PRACTICAL GARDENING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 18

PRACTICAL GARDENING

Helpful Hints for Amateur Growers

"The Hoe."

WORK FOR THE WEEK ' —

The Flower Garden Hedges can now be planted. Plant out all flowering shrubs and trees. Roses, in particular. should be planted now. . , , Although most of the spring-flowering bulbs were planted by the end of last month, anemones can still be planted. There is still time to plant the summer-flowering lilies. Now is the time to renovate the herbaceous border. Lift, divide and replant where necessary. Paeonies should be planted as early as possible. All hardy annuals can now be planted. Plant out pansies, violas, calendulas, and Canterbury bells. Remove all dead foliage from bearded irises and make sure that the rhuzomes are not buried in the soil. For best resu ts. these fleshy rootstocks should be on the soil level. If you have not already lifted your gladioli you should do so without further delay. Waterlilies can still be planted. The Vegetable Garden Commence the pruning of bush fruits. Sow broad beans, early carrots and cabbage. Plant out rhubarb, seakale, shallots, garlic and horseradish. Where special beds have been prepared asparagus roots can now be planted. . , . Renew established rhubarb beds by incorporating decayed cow manure. Dig thoroughly and then divide the plants, discarding the old woody crowns. Hoe up the soil round all growing crops, particulatly broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Thin out all seedling crops. Plant such bush fruits as gooseberries, black currants and r3SP All other fruit trees are best planted out in June or July, but the soil for them should be thoroughly prepared now. Make further plantings of cabbage and cauliflower. Keep the weeds down and remove all rubbish. inc cleaner you keep your garden the greater will be its freedom from pests and disease.

TIMELY TOPICS Week-end Reminders In some gardens sparrows and other small birds are beginning their playful little trick of pecking out the centres of carnation plants. Cotton criss-cross-ed between the sticks above the plants will stop their game. * « s Make a determined attempt to get rid ■ of weeds in your flower borders now that there is not a great deal else that you can do in the garden. Hand-pick-ing is the surest method. ... * * •It .is a good plan at this time to lift roses that gave poor results in summer, trim a little off the grosser roots, leaving the fibrous ones untouched, and replant in good soil. This trimming and replanting often makes a world of difference. . » » » Plants or cuttings of new varieties of chrysanthemums should be ordered at once, as stocks are always limited. <■ * ® When planting standard trees which have to be supported, see that they are secured in such a way that there is no chafing. Cutting fruit-tree suckers to groundlevel is useless; dig down and remove them at their sources. * ❖ * Two jobs to put on this month’s urgent list —removing accumulations of dead leaves from the branch forks of climbers and dosing old viola plants with wood ashes. FLOWERING GUMS Suitable For Wellington Many people refrain from planting the colourful flowering gums from Australia because they fear the effects of frost on them. It is true that many of thb eucalyptus tribe are frost-tender, but there is one variety, E. Campbell!, that is thoroughly hardy in this climate and should bo grown in all gardens that can find room for it. E. Campbelli is one ofChe most interesting of tlie flowering gums as it produces its blooms in great profusion during winter. It will tolerate fairly dry conditions and is an excellent subject for planting on hillsides or in light, sandy soil. The flowers vary in colour from pale pink to rich red. BORONIAS Need Rich Soil Because boronias are natives of Australia, many gardeners assume that they want warm, dry conditions, and are disappointed because they fail to grow satisfactorily. Boronias require all the sunshine they can get, but their roots want rich, fairly moist conditions. Leafmould is one of the best mediums in which to plant them, but the drainage must be efficient. Another frequent cause of failure is that they are often planted in heavily-limed soil which is fatal to them. Boronias detest lime almost as much as do the daphnes. EARLY VEGETABLES " Raised Under Glass A commencement now may be made I to raise tomato-plants for planting out under glass, and, somewhat inter, halfhardy plants of different kinds for planting outside in early summer. These are usually raised on a hotbed formed of fresh' stable manure it’ an active state of fermentation. This state is obtained by placing tin manure in a coinpact heap, and, when fermentation is active, restocking the material, taking care to place that on the surface in the interior of the new stack, shaking out any malted portions, anil watering witli a line sprav any portions that are dry. In a few da vs’, when active fermentation is again established, this treatment is repeated. Further turnings are given as required. until the whole mass is in a uniform state of active fermentation, when the hotbeds may be made in a dry place that is well drained and sheltered. At tlie end of tlie season ’ tin* manure is in a thoroughly decayed state and is in excellent condition for a potting compost or top-dressing for " lawns.

