BORDER CARNATIONS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 18

BORDER CARNATIONS

Need Care Now When clearing up around the border carnations, make sure there is no frost about. Carnation growth is particularly brittle during frost; and a slight knock even may break a valuable stem. Beaten down by rain, the soil surface will need stirring up. Do this between the plants with ;t handfork, at the first opportunity, but don’t go deeply to touch the roots. Whether you are conscious of loosening the plants or not. firm them in securely after the forking The lifting action of frost will have made them insecure, even if you haven’t.

Top growth will not look too promising just now, but it is surprising what a smartening up there will be if you remove all dead or decaying foliage. Some of the weaklings may be succumb ng to the wet weather. Give them an opportunity to make good before discarding them. Work a tea-.-•poonful of bone-meal in around each, then watch results. If no progress has been made by a plant by August, best have it out of - the way, filling its place with a new plant, the month indicated being an ideal tin'e for such transference.

Don’t necessarily discard the backward plant. In a less conspicuous position it can be left to struggle to something worth while. Soot treatment will be a tonic to the soil and a deterrent also to birds and to. rust disease.

Hirds need to be deterred, for they have a particular fondness for the tops of the shoots, peek’ng them out and destroying them. So, in addition to dredging soot over the plants, twist strands of black cotton backward ami forward over them, making use of the supporting caries for the purpose.

Mention was made of supporting canes. Test these for soundness at ground level. There has been so much wet that it. would hardly be surprising if one or two were weak, if not actually rotted.