GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 11

GARDENING NOTES

(Bj "Exp«ri«ne«.")

SEED SOWING.

During this month there is a good) deal of sowing to do. Hardy annuals and vegetable seeds in the open ground, halfhardy annuals and greenhouse plants under glass protection. A proper compost is the first thins to look for, and for the cottage gardener this is usually a problem difficult to solve. The onlj really adequate course to pursue is to make provision . long before th© material is wanted for use. In suburban areas this is becoming increasingly difficult. Where a, good turf from loamy 6oil can bo obtained a supply' should be. laid in six months aneacl. Turf from an old pasture, on an upland for preference, or at least where drainage is good, should be cut about 2in thick. Stack the turves gTass downward. When the grass is quite dead the loam is fit for use. For general purposes the best loam is the turves taken from little flats on hills where sheep graze. The sheep make camping grounds of these little flats, and the soil is very rich. When such loam is broken up, it is found to be full of the fibry roots of grasses; and constitutes the fibry loam gardeners liko for potting purposes. For making a compost for seed boxes the roughest of the fibre must be taken out. This will do for placing on the bottom of boxes for drainage. A proportion of vegetable matter is desirable; clean leaf mould is best, but not attainable to many people. Very old stable manure, mere mould, will answer, and sufficient sand to make tho compost firiri and keep it open. In many cases this kind of material cannot be got; in such cases imitato'such a compost as nearly as possible. Where stable manure has been used as a mulch, and has been . left, some of this may be taken, with some surface soil from the garden; from where it appears to be sweetest. I have found good stuff on an asparagus bod. Ashes from a rubbish fire are good to mix with it. The whole should be passed through a not too fine riddle. No artificial manure of any kind should be added to' the compost ; its use is attended with a good deal of danger, and it ie not required. The only thing required at first is to raise the seedlings, riot to grow them, and a rather poor oompost is best for this purpose. Boxes should be filled heaped measure with oompost. Stroke the surplus ofi with a piece of batten. With a dry and cleen brick, or a piece of board, press the compost fairly, firm, then well water through the rose of a watering-can. Let the boxes stand till well drained before sowing the seed. For covering the seeds I prefer a mixture of vegetable mould and sand. This material should be moist, but not wet, in a condition, in fact, which will allow it to pass through a very fine riddle. I use one made of perforated zinc. A light covering of the oompost should be shaken over the seeds, just sufficient to oover them. Now cover the box with old newspaper, and on that lay a, sheet of glass. No more watering will be needed until tho seedlings are up.,_ Of course there are other ways of arriving at the same end, but this plan is good, partioularly with choice seeds. It should be understood that seeds jp general require remarkably little moisture to ensure germination, but that little they must have; also, that if watering has to be done because the soil has become quite dry before the seeds have germinated,. it is done, at the risk of losing the Beeds. The most common causes 1 of failure are watering before the seedlings appear, and getting the soil too wet.

There are some seeds that should not be buried, such as lobelia and musk,' which are very fine, a3 well as some greenhouse planta; ,sach as gloxinia and begonia. In these cases prepare the box as described and well water. When they have drained, riddle on the fins compost as though covering seeda, press this firm, and scatter the seeda evenly on the surface, then cover with paper and glass as described. In the first case the sole purpose of paper and glass is to retain moisture, so &a"to do away with thevriecessity for watering. In the latter case it also causes darkness,'-without which' 6eeds will not readily germinate. When» young plants appear they must be gradually exposed to light and air j the means will readily suggest themselves. MYOSOTODTUM NOBILE. ,A correspondent asks for certain information about this plant, which, aa Mr. T.. F. Cheeseman states m his book, "Illustration of New Zealand Flora," is by many people absurdly called Chatham Island Lily. ' This is such a very fine plant that it deserves special notice;' there are few more beautiful garden plants. It 13 not a lily, nor in any way related to the lily family, .but belongs to the order boraginaceae, the same order as the common borage, and the for-get-me-not. It is correct to call it Chatham Island for-got-me-not, and,anyone.may see the relation. The first botanist to collect this plant was Mr.> H. H. Travers, of Wellington, a gentleman who is' still aetivo in his interest in native plants. The discovery was made by Mr. Travers in a botanical expedition to the Chatfcwns as far back as 1863. The I plant grows i>mong rocks in pure sand, close to the eeashore. This should give some indication as to ite wants. No plant has proved more amenable to cultivation. It does remarkably wall, and I am aware of some fine examples. Perfect drainage, a, rather sandy soil, partial shade, and a fair amount of moisture at all times, these aro the conditions required. There is not, as our correspondent suggests, a floworless typo of this plant, nor can there be. Conditions are wrong in some particular, or it would flower. The growth that looks like a. young plant should be left alone. It is not a young plant, bub merely a development of the old, and so far as I know, cannot be separated. When the plant flowers, it will produce abundance of seeds. I have seen self-sown seedlings by scores round an old clump. Some people think seaweed to be a good manure for this plant. I daresay it is, but it is not lndispensiMe any more thwj it w to asparagus, another seaside plant. CHRYSANTHEMUMS. , Anyone who has not yet secured their young plants should do so without delay. The old shoots should be lifted, and rooted suokere taken off; those farthest from the old eten> are the beet. These offsete shonld be planted in a nurse-bed till w»!l established; about the middle of October is oarjy enough to plant them in-their flowering quarters, and affords opportunities for cultivating such soil and keeping it clean, so that it may be in good fcrttlo when tho, plants are put out. CARNATIONS. Carnations should bo planted during thie month; tho plants will soon be in. active growth, and delay will not improve their prospects. This plant is a child of the sun; it cannot have too much light while it 18 growing, though temporary shade is necessary to prevent scorching in some flowers; some varieties, scorch very easily, others not at all. Snujr corners are abhorrent to the carnation; an open position is what suite it. If gome old lime rubbish from a dismantled chimney or building can be obtained, add a, fair amount to the soil. Carnations like this, material whatever tho soil may be, and if it i? heavy it will keep it open. Failing thia, ashes from a rubbish fire will do good. Also, fork in some bonedu6t, about 1 ounce per square yard, and give a similar amount a month or two later, but only pointed into the surface. Carnations do best in quarters of their own, because they can have the treatment special to them. One thing they like is firm soil, so when tho surface is in the right condition, not too wet, tread it down firmly, so that a person can. Kvalk on it with the feet sinking. Then loosen tho surface with a sharp-toothed rako. When planting, place tho roots deep enough to allow the lowest grass to rest on the surface soil; press the soil firmly about tho roote. SWEET PEAS. These should be sown at once, unless they were sown in autumn. To got anything- like a satisfactory display of flowers, the plants have to make * good deal of growth. This they cannot do unless they are started early, for dry weather stunts growth, and forces them to flowor, vhiph MX further chocki* grt>wth. Tha »(*4* should not b« planted too thickly,

from six inches to a foot apart is quite close enough.

Asparagus should be planted this month. Examine the roots and cut put any that are dead, and cut back any that have decayed ends. When planting the roots should be spread out, and be placed at a depth that will allow for two or three inches of toil above the crowns.