WHEN PLANTING Points to Remember Many questions are asked at this season about tlie best conditions for planting. Here are the answers to the questions most frequently asked. What slate should the soil lie in? It must lie as near friable as possible —not frozen, too dry or sticky. The best way to test soil as to its planting qualities is to take a handful and squeeze it slightly in the palm of the hand. If it stays “put” in a somewhat soft, though tending to crumble, wad, it is good soil to work with. If. it becomes sodden, with moisture oozing from it, it is too wet; if more or less powdery, too dry. What can lie done where tlie soil won’t dry out? The fault is poor drainage through insufficiently deep cultivation. Tlie wayout of tlie difficulty is to treat each site for a plant or group of plants separately. Dig away all soil to a depth of 2fk Fork up the soil at the bottom of the hole and then spread a -2in. layer of cinders, ashes or gravel, and cover thinly with the rough part of loam siftings, or even a few twiggybits of brushwood. This will put the drainage right. Return the soil removed after lightening it with grit or sand, or treating it according to tlie requirements of tlie particular plants being planted. Is it necessary to water-in tlie plants? In ordinary circumstances, no. Even if the soil is quite dry, watering should be avoided if a frost is threatening. Roots remain more or less dormant during the winter, and, therefore, are in no need of supplies of water. In tlie spring it is different. However, if plants have come a long journey and are quite dry at the end of it, there is risk of losing them unless they are stood for a few minutes in tepid water. How firm should the plants be? As firm as possible. The commonest mistake of all is loose planting. Unless the roots are in very close contact with the soil they cannot take hold, lu addition to trickling and pressing the soil between and over the roots with your hands, give the final firming of the surface with your foot, first on one side of the’ plant and then tlie other. Particularly in autumn is it dangerous to leave soil loose —it allows frost to outer easily. MAIDENHAIR FERNS Need This Tonic Guano water provides a splendid winter tonic- for maidenhair ferns. A strong solution of it diluted witli 12 to 15 times its bulk of water is about right. Give a small quantity of tlie dilute guano about once a fortnight—not allowing tlie solution to touch tlie fronds of tlie ferns. This tonic maintains Hie vitality of tlie ferns during a very trying period and prevents the fronds from turning brown and drying off. CORRESPONDENCE Answers to Inquiries Fungus Growths on Lacc Barts. The specimens were referred to tlie Department of Agriculture, whose entomologist reports that tlie galls arc caused by an eriophyid mite, which is tlie cause ol innnv plant-tissue galls, including pear blister mite. Badly infected trees eventually die off, but younger trees can often be saved by spraying with bisulphide qf calcium before I lie buds begin to burst niid again when see,] lias set. ("I.acebark.” Bunny thorpe.) Cinerarias Altaclied. ’I ho leaf you forwarded lias been partly eaten away by a caterpillar which is the particular enemy of this plant. Spray at frequent intervals with nicotine sulphate diluted in soapy water. ("Cineraria.” Woodville.) Baronia Dying Back. A microscopic insect, orange in colour, often .attacks the new tips and oats them away. Spray , tlie plants now witli nicotine sulphate, making sure that tlie young growths receive the mixture. (Miss 8.W.. "Wellington."l Propagating Ileleniunis. Holeniiinis are herbaceous perennials which are easily increased by division. They ean ' bo divided now. Each little piece will) a root, will grow. (P.H.H., Wellington.)