SPRING PLANTING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 16 June 1932, Page 19

SPRING PLANTING

PREPARATORY WORK

LIMING AND MANURING

NOTICE TO READEBS.

Thle column >Is Intended principally far gardenerswith small plots, and the aimli t?J"*J'*. " ?' "aotleal and useful as possible. on any matter of gardening Interest will be welcomed. The rule for correspondence Is that all oommunleatlojs must be accompanied by the name «"* mi'L nt of »"• writer, not for publicstioii, out as a guarantee of good faith. Thla rule will be strictly adhered to. This Is y»ur column—make ose of It

The recent broken "weather has made *ut4oor work very unsatisfactory, but it is necessary to make every efforf to get; ahead with the work of preparation for spring planting and sowing. Every fine day should be used to get vacant ground dug over, trenched if possible, and manured or limed. If liming ia to be done the manuring should be postponed-for a month-or so, as lime should never be used in conjunction with animal manures. Lime is best applied as a top-dressing on the newly dug ground, as being heavy it soon works its way down.

Keeping down weeds is always a problem at this season of the year. The only way to deal with them is to hand weed or dig them under, as hoeing meitely transplants them and is, therefore, nsejess. Digging them under is the best way when there is room to use the spade between the plants, as they then form green manure, and when rotted replenish the humus mi the soil. Ground' which is, naturally of a heavy quality,, should- : npt: be worked while in a wet condition asi by so doi&g, more harm than good may very easily be done. ■ With " clayey soils _ especially, one should avoid tramping on the. ground while it is saturated with water,-as this results in it becoming caked and very diffi% cult to get back into good working order again. Where it is necessary to walk on such ground for planting or other purposes, less damage will be done if a board is put down to -walk on. Light or sandy soils are not so badly affected by working while they are wet, as such ground does not hold water to the same extent.

Much may be dona1 by working as far as possible from the paths or grass. A rubber kneeling pad is excellent for garden use and may be made from an old motor;tyreVor-hdt water,:bag.: --The" more of ten: the': 'surf ace soil between the plants is loosened up at the this season the better. It allows air to enter and any sun warmth there may be, and these in. turn help to keep the root healthy. Jleavy rains sodn beat down the surf ace^ and when neglected a green senit forms which keeps the.soil cold. "Whenever the conditions are favourable, hardy annual: seedlings may be put out. Many self-sown seedlings will be coming up about the garden, and if lifted -carefully and replanted, they .will,, receive verylittl© check. Growth, of course, at this season of the year seems to be at a standstill, but plants put out now;-make, good roots, provided the drainage is adequate, and as soon as •warmer condition^ occur".will come away quickly and flower much earlier than those planted in the spring. , ' SWEET PEAS. While it is .generally- acknowledged that'sweet peas are best sown in the autumn, quite good results may be obtained by spring sowing. Good results can only be had where the plants have a deep rooting medium; hence the advocacy of trenching to two or three feet- In situations which are waim and sheltered, seeds, sown now should germinate readily. *Jato the lower spit of soil -work plenty of decayed vegetable Tubbisb and, if available, some fowl manure. The top spit should be worked to a fine tilth, and have soot, wood ashesj and. aomo bonedust mixed in. Sow

the seed about an inch deep and six inches apart, and thin out every other one when they come up. Much finer blooms will result if the plants are not crowded. ':■. . :

In choosing a site for sweet peas it should be remembered that arhile they UK'e plenty of sunshine they are better sheltered from the worst winds, as these are liable to blow them away from their supports and to blemish the Sowers. Some of the delicate shades of salmon and orange require shade, as the colours fade in full sunshine. Slugs,and snails are troublesome to the. young plants in winter and early spring, therefore, precautions' must be taken to protect; them., Dusting along the rows with; lime, soot or powdered alum will keep; the pests away. Birds, also, cause damage sometimes "by 'pulling up the- young plants, when they first appear ;tfir.ough' the ground. Black jotton; stretched along the rows about an inch frtini the ground.will keep.the birds...off.1 *"" Daring, the growing season sweet: peas require liberal treatment in the! matter of water and liquid manure.; The latter, may be given once a fortnight from the the buds appear. This should' never be ■ given when the roots are dry, give a good watering before applying the liquid manure. Supports are absolutely necessary. Wire netting is sometimes used but is not as good as manuka scrub. The wire gets very hot in the sunshine and is apt to scorch the tendrils and any other part which comes in contact with it.GLADIOLI. Gladiolus, conns should all be out of the ground by now, especially the large-flowering summer varieties, but if some still remain no time should be lost,in lifting them. Even if the tops are still green they should be taken out of the ground,- leaving them till the foliage dies down naturally.. When this has happened the tops may be cut off .at any time before replanting. When lifting it is- wise.to see that eve^ the,; smallest bulblets have been removed or they will create untold trouble later on, especially;if the bed is to-be used •for-some1 other' Subject. • The gladiolus has become a firm favourite of recent years, a fact .which can be easily uni derstood. It is one of the easiest Of plants to manage, \ thriving, in almost any reasonably, good soil and in almost any position. The blooms which em-brace-an indescribable range of colours have been; vastly':improved, both in form.-and colouring, of recent years, and each season sees many new ones of great merit introduced to commerce. Gladioli are becoming quite a feature of the' summer garden, and by a judicious' selection of varieties and progressive planting, may be had in flower for several months. As has been stated-theyvare! easy'to" Cultivate, but it pays to give them good'treatment. The.ground may be enriched with cowmanure dug well down, and while growing the plants should not-be forced to suffer from lack of moisture. Fortnightly applications of liquid manure will greatly improve the spikes and intensify the colouring, especially if soot is included. '■',■'■■ .

Whei.*plantingi the :c"orms should be placed' front .font to i six'inches : below the. surfacei : .: Planting may be done from August.til} Ifoyember. For garden display it is advisable to plant in groups of one-toibur, about five or six to each group;; *[■■}■■ , : . ■ • ■ ' <