ROUTINE TASKS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 29

ROUTINE TASKS

ALWAYS BEFORE THE

GARDENER

Gardening is a work which is never finished and even during the summer months, when the gardener may enjoy the fruits of his previous labours, it is not possible.to sit back and think of the work being completed. There are always routine jobs to be attended to, and these are often the most important of all. Foremost among the necessary jobs, and one which is often little understood by amateurs, is that of staking and tying plants. Although really quite simple it requires time, and patience and the exercise of not a little skill. A badly-staked plant is an eyesore, and an insecurely-tied one will merely postpone an inevitable tragedy. The first thing to be sure of is that the materials are sound. A good stock of stakes of varying sizes and thicknesses is required, and plenty of suitable tying material. In connection with the stakes, for small and medium-sized plants, bamboos are the best as they are straight and firm and have a natural appearance. For tall subjects which grow to anything up. to 6ft, lin square hardwood stakes should be used. Whatever is used, do not spoil the appearance of the garden by putting in pieces of split boards. STAKING TALL PLANTS. The great art of good staking is to disguise as much as possible the artificial support which is given to the plant. The stake cannot always be hidden entirely, but.it may be selected and placed in position with such good judgment that when the plant has attained maturity very little indeed of the stake or its ties is visible. In every case see that the stake has a firm hold in the ground. In making the tie do it in such a manner that while the plant is held securely its stems are left free to develop in a natural way. If the tie is made too tightly the flow of sap will be checked and the plant will suffer. Tall-growing plants such as .hollyhocks should be tied at intervals of lft. Special care is needed in the tying of bushy subjects such as .perennial phloxes and Michaelmas daisies. Instead of using only one stake and tying the plants round the middle so that when the job is finished the plant looks like a sheaf of grain, place three stakes round the clump—one in front and two behind—and loop the tying material round them so that the stems of the plant are enclosed and yet held securely. Staking should always be done before the demand for support becomes urgent. It is not much use waiting till the plants are blown over or otherwise damaged before putting in the supports. REMOVING SPENT FLOWERS. This is another routine work too often neglected. A little while spent in this occupation every day during the flowering season Will make all the difference to the appearance of the garden and the health of the plants. The need is generally recognised in connection with sweet peas and pansies, but it is equally important with other ptants—ail annuals, geraniums, roses, fuchsias, etc.—the flowers of which invariably deteriorate when seed pods are allowed to remain and seed to ripen. THINNING OF PLANTS. For any plant to come to perfection it must have sufficient space to develop fully. Seedlings should, therefore, be thinned to the required distance and the sooner this is done the less chance of checking the plants which are to remain by damaging their roots.