, if you can make use of them in the border or odd corners. But as they are a bit straggly in their second year and cease flowering earlier than young plants, they are not desirable for beds. If you decide that the plants will be of use next season, you must lift them now —the places they occupy in the beds are wanted, of course, for spring flowers—cut them back half way and- replant them about Sin. apart in a spare patch where the soil keeps fairly dry. There they should remain until next September, when you can -move them once again to where you want them. Should vour soil be wet in winter it is doubtful if they would survive in it. The thing to do in this case is to plant them in boxes of light soil unitl September.

Tulips in Pots To plant tulips in pots, it is important to remember that mould spreads from dirty pots and sours the soil. Therefore see that they are clean. Then drain the pots by placing one large crock over the hole and a layer of smaller ones round. Cover an inch thick with compost riddlings, to prevent fine soil from running down and choking the drainage. Plant four large bulbs in a Sin. pot, or five small ones. For compost, use a riddled mixture of loam, 3 parts; leaf-mould, well-rotted manure, and sand, 1 part each. When potting, heap as much soil as possible in each pot, and sprinkle sand on the surface. Set the bulbs at equaldistances apart and press each in until the crown or top is level with the pot riin.' Now firm the soil around the bulbs. If necessary, add sufficient to fill to within one-third inch of the rim. Tap the pot on the bench to level the soil and give a thorough watering. After allowing time for drainage, place the pots closely together in a sheltered spot outdoors, in a bed of sand or riddled ashes, burying the pot rims 41n. deep. CORRESPONDENCE Delpliinium Mildew (“E.8.5.,” Masterton) can be prevented by keeping the plants lightly covered with sulphur dust, or by spraying with lime-sulphur, 1 in 50. Geranium Diseases ( Amateur, There are five geranium diseases bacterial leaf spit, Botrytis blight, and Cercosnora leaf spot are three that require the same treatment. When the first i present, brown spots appear on the leaves and finally 'the tissue between the spots turns yellow, then brown, and Botrytis blight usually attacks the flowers first. They fade and dry, andl if he humiditv is high, a grey mould develops. Then the leaves become infected. Cereospora leaf spots are small, light brown, or■ pale' brl«kred in colour. The foregoing peases can be controlled by spraying with Bordeaux mixture. Hand diseased flowers and leaves, and destroy them by burning Blackleg is a disease that affects cuttings and young plants. It is characterised y a blackening, shrivelling, and rotting of the stem The rot starts at the base or tne stem' Diseased portions must be destroyed, fresh cuttings or plants bein ® in frosh* sand and soil. If the same location is used periodically for raising plants, the soil should be sterilised. Dropsv, another geranium troub.e, is evidenced by the appearance of water-soaked snots on the leaves, which later become brown and corky. Affected plants become unsightly, and cease growing, lhe remedy is to give the plants plenty of space ana li-ht and to restrict watering. Diseased plant’s usually recover when given good jrrowing conditions. * Trouble with Lobelia (“Early Victorian, Marlborough).—Lobelias growing in greenhouses are subject to a disease known as rhizoctonia. The lower leaves turn yellow and rot. and finally the .plants wilt and die. A cobweb-like growth can be seen on the rotting leaves. After the top has been killed new shoots may develop from the crown. Give the plants plenty of space and air, and plant in steridised soil.. , „ Eelworm ("M.S.T.. Waverley), Anxious, Taihape). (“A.R.C..” Masterton).—The question is dealt with in to-day’s notes Diseased Ice Plant ( D • leave you sent appear to bo an unusual disease. They have therefme been referred to the Plant Research Station for examination, 'On receipt of a replj you will be advised. ~

THE WEEK’S WORK The Flower Garden Continue plantings of all springflowering bulbs. Watch chrysanthemum plants and spray for pests. Reduce the number of flowering buds and pinch out laterThis is probably the best time of the year to take cuttings of flowering shrubs. . , . Sow seeds of mignonette, perennial lupins. Canterbury bells, delphiniums, stock, Virginian stock and Iceland poppies. . Topdress lawns where necessary. The Vegetable Patch Prepare the ground for young winter vegetables. Cabbage and cauliflower can now be planted out. If your summer crops were affected by wire worm, sow white mustard as a quick green crop to turn under. These pests <iate mustard. A sowing Of lettuce may now be made in a well-prepared pot, but remember that moisture is essential.