PRACTICAL GARDENING

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 301, 15 September 1933, Page 2

PRACTICAL GARDENING

By

"The Hoe”

Timely Topics The orthodox method of raising new plants of named pansies is' by cuttings in late summer, but where this was not possible the old plants may now be increased by division. • ■ » •• Young seedlings usually make rapid strides. They must be transplanted before they are overcrowded. In an overcrowded site the plants become spindly, and flowering is premature and poor. ». * * Sow thinly is advice which sounds easy to follow, but it simply cannot lie carried out by the most practised hand if small seed is sbwri directly from the seed packet. The best way is to take a half-sheet of notepaper, fold it firmly at the middle, and put the seed in the crease. Most seeds show up clearly on a white background and by gently shaking the paper you can distribute them evenly. When planting clematis , remember that the base of the stem must be shaded from direct sunshine, because that is the point where the young plants collapse. The best way to do this -is to plant some bushy, evergreen dwarf shrub in front of the clematis. A successful grower of gerberas tells me that these beautiful daisies thrive in a’peaty soil. I’ve not tried it, but I’ll experiment with most things that will help this splendid subject to give good results. Slug-proof Fence Here is a little garden tip that will appeal to many amateurs who have difficulty in keeping slugs from eating off tender seedlings. Cut ordinary fly screen wire (door screen) in strips two inches wide and as long as necessary. Then pull out of one side three or four wires the full Note ike picket fence’

length of the strip, which then makes a miniature picket fence that no slug will drag his slimy carcase over. If seeds are in boxes, simply tack tfio picket fence around the top edge, tight enough to prevent slugs from crawling between box and wire. If seed is sown in a pan or pot, simply press strips down around Inside edge of the pot. Flowers for Summer WHAT TO DO NOW. Preparation must also be pushed ahead now for summer flowers and for hardy perennial flowers by the sowing of seed. Marigolds, Globe amaranth, carnations, ben-week stock, clarkla, sunflowers, nigella (love-in-a--mist), Virginian stock, blue butterfly delphinium, perennial lupins, and Oriental poppies, are among some or the hardy seeds for present sowing. The nigella and Virginian; stock may be broadcast in the flower border. where the plants are to grow. The obher seeds should be sown in seedbeds out in the open garden and not against a fence of wall. The perennial lupins are very close herbaceous plants. Seed may be sown either where the plants are to flower (if the soil has first been enriched), or in the seedbeds and later transplanted. The seed germinate quickly and will show through the ground In about six days. Young plants from present sowings wil have a few flowers in March and April, will die down in autumn, when the foliage may be cut to ground level, and through the two succeeding years will develop each year Into larger and finer clumps if they are well watered and fed. There are a few finer herbaceous perennials than perennial lupins if good strains, such as Downer’s or Elliot’s strains of lupines polyphyllus hybrids, are used. Gladioli corms, If planted now, will flower in December. Their rich colours and decorative form make them invaluable for garden decoration and cut flowers. It is worth adding that one or two corms give -little or no effect In the garden. They are at their best when planted In a mass or drift, and this may consist of one, two, or three dozen or more, depending on the depth of the gardener’s pocketi. Plant the corms 4 to 5 Inches deep, 6 inches apart, taking care that the' growing tip showing on the corm is pointing straight upward, irrespective of the angle at which the corm may lie In the soil. Christchurch’s loss is Wellington’s gain. Mr. F. J; Shanks, chief postmaster at Christchurch, who lias been appointed second assistant secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department at Wellington, is an enthusiastic gardener. He was president of the Canterbury Horticultural Society, and is, I understand, a specialist in lilies.

