GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 155, 28 December 1918, Page 10

GARDENING NOTES

(By "Experience.")

THE VEGETABLE. GARDEN.

Sow peas, French beans, turnip, red bsot. silver beet, swedes, parsnip, carrot, • spinach; ■ lettuce, radish! 'Plant cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, V-elery, tomatoes, lettuce, silver beet, leeks, cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, water melons, pie melons. French beans ifford unmistakeable evidence of the inclemency tff the weather up to th« present tiime In some cases the plants have actually' died; in' most places they might as well have done so, for they have made no growth since fhe end of October, when they first broke through. Beans should have been ready for use' by now. Sowing may continue to be done. They can hardly fail now; the long days must see- greater warmth in j tho'soil. Tomatoes and the gourd tribe are all very backward; only in exceptionally vavoured places have they made any progress.. Crops will be late, but there is no reason to supposa they will not average good. In a normal season it would appear ridiculous to be planting such things now, but it is advisable this season. Tomatoes set out now will be likely to do as well as many planted earlier, that have only been struggling along. . ". ,\ !,* ' ■ Regarding cucumbers, marrows, etc., many who intended to sow or plant have not done, so as yet, the.weather not appearing settled enough:: These plants may be set out now,, or seeds-planted in the open.' They are sure to do well, .though, of course, they will be very late coming in. Pew are doing exceptionally well. There is still no sign of the cabbage moth. It'is unlikely to give much trouble this season, bo plantings of all tho cabbage'tribe should •be liberal. The, success likely to attend the planting of these' will largely; compensate other losses. Tho fact is that, though it is disappointing to have failures, it is very profitable.: in. the end. Seasons that favour' the growth ol \ tomatoes are favourable to the cabbage moth, and if such seasons w«re continuous, the, moths would become so , nummerous. that it would be practically impossible to grow the cabbage .tribe and turnips. Themoth cannot thrive in cold, 1 wet weather, so when such ra season occurs there is probabjy only one weak .brood; instead of from four to six broods A wet season exterminates most of .the moths, and it takes two or three dry seasons to enable them to again reach 'disastrous numbers. , Swede turnips sown now will come into use early in winter, and Iremain fit till well . into spring, v Swedes should be thinned to 1 from six iftches to eight inches apart. Parsnips,sown at tliis time are not likely, -to dey«lbp to, full size, which .is exactly why some people sow tliem now -They, are young and tender when the ordinary crop has developed the. full flavour to : which some people object. The same remarks apply to carrots. Bed beet of the turnip-rooted variety,i» suitable for ' sawing how. Leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts-should' all be planted as soon a& twsaible, Savoys also should be out before Jong- ■..-... ' ; THE FLOWER GARDEN. Spring; flowering shrubs : that require pruning should have that attention as they go out of flower. Such shrubs a» deutzias, weigeias, flowering currants, exochorda, and those of similar habit, should,be pruned as early as .possible after flowering. The pruning, may consist in thinning out old ■flowering shoots and branches, or cutting back straggling branches,, as the case may require. In all cases the object <is the same, 1 to' keep the shrubs in Healthy growth by removing, worn, branches,'.and t° preserve i natural symmetry of / shape. Pruning now •ri&bles the Bhrubs to make and npen new wood before winter, and to flower in due time. .Such shrubs should not be pruned- in winter, or only to a very limited extent, foi every scrap cut: off \at thaV time 'means blossoms' lost. Shrubs that flower : at midsummer or latei need not be pirpned until winter; these have the fore part of the season to make new growth before flc.wering, and the flowers are in most cases on a dif ferent kind ot wood, that is to say, on young shoots, instead of; proceeding from buds on last year's wood. All shrubs dp'riot require pruning as pruning, some merely require & little pruning in or regulatingj others'will not do well /without pruning; and aj«o there''are different kinds of .pruning. Lilacs' do not require pruning ; they may 'i be relieved of "branches that are in the' -way, but •mould not be cropped over ' Flowering currants can be cut in any way, provided they are pruned as soon as flowers are past; they can be cut back to any extent, and will make good. The mock orange (Philadclphus) will not < bear such 'pruning. In this case■ thinning-out the old branches is 'preferable to much shortening.. The two plants mentioned represent types of growth that are quite distinct from each other;" and indicate to' a great extent, the:kind of pruning needed. ■ The one is a,' rapid grow«r and matures its wood early; the other is of a softer nature' and.,does not mature its growths until the second year Rhododendrons are in many places affected: by a silvering of the leaves, which is thought, to be-a disease. Such is, however,'not_ the case; it is caused by insects which suck the juices from the leaves. The insect is not always the same.. Thrips are most general, but red mites and mealy bag are responsible in ,»om« cases. In-many cases there are no insects visible. On the silvered leaves, but that is because, having deprived the leaf of its juices,l they have forsaken it. Thrips and red mites are encouraged by dry soil ;■ a good'mulching helps the plant*. Red mites can.be,got rid of by frequent hosing where there is plenty of water, • 'otherwise* an' insecticide' is necessary; thrips must have an insecticide. Vistolene or X.Z., all. fluid, wUJ answer, for all insects. . * *-:

Flower borders should be -kept well hoed, not only to keep down".robber weeds,_ but also to keep the surface loose and prevent evaporation. Many plants are lost through the soil setting hard around them in summer time. When this occurs they die from want of moisture, the hard soil about the plant thrown ing off rain or . other water into the looser soil near: by. Care should be taken to. prevent this hardening of the soil by keeping the surface soil close to the plant always loosed In many cases permanent plants are much benefited' by a mulch to , prevent the soil hardening, and to shield it from the sun. Very old manure or decayed gar-den-refuse make a good mulch. Lily of the valley beds are greatly benefited by such a mulch at the present- time.', The material, bejng much of the nature of leaf mould, can be worked in among the foliage. It .will cover the crowns arid prevent cracking of the soil. Rose mildew and leaf spot are showing up early this season. Mildew can be kept under by dusting with sulphur, unless the affection is widespread; in that case it would be better to spray the br.shes with potassium sulphide, Joz to a gallon of water. •• Leaves ' that are affected with black spot cannot, be saved. Its spread can'be prevented by spraying with Bor deaux, mixture, 4.5.40 strength. Aphis can be destroyed by spraying with vistolene or any of the nicoleen T\veiiarations.