GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Evening Star, Issue 17697, 25 June 1921, Page 12

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Our contributor, a well-known gardener, will be glad to answer questions, which must he received not later than 1 uesdag of each week. HOSES. This month is a good time to plant roees, providing the weather and the ground are suitable. What planting has to bo done should be got off hand as soon as possible. As a rule July is with frost and sometimes snow. If planting is not finished before then, I should prefer the beginning of August. Climbing roses, especially ramblers, should be pruned as soon as possible. Tho beginning of August will suit for pruning dwarf roses. FLOWERS. Various kinds of bulbous plants are showing through the ground, consequently advantage should be taken of all fine days or when the surface soil is dry to clear the ground of weeds. This is an easy matter whilst the weeds aro small, but if neglected now the work of cleaning later on will be much more difficult. Borders of polyanthus, primroses, violets, pansies, and violas may be planted. The richer and better cultivated the ground is made for them the better will be tho flowering. Autumn sown annuals should be sufficiently strong now to require thinning out. Thin sufficiently to allow room for each plant to develop. Tho flowering will be very much better. Whilst the ground is dry dig, manure, and transplant tho hardy herbaceous border. Perennial phlox, peonies, Michaelmas daisies, and such like plants should be got in at once; they will then get established before the growth starts in spring. PRUNING SMALL FRUIT. Among the fruits recognised in this class the gooseberry stands at the head. Most people can cut gooseberry bushes in a way, but few take the trouble to learn to prune properly. Some think that dipping off the points of the shoots is all that is •required. This way of pruning will soon produce bushes "that perhaps give a lot of fruit for a time, but of poor quality, and making it an unpleasant task to do the picking; and in a short time such bushes become past doing much with, consequently are left to take their chance. Good pruning will keep bushes in fine fruiting condition for many years. I will try to explain the proper method. With newly-planted young bushes prune hard back to only a few inches in length, according to the strength, leaving only about four of the best shoots. Cut the rest away. From these lour will shoot perhaps a dozen strong growths. Cast the eye over the bush, and cut away all surplus shoots, leaving only about eight or ten of the best. Cut fairly hard back again the second season. There should then be a good-sized and well-shaped bush, capable of carrying a good crop of fine fruit. From this onward the method to adopt in pruning is to look over the bush and cut somo out altogether where crowding exists. Other side shoots should be cut back to two or three eyes to produce strong shoots for next season’s fruiting. The strong shoots left should point outward and at an even distance all around the bush. They should have onlv tho points removed. These growths are the proper fruit-producers, and will give both quantity and quality. They should bo so open that the hand may be" inserted freely among the shoots without fear of pricking.

Currants, both black and red, should bo pruned or cut fairly hard back for the first two seasons, as with the gooseberry, to form a good framework. Keep them fairly open by removing or cutting back small or weak growths. After the second pruning hard cutting back should not be continued, particularly with black currants. The difference between black and red currants is that black currants fruit nn the young wood and red on the old; hence the modification of the principle of pruning. After a foundation or bush is found. I have seen red currants fruit on the stem itself, but not so with the black. From this onward thin out by cutting away all surplus shoots. Others should be shortened back to two or three inches, and on the leading or fruiting shoots only the points should be taken off. As crowding advances cut out all old wood to make room for the new, as this is the fruitbearing wood. Red and white currants should have their leading new wood cut harder back than the black. Some of the red currant bushes have a nasty habit during windy summer weather of' splitting down at the base of the shoot. Some break off altogether; others only half. All this spoils the shape of the bush. To prevent this trouble, go over the bushes with a pair of pruners or hedge clippers in the summer, when the young growth is 12iu to 18in in length, and clip off the points. This makes them grow stronger and stiffer; consequently able to resist the wind. ANSWERS. "Beginner.”—Before I could say for certain what would be most suitable' for a steep clay hank I should like to know the soil and situation. Where it would be difficult to get plants to grow I should advise digging a trench along the top part, fill it in_ with good soil, and plant trailing varieties of rambler roses. Or one could dig holes here and there amiplant the strong form of ice plant. In either of these cases the surface should be stripped off and made clean. On the other hand, if the ground is not very steep and the soil is good, I should plant tome of the hardy forms of flowering shrubs.

“W.A.S.”—I advise to get rid of that weed in your lawn, to go over it right away and give the weedy patches a hard raking with a sharp steel rake. Take as much of it off as you can. Then give the patches a dressing with lawn sand and leave them for the winter. In spring scatter a little good lawn grass over the patches, give a dressing of fresh sou, and roll well. Fowl manure is good to keep down weeds, particularly daisies. Directions are on the tins as to the quantity of lawn sand to use. This sand also acts

aa a stimulant to grass later on. I think your lawn requires stimulating by way of a dressing with manure—either good stable manure or bone meal and superphosphate. Stable manure should bo given during winter. Artificial manures are best given in the spring when growth has started. “ Puzzled ” sends part of a flowering shrub for naming. lam puzzled) too. It appears quite new to me. “Plum Tree.”—-It is hard to say what is the cause of your plum tree not fruiting. Tho twig forwarded seems quite healthy, showing nice fruit spurs upon it, except the dead point, which may have been killed through pruning or cutting. I should say it is op cold clay with water lying about its roots. H.C.