The Wistaria Vine If there'is plenty of space' to entertain old-day favourites like the wistaria, place'll young vine somewhere in the open where the growth can one day be trained over a tripod, an arch, a rough uinbrella-llke frame, or some other support that suits your fancy. Very pretty pictures can be made with wistaria. To be seen at its best, the vine should ramp over some supports which allow the shapely bunches to fall gracefuily in shower-like formation. You must hurry, the wistarias are already awake. Multljuga Alba is a beautiful white; Rosea, a maker of exceptionally long bunches of rosy-lilac blossoms; aud Sinensis Flora Plena, a double blue sort. The old-day favourite is just a wistaria. She also is loaded with loveliness aud charm. After the flowering is over is the time to prune and cut back the wistarias. Shortening the wood now will only reduce the spring display. Soil for Dahlias HOW TO PREPARE IT. Dahlias require a rich, deep root-run, and if the site for them has not already been prepared, the work should be put in hand at once to be ready against the time for planting out. Dig the soil two and a half to three feet deep if possible, and incorporate with it liberal dressings of manure. The soil, when so dug, may be left fairly rough and can be levelled down later. Those who are in possession of rooted cuttings should see that these are kept well In the light, as if they are at all shaded they speedily become drawn and the growth Is very tender. The young plants must be looked over for insect pests, which afflict dahlias grown in a dry atmosphere. Green-fly. is one of the worst enemies, and it should be kept down by spraying occasionally with an insecticide or by fumigation. Better still is it to grow the plants so that the pests do not gain a foothold. To this end the pots should bo stood on ashes or fibre and constantly damped down. When It is seen that the pots are filled with roots, give the plants a move into a larger size, say five inches. A good compost for the pots may be made up with three parts loam, one part each leaf-mould and w-ell-decayed manure, and half a part of coarse sand. Cleaning Up Pampas Grass Chimps of Pampas Grass will be due for their annual spring clean-up now—unless, of course, really wintry conditions prevail. You will find when you come to tackle the Pampas Grass that most of the outer leaves have died. Actually, you left them on last autumn, knowing that they would die, as the natural proteebion for the tender centre. Once the danger of a very sharp frost is over, take your hedge shears and cut away the dead stuff to within 2 or 3in. of its base, leaving only a few older green leaves round the heart. Shorten to half length the outer leaves first; they arch over so much that you cannot easily get at the base right away.

The Vegetable Garden

WORK FOR THE WEEK. The ground in tlm vegetable garden has been compacted by the heavy rains, and the first work awaiting attention is to lightly fork over vacant beds in order to open the surfage again to sunlight! and air, and thus bring them more quickly into readiness for later sowing. The hoe must also be run along each side of the rows of vegetables sown last month. As soon as carrots are ; through the ground, it is wise to hoe carefully the surface soil on each side, but the suggestion applies to all young vegetables. Early September is a useful time to sow a short row of parsley,; even if tome paisley is already in the garden. The plants are seldom of use after about 18 months,- and a fresh supply is required. When the young seedlings are about an inch high thin to 4in. apart, and later to 6in. There is no comparison in growth between ■thinned and unthinned parsley. Turnip and beet may also be sown in rows in the ground where they are to grow. They both need a rich, crisp soil, and must be grown quickly or the roots Will be stringy. Parsnips and carrots may also be largely Sown now, and, as suggested in a recent issue, Shorthorn isa reliable carrot, suiting even shallow soils, and Hollow Crown a good parsnip. Seeds of any of the cucurbitaceous family may be sown in 3in. pots, paper pots, or strawberry baskets. These include cucumbers, melons, squashes, marrows. They require a warm position, such as a hotbed or a warm sheltered veranda, and the young, plants must not be planted out into the garden until danger of frosts has pass-ed—-about the third week or end of October.

When Soot is Safe

A PLANT FOOD AND AN INSECTICIDE. It is a wonderful coincidence that spring cleaning and the sweeping of all the household chlmnevs usually precedes the period in which millions of tiny seedlings are at the mercy of slugs and Snails. The soot which comes from the chimney is a valuable substance for keeping off those slugs, and. moreover, it acts as a mild stimulant, because it contains plant foods of a distinctly beneficial jmture. Its dustiness, its smell, and the chemicals it contains make it a valuable pesticide. When soot comes from the chimney it contains many compounds of sulphur and other chemicals, which make it a plant poison; it can in that fresh state he regarded as a soil fumigant, and, if it is forked in, or even hoed in. it will destroy many soil pests, but this can only be. done when the soil is vacant, and not likely to be occupied by plants for a week or two. To render soot innocuous, and yet to preserve practically all its valuable properties, it must be “weathered,” and it then becomese “old” or “safe.” The weathering process takes a few weeks or longer, according to the thoroughness with Which the process is carried out. Should the soot be stored in a tight receptacle, then it becomes safe very slowly, but where it is exposed to the air the dangerous things it contains largely volatlse in a short time. Put it in an open box, therefore, aud stir it up with a stick frequently, or spread it on the floor of the shed, and rake it over once in a while. The idea is to expose fresh surfaces to the air as often as possible, se that it may all become safe. It ban then be dusted over plants as well as around them, the best plan being to put on light dustings frequently.

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