BULB GROWING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 25, 30 January 1930, Page 25

BULB GROWING

A BUSY SEASON

LIFTING AND CLEANING

This column la Intended principally fer ■arditners with smtll plots, and the aim li ta mike It a* practltal and useful ai possible. Inquiries on any matter tf lardenIna Interest will be welcomed. The rule fer eorreiiondenee Is that all eommunlc*. tltns mult *c aecompanitd by the name and addrm of the writer, not Isr publication, but as a guarantee of feed faith. Tkls rule will be strictly adhered te. This !» your eelumn—m»ke uit ot it

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Belmont."—The poem you refer to is "The dory of the Garden," aud is published in a little booklet entitled "Twenty Poems by Rudyard Kipling."

"G.H.B." —Tho construction of glasshouses hsrdly comes within the scopo of this column. You would be well advised to get your information from somo builder who understands this class of work, or, better still, get such a one to do the building for you. Amateur-built places aro seldom satisfactory. I do not know of any book published in New Zealand which deals with i indoor plants exclusively, but "Brett's Gardening Guide" has a section on greenhouse plants which you would find very useful. Apart from this information, this book is full of instruction on all branches of gardening work.

"Belladonna." —Belladonnas require the warmest position possible, and do best if they c»n be kept dry during the winter. The bulbs should be planted with the nose just below tho surface, as they require thorough roasting during the hot season. You might be wise to lift and divide them now, replantinc Immediately. They should be starting Into growth very soon. If the roots have started, damage these as little as possible. Static should be picked when fully open la dry weather. Tie Into bunches and hang In a dry placo with the heads downwarJs. Violas should be cut down now, tho soil round the plants being loosened up and some fine soil shaken over the plants. A little bonedust pricked in round them Is also an advantage. If the plants are kept moist new growths will spring'from tho old clumps, and these make the best' cuttings. They should be planted out in tho autumn after the hottest weather Is over. If the clumps are lifted tha young growths may more readily be detached with roots attached.

In gardens where bulbs are grown in quantity and variety this is a busy season, as many of the beds or clumps will require lifting. Except with tulips, hyacinths, and gladioli, lifting is not necessary every year, but nono of tho varieties, should be allowed to become too crowded as, after a year or two thoy exhaust tho soil and the blooms deteriorate.

Belladonna lilies, brunsvigias, norines, and other summer-flowering bulbs will shortly bo throwing up their flowering stems. Most of these bulbs throw up flowers before the foliage appears. As soon as growth commences and from then onwards watering should be attended to until they commence to die off naturally, when water should be gradually withheld. If the plants are kept growing in a healthy condition the flower spikes will last for weeks, whereas if the roots are allowed to dry out the blooms will very soon wither and the bulbs be seriously weakened. The present timo is considered the best for removing and dividing any of these bulbs. Tho clumps must bo carefully lifted with as little damage as possible to the roots, and tho bulbs bo replanted immediately before the roots have time to shrivel. As the" bulbs require to be .thoroughly ripened if tlfey aro to flower •well, they should not bo "planted too deeply. Keep the nose of the bulb just below the surface—in fact, nerines aro fcetter planted on tho surface with the roots only in the soil, tho same as onions. Animal manure should be avoided as far as possible, and in no ease should it be used so that tho bulbs come into direct contact with it. If the soil requires manure then dig it well down in tho lower spit so that the roots will have to work down for it. The better plan is to enrich the ground with decayed vegetable matter, and add some bonedust. Animal manures arc liable ito encourage disease in bulbs.

. Any of the spring flowering bulba which, through overcrowding, or for any other reason, require lifting, should be got out with as little delay aa possible, otherwise they may start into fresh growth. Many of them remain dormant for a very short time after the foliage dius down, and disturbance to them after new roots have started to form will seriously affect the blooms the following year. In coastal districts where heavy frosts are not likely to occur, or on land which is not likely to become waterlogged during the winter, it is bettor to replant as soon after lifting as the ground can bo got ready. When lifting care should be taken to get all the small corma or bulbils out of the ground. This applies particularly to the smaller bulbs, such as ixias,

tritiricas, and freezias, which have quantities of little ones which, if allowed to remain in the ground, will grow and become a nuisance.

I Gladioli cause tho same trouble — some varieties having hundreda of tiny offsets which fall into the ground, if great caTe is not taken when lifting, and come up the following season where they are least wanted. By lifting gladioli conns early before tho tops have quite died off there will be less trouble from this, as then the small conns are more firmly attached to tho parent. After lifting, the spring-flowering bulbs should be spread out to dry in an airy shed; and when thoroughly dry they may be cleaned up, and those required for replanting be placed in paper bags and hung up until required for planting. Never plant any bulb showing any signs of disease or decay—they rarely recover and frequently spread tho disease to others. The only safe way of dealing with diseased bulbs is to burn them.

PEREHNIAL PLANTS. Michaelmas daisies, heloniums, phloxes, and other perennial plants of like nature make great masses of roots which soon exhaust the soil and dry up all moisture. Such plants always welcome a good soaking of water after a dry spell. The roots are fairly near the surface so care must be taken when working round them, otherwise damage will be done. It is a good plan to give such plants occasional doses of liquid manure—having first given them a good drink of plain water. The growths should be thinned out, having not more than five of the best stems to each clump. It is also wise to stake each stem separately as when growing well they carry considerable top weight.

Paeonies require water during the growing season, especially after the blooming is over, as it is at this time that the plants build up fresh crowns for next season's flowering by means of the foliage. On this account the foliage should be allowed to mature naturally and not be cut off until withered. Paeonies do not like being moved, but when the clumps become too large perhaps once in three or four years they require to be lifted and divided. Before replanting be sure to thoroughly work the soil and enrich it with decayed manure.

LILY OF THE VALLEY.

This plant increases by means of underground runners which become so thickly matted just below the surface that forking is practically impossible. The beds, however, should not be neglected during the summer as is so often the case. Hand weeding should be resorted to, and a mulch of good rich soil or decayed manure be spread over them. During the summer the plants should be building up the crowns for next year's blooming.