THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 26

THE GARDEN

WORK. FOR THE WEEK.

SEASONABLE WORK THE VEGETABLE GARDEN The exceptionally dry condition of the ground at the time of-writing makes it very trying for seedlings-or plants coming through the ground. Whilst the ground is in such condition seed should be sown deeper than usual. This refers to all seeds such as peas, beans, carrots, turnips, beet, and others. When the seeds germinate they will soon force their way through the soil, but in the case of small seeds the ground should be well watered before sowing takes place. If seeds are sown without some such precautions they will not germinate or grow until rain comes, and will not do well then unless it comes quickly. Crops just coming through the ground—especially members of the brassica family—should not be allowed to suffer for want of moisture, or they will most likely be attacked with club root or some other trouble. If possible give them no checks, but keep them growing from start to finish, and they will looT: after themselves. Earth up potatoes as they require it in case of cold snaps or signs of frosts.^ Make another solving of late broccoli, these to come in late next spring. Sow als'o the large kinds of cabbages and savoys to come in for late autumn use. Sow peas for succession, using the tall or main crop kinds for this sowing. Sow French and runner beans, lettuce, radish, cress, and other saladings. Thin out young growing crops before they become crowded. Where main crop potatoes are not already in, lose no time in getting them planted. Take advantage of the dry condition of the ground to destroy weeds by the frequent use of the hoe. TOMATOES IN THE OPEN GROUND

about twenty varieties last autumn from the one source. Some have grown and flowered well. On the first glance I thought the trouble was the eel worm, but under the microscope it looks more like basal rot. Did you use manure? If so it should be well down away from the bulbs. They will get food from.it just the same, and it is safer for the bulbs. If your soil is light use more clay, hut the trouble. 1 am afraid, has been in the bulbs when'purchased. Lift the sickly bulbs. Clean or wash with hot water after they have ripened off. Dry them, and at planting time give them a small bed to themselves. "Use lime in the soil, and do not plant too deeply—not more than three times the depth of the bulb. “ J.T.F.”—-Your rhubarb has shown a lot of seed again this year. You say you took my advice and broke it off last year, and still it is running to seed. —Break it off as soon as you see it at any time. I am afraid, however, that your soil is too light and hot. It requires plenty of manure or humus, with n little heavier soil or clay mixed in with it. I think you : should make a new bed. 'Hie roots of your rhubarb are getting run out. They require taking up and dividing, or now crowns should he procured from another source. tJsc plenty of manure and dig deeply. H.C. WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S WILD FLOWERS The following, relating to the wild flowers of Western Australia, is taken from a private letter received in Dunedin:— ■ “Western Australia has a- worldwide reputation for her wild flowers, and just now they are particularly in evidence. These flowers really clothe the countryside, and different colours predominate in different Some are pink, some yellow, some white, and they tint the landscape accordingly They range in size from a sixpennypiece to that of the old crown piece. Then there are innumerable orchids, some very delicate in shape and colour iug, whilst others are of more sturdy nature. Some of the bush flowers are also very beautiful, and in mass formation make a fairy carpet in the forest Many of the colourings are really vivid. Then our ‘ kangaroo paws ’ are things of beauty. Some are very small, others grow as high as 6ft. These are black, dark green, red and green, and other shades, about twenty varieties altogether. Our boronins are indigenous to Western Australia, and are in several varieties. One has a verv fine perfume, and is being used for the manufacture of commercial scent. This variety is brown, verging on black, with yellow inside. There are several other varieties, but none with such a pronounced scent.” AQUILEGIAS As cub flowers the long-spurred columbines are a decided acquisition. A Jong season of growth is necessary if the plants are fd give of their best. While plants may bo obtained from any of the seedsmen, there is no reason why a stock of these plants should not bo raised at home, provided a cold frame or greenhouse is available. The best time, of course, is to sow the seeds in autumn, when they come into flower the following spring. The seed lings come up irregularly, so that it must not be thought that tho seed is not good if the young plants show up I in patches. Sometimes a fortnight will elapse between tho appearance of tho first seedlings and the main lot. It is therefore advisable to sow thinly, as by doing this the individual seedlings I can be transplanted without fear of; disturbing those not quite ready to set out. Any soil will do to fill the seed boxes, but sandy loam and leaf mould, half and half, is the best for the purpose. Press the soil down firmly with a fiat piece of wood prior to sowing, and make quite certain that it is not loose and spungy down the sides of the boxes. Before planting out harden the young plants off before attempting to plant them out in their permanent positions. No matter where it is intended to plant them, it should be remembered that although aquilegias like liberal supplies of water, they strongly object to it when it is in a stagnant state at their roots. It is essential, therefore, that the ground in which they are planted should bo thoroughly drained. TO GROW) CARROTS IN CLAY SOIL The best way to grow carrots on a clay soil is to grow them on ridges. The ground should be forked over early in spring, and made as friable as possible; then set out a line, and, with a draw-hoe, draw the . soil up into a mound Ift high and the same at the base. Make it straight and even, then, holding the tool horizontally, press the handle into the top of the ridge to the depth of an inch. This forms a drill. Sprinkle the seed in gently, and break over the top of the edges of the drill. When the carrots are through, and about an inch high, thin them, and do not forget to press the soil close round the young plants left This will keep away the carrot fly. By this method a good crop of clean carrots can bo grown, but not good enough to rely on for exhibition. Some may think the carrots may suffer from the ridges becoming dry, but this is not so, especially if the seed is sown when the soil is thoroughly moist, for then soon the good foliage shades the ridges. SEED PCD WORTH £30,0C3 Behind the sale of a single flower only a few inches high for over £350, at a recent Chelsea, England, flower show, lies a romance of agriculture. The seed pod from which the flower sprang may bo worth £30,000, Already four or five seeds from the pod have produced plants that have sold for an average of £2OO each, and there are still a thousand left, half of which should produce results. The flower is called Miltonia Armstrongii, and its dark cerise bloom with touches of wmte and yellow is a new orchid to experts. It has Mexican parentage and English breeding, and three and a-half years of tender cultivation in a Tunbridge Wells hothouse have been devoted to its production.

