PLANTING SEASON

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 18 June 1927, Page 27

PLANTING SEASON

FOR TREES AND SHRUBS

CARE AND T.REATMENT.OF

ROSES

At the time of writing the heavy southerly downpour bids fair to make gardening impossible for isoine time. Up to the present the season has been particularly good, the rain we have had being just sufficient to moisten the soil and make' it in nice condition for working after the dry summer and autunih. Those gardeners who took advantage of the favourable conditions and got their ground trenched will, have a big advantage over their more short-sighted neighbours. The planting" season for all kinds of trees, shrubs,' roses, and .-bush fruits- is here, but it is a mistake? to plant without making due preparation or when the ground is in a sodden condition. If/;the plants arrive while the land.: is .unsuitable to work, the bundles should be^undone and the shrubs, etc., be -heeled .in a trench until conditions are favourable-for planting. The importance of planting,roses carefully and preparing . :tHe soil befpje-

hand has beetf dealt with. As all shrubs and trees are usually planted where they, are to remain throughout their lifetime, it is obvious that it is worth while to go to considerable trouble to make the rooting medium as good as possible. A long dry season such as we experienced last summer has the effect of drying and consolidating the lower layers of soil which,' unless broken up, j may cause the upper layers to become waterlogged, as the moisture will not be able to get away quickly enough.. Another benefit derived from deep working of the soil is that plants can, and will, push their roots down where they are not affected by. the sudden changes from heat to cold and where they are safe from drought. ' In soil which is worked only a foot deep'the roots of most plants confine themselves to the surface, which hag been drawn on again and again. For these reasons deep digging is advisable, and if: manure is available it should be well worked into the lower spit, where it will be available for the plants when they need it. It is surprising the- intelligence shown by plants in seeking their food supply, the roots invariably finding any manure which is within reach. This can be seen particularly with trees which wi\J always send their roots into the cultivated flower beds after robbing them to such an extent that: it is impossible to grow good flowers in that particular plot. In such cases the roots mus be cut?off with a _ sharp spade, or a better "method is to dig out a trench to a depth; of two feet a little distance from the trees.

RAMBLERS AND CLIMBERS. Rambler .roses are very valuable climbers, too often sadly neglected.". If allowed to go year after year without being thinned out they not only- becom'onnsightly, but the flowers deteriorate. Each year the old wood should be cut right down and the young wands of last season's growth be tied in to cover the fence or trellis. The best time to do this is as soon as flowering is over, as then the whole energy of the plant is expended on the young growths, which, not being crowded, become well ripened, resulting in better flowering. If, however, the work is still undone it should be completed without delay. Be careful in removing the old growths that the young wands arc' damaged as little as possible, and tie each wand to be retained secured at frequent intervals. Climbing roses require rather different treatment, as-their-growth'is different. With this tha first thing to do is to remove any dead wood and weak growths; then thin out-the branches so that they do not overlap or, crowd one another. The remaining growths should be shortened back to an eye and secured to their supports. All .culting should be done with a really sharp tool, and for general purposes secateurs are the moat satisfactory, as it requires a considerable amount of practice to use a pruning knife properly.

PEUNING TOOLS. I would strongly advise readers of the wisdom of buying good secateurs. Cheap tools are never satisfactory, and in the end are dearer than ,a more expensive article. This is, particularly the case with edged tools.. Secateurs, if properly looked after) will last* a lifetime, as the extra few shillings spent to get the best is really a very small item. Cheap secateurs never make as clean cuts as good ones, and in many eases badly bruise the branches. When not in use priming tools should be rubbed over with a little vaseline to prevent rusting. A pruning saw is jiocesary -ivliero big branches have to be removed. This :is a saw with; fairly fine teeth, which should always be kept sharp and. properly set. In removing large branches a cut should first

be made on the lower side, exactly in line with the 1 top' cut. This prevents 1 the tearing away of a part of the remaining woqd when the branch falls. After sawmg off the branch the cut'should be smoothed with a sharp knife and receive a coating of tar or paintj to prevent the entry of disease spores, , All branches should be removed as close to the stem as possible, so that no stump is; left, as these are liable* to die back and the'decay may extend further down. BEDDING PLANTS, Should the Avedther take up again many bedding plants* may still be put out with advantage. In most gardens numbers of self-sown seedlings appear, and these may be utilised for planting now to., bloom early in the spring. In most cases better results are- obtained when the seedlings are planted out, rather than allowed to remain where they come up. This is because the move induces fibrous roots which feed the plants. If self-sown seedlings aro

not available many may be procured from the various seed merchants in the city. The sooner pansies and violas are divided up the better if early-flowers are wanted. The old clumps shotild be lifted .and the young growths from the base be-re-moved, if possible, with a few of the small fibrous roots. The larger hollow pieces, or pieces which\ have flowered, should not be used—tliey do not make good plants. The small'cuttings should be planted in good soil;with, some sand mixed in it.for.preference', If some, good rotted cow manure is available it should be worked into the lower, soil well below the cuttings. •; ■ :, . ■_ ' TREATMENT, FOR^DAHLIAS. - Dahlias-should bei allowed to remain until the tops die down naturally. When this-occurs the tubers'may be lifted and stored in some frost-protected position, either under trees or hedges or in a shed. If they show any signs of shrivelling cover them' with fine soil or sand. If named varieties, see that the labels are properly attached before storing them away. : Chrysanthemums ■ should have old" growths cut down as they go out of flower, and loosen the ground round the roots to encourage young sucker growth, which supplies plants for next . season. If desired, the plants may be lifted and planted in some out-of-the-way, corner.until the young growth is-.large enough to propagate from. may commence as soon as the growth is large enough. This is not uniform on all varieties—some not sending lip new growth till quite late.

Keep the growing plants of sweet, peas supplied with supports. Twiggy branches .are .".the best, especially while the plants are quite small. Watch that the young plants are not destroyed by slugs. Keep all seedlings and growing plants free from weeds and rake up. fallen leaves. These are the favourite haunts of slugs and snails.. . . ' . » Dust around clumps, of delphiniums, pyrethrums, etc., with lime," soot, or powdered alum to destroy or keep in check slugs and other pests. . Loosen the surface soil after heavy rains as soon as the ground-is fit to work.