In the Garden

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 129, 4 June 1927, Page 26

In the Garden

By "PRACTICAL"

PRUNING POINTS

ADVICE TO AMATEURS

DEEP DIGGING ADVISABLE

narts snr \L ? DOt «J>erlen«tl, but In colder parts spring, from August to October would be better. Tho land must bo properly civ" to a good depth, and drainage suppikd where necessary. ]f this Is done now, very lltOo breaking up will be required before sowin" ilie levels must be made absolutely true and the surface be worked to a fine tilth A dressing of bonedust, at the rate of koz- to the square yard, should be raked in before

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

No tree responds to the knife better than does the peach. This tree should be headed down as shown on the right, the branches being reduced to six inches. Experience has proved that trees treated in this way make twice or thrice the amount of growth the following season than that made by trees less severely pruned, and may then be expected to produce a fair crop of fruit the third season. Nectarine trees should be pruned precisely in the same way as peaches. • - .

sowing tho seed, which should bo of tho best quality procurable Tho lawn should bo rolled while tho surface ia dry. It is lmliortant that the Etound should bo uniformly firm, othcrwlso Ihero will bo hollows dcvoluning lutur. After rolling, rough tho surf Sco with a rako and sow the scod evenly, ralflnu It In. It ia generally considered best to sow fairly thickly to allow Tor loss by birds, cli-; -lib to 10(1 square yards should givo a good sward.

"Nltalo," I'etone.—Chlshunt comuound is only claimed to tio a cure for collar rot or damping off. Whether it would as successfully net rid or grass grub I doubt. Soil 'fumigation Is a subject which is still in Ilio experimental stage, and so far no really satisfactory method has been evolved execlit by means of steam which is not possible for the small garden as it requires a special plant. Vaporito is sometimes used, or oilier patent composition, but they aro all rather expenslvo and not entirely satisfactory. For grass grub on a lawn, tho best method is probably to flood the lawn and roll with a x heavy roller while It is still saturatotl. This crushes the grubs, which aro quite close to the surface. Thanks for'your note of annrociatlon.

The season this year, up to the present, has been particularly mild and the small amount of rain has enabled the land to retain warmth longer than usual. There is a very short period of sunshine at this time of the year, and the,, sun has comparatively little strength, consequently once tho land is thoroughly wetted it has no clianco oC warming up again. In •warm/ sheltered positions which face north growth hardly stops throughout tho winter, but such a condition is not entirely without drawbacks. Severe weather in tho winter with frost and snow dooß much fa sweoten the soil, and at the same time destroys many garden pests and' diseases. Another advantage of severe cold is to check growth, which gives the plants a rest, resulting in better crops and finer blooms later on.

In most gardens round Wellington, whero the subsoil is a heavy clay, very little work can bo done during wintor, as to. work such soils while in a saturated condition is disastrous. In seaside districts where tho land is sandy, liowever, work may safely be carried on throughout the whole year. Such Hand may be'-dug as soon as rain ceases without any ill-effects, as the water, can drain away without difficulty. The advisability of deep digging or trenching has been emphasised frequently in this column, and bocause it is such an. important mattor I think it well to deal with it onco move.

Tho fortility of soil depends upon tho presence of soil bacteria. No amount of manurp will mako plants grow if these tiny organisms aro missing. Soil bacteria are present almost exclusively in the top spit, as they must have air. By increasing the depth of open soil the organisms can exist deeper down, thus making a greater depth from which plants can draw nourishment. It is a controversial matter as to whether the clay subsoil should bo brought to tho surface, but as a general rule in mild climates it is not advisable. Tho better method for increasing the depth of soil is to remove tho top spit of soil and to dig over tho subsoil —if necessary using a pick for the purpose—and incorporating with this lower spit as much strawy manure, decayed garden refuse, and gritty sand or road sweepings as can bo managed. This will keep this lower spit of heavy clay open so that air can penetrate and soil bacteria exist. TIIO reason why a deeper root run is advantageous to plants is that they can send their roots down whore they will remain cool during the heat of tho summer, and the deeper they go the more chance they have of finding moisture during droughts. Plants can only assimilate their food in liquid form, consequently moisture is essential.

PRUNING HINTS.

This important work should commence next mouth. Bush fruits and 'stone.'fruits require first attention, followed by apples and pears. The subject of pruning is too large to be dealt with fully in these columns, but a few general directions may bo of use. The first consideration is to shape the trees and to have the branches properly balanced and spaced. No branches should be overlapping or rubbing each other, and the centres of the trees should bo kept open to allow the entry of light,' air, and sunshine. AH cuts should be made with a very; sharp tool, whether

tl.ey be made with knife or secateurs. Make all cuts to a bud pointing in the direction the new growth is desired, which, in most instances is outwards. The only time inside buds should be encouraged is when-, the balance of the tree requires to be adjusted. All large cuts made with a saw should be pared down with a sharp knife and covered with tar or paint to exclude-pests and diseases. Gather up and burn all prunings, dead leaves, .or mummified fruits, as it is on such material'that fungoid diseases breed. The illustration is from a pamphlet issued by the Department of Agriculture. .

Tho advantages of -frequently stirring the soil round seedling crops can-'

not bo over-stated, especially at this season of the year. Heavy rains soon beat down the soil and cause a crust to form, which excludes air and warmth. It also destroys' weeds and many insect pests, such as slugs and snails, whielr aro' so destructive to young plants. Use limo freely, as this also keeps down pests and at the same time improves the fertility of the soil. Ground required for the planting of early potatoes should be thoroughly worked and brought into tho be; L possiblo condition. Very thorough drainage is essential to success, and for the early crop the warmest possible position should bo chosen. Potatoes for seed should be placed on shallow trays or boxes, with the eyes upwards, in a light, airy shed, to encourage strong sturdy, growth. Well sprouted sets result in more even crop and better and more tubers. The harvesting of all crops should not to be delayed any longer, and vegetables in store should bo looked over frequently, any showing signs of decay being removed and destroyed immediately. : . Any seed sowing done at this season should be upon,raised beds and in sheltered positions'. •"'.-■ Continue the preparation of the ground for tree-planting. Be sure pro-1 vision is made for drainage; trees cannot flourish- if planted in holes which becomo reservoirs '. for water in wet weather. . : THE FLOWER GAKDEN. In most cases Narcissi and early flowering bulbs ano showing, through the ground. Weeding must be done as early as posisWe, as once.the foliage is well up it is almost impossible to work among them without damage. Hand weeding is tho most satisfactory at this timo of the year, as weeds soon start into growth again if hoed and left lying on the ground. Where a heavy crop of weeds is present 'between the rows the surface may be skimmed ofE two inches deep and turned over, Jiaiul weeding being resorted to among tho bulbs themselves. This method can only bo employed where the bulbs are grown in rows. As chrysanthemums and dahlias finish blooming cut them down and remove weeds. Sec that labels are correctly attached before cutting thorn down, otherwise they are apt to become mixed with other named varieties.

Eose beds should bo dug over and receive a. dressing of artificial manure— bone-dust or basic slag. Be careful not to damage the roots unnecessarily during tho operation.

Herbaceous borders require cleaning up and digging, lifting and dividing any plants which are over-crowded. Gather up all fallen leaves and istack them in a heap to rot, sprinkling them with salt to encourage decomposition.