INQUIRIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 31, 6 February 1941, Page 15

INQUIRIES

MANURING ROSE TREES. "Novice."—lf you prepared the ground properly and enriched it last year before planting the roses they should not require much more in the meantime. After pruning in the winter give a dressing of bonedust or bl-xid and bone manure at the rate of four to six ounces a square yard, forking it in lightly. This should be all that, is required if the soil is reasonably good. A dressing of rotted horse or cow manure spread over the beds as a mulch in spring will be beneficial, but this is better done after the rainy season., as it is apt to keep the soil too cold during wet weather. RASPBERRIES UNSATISFACTORY. A.E.S.—Raspberries require soil which is naturally damp, and probably the fact that those growing in the shade are more satisfactory is due to this. They do not like hot, dry positions. If you have a cooler position available it would be well to make a fresh plantation. A good mulching of manure each season .after digging between the rows will encourage strong new canes, which produce the crops. DISEASED POTATOES. "Tui."— Your potatoes are affected with blight. Nothing can be done once the trouble appears on the foliage. It can be prevented by spraying before that happens. ICELAND POPPIES AND BEGONIAS. L.E.W.—lceland poppies will sometimes last for a second year, but the best results are obtained from young plants. They usually get badly mildewed in the summer and the blooms are not worth having. Young plants raised from seed now will flower in winter or early spring. To obtain the finest begonia blooms allow only two growths on each plant and as the flowers develop, all female flowers, that is, the singles, should be removed. LEMON TREE. M.S.—To free the tree, from the grub spray with arsenate of lead. Whether this is the cause of the young lemons dropping I cannot say, but rather doubt it. The fruit may set better as the tree gets older. SCARLET RUNNER BEANS FAILING TO SET. Newtown.—lt is often found that the early flowers on beans (both runner and broad beans) fail to set, but that later in the season there is no more I trouble. It may be imperfect pollination, due to a scarcity of bees, or the growth may be rather too rank at first. I think you will find they will set all right from now on.