In the cultivation of tomatoes in the open air there are two extremes to bo guarded against—viz., the starvation treatment on the one hand, and overfeeding on tho other. In overfed plants you get strong stems and leaves, but it will be at the expense of the fruit. Any good turfy or common garden loam with a dusting of superphosphate and Kainit will give excellent results. Make tho ground firm. Avoid loose soil at any cost. The situation should be a warm and sunny one. Keep the plants confined to single stems, and pinch out all side growths as they appear. Plant 12in to loin apart in rows, and 3ft from row to row, or, better still, against a warm wall or paling fence. The time to plant must depend upon the district in which one lives. For this district quite the end of this month or beginning of next will be early enough. Secure good, strong, well-hardened plants. Success will depend upon good plants. THE VINERY Vines are now making rapid growth, and must be attended to. All surplus growth should bo removed. As a rule two, three, or more shoots will have shot away from each side arm. These must bo rubbed out except for one on each side arm, always selecting the best placed and strongest, and the one with the best bunch of fruit showing. Sometimes the best shoots are inclined to grow up toward tho glass, and, as there is always a danger of these young shoots breaking right away at the base when being tied down to the wires, it is advisable to leave an extra shoot until tho desired shoots are all in place, after which all the surplus ones may then be removed. When these side shoots are well for ward and growth is extending, tie them in place, and pinch off the points, ono or two eyes beyond the fruit bunch—two eyes where '•hero is plenty of room or one if at all crowded. Side shoots or sub-laterals will soon form. These should be pinched back to one eye, and kept at that, but tho end ono should be allowed to extend, pinching it back one eye at a time. By the end of the season there should bo' about five eyes or joints beyond the bunch of fruit, which will be quite sufficient leafage or foliage for the vines to carry. On no account allow a mass of growth or leafage to accumulate, or trouble will be sure to follow later on.

Give plenty of top ventilation on warm, sunny days, and close all vents early in the afternoon to bottle up the heat for the night., Keep a warm, soft atmosphere by an occasional watering of the floor or inside border. Open the vents when the temperature reaches 70deg and a rising glass. THE TOMATO HOUSE

Continue to plant in unheated or cold houses. There should be no risk of the plants being damaged by cold snaps from now when under glass. The tomato is a tender but not a tropica! plant. It requires a moderately high temperature, free circulation of air, and above all a full flow of solar light. Plant in rows 2ft Gin apart from row to row, and 12in in the row. These rows should run at right angles from the footpath. Water only moderately until the plants are in full growth, after which tho amount, but never over-water. Give water when the surface soil becomes dry, and give sufficient to reach all the roots.

Early-planted tomatoes—that is, those in heated houses—are making rapid both in flower and setting their, fruit. Side shoots, and all surplus growth must be removed. Do not allow extremes of any kind; neither an excess of moisture nor dryness at the roots, either of which will cause falling of the bloom or the nonsetting of the fruit. Give plenty of air on hot days, but avoid cold draughts from doors or bottom ventilation. THE ROSE GARDEN Attention is required in the rose garden just now, such as hoeing and weeding beds to keep down weeds, and going over the plants to rub out or remove esurplus or overcrowded shoots. This is very important work, and should be attended to at once, if not already offhand. Keep a watchful eye for suckers on both dwarfs and standards. As soon as seen dig them out or rub them off the stems of standard. The best way to remove suckers from the roots pi‘ base , of the bush is to take a firm grip of the sucker and give a sharp tug, and pull it clean away. By, digging or cutting them out there is always a danger of their growing again. Now is a good time to mulch with manure or feed the plants artificially* ANSWERS * “ Appreciation.” The narcissus bulbs forwarded are in a very bad or rotted; state. '. You say you planted

(tar canMfcafts*, a wsfitewsn gardener, wia bs glad to answer questions, which must be reeeavwi not later than Tuesday o ( each week. Sor Shis asSenm mat be handed in to Ora office before 2 p.m. on frktey.

DANDELIONS To destroy dandelions cut tho tops off in the spring and place a pinch of salt or a little gas tar on the fresh wound. The root of the dandelion, when boiled, makes an excellent tonic, especially pseful in liver complaints. Further, the young shoots of the dandelion are delicious in salads. The flower itself makes excellent wine, picked in full bloom in dry weather. The juico from the stem is very good for warts on the hands. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES A PROLIFIC CROPPER. For those who like the flavour the Jerusalem artichoke is a profitable crop to grow,- as under moderately favourable conditions it gives a fairly prolific yield. No elaborate preparations are required, although a little attention is appreciated. Any soil is suitable for the culture of this crop except a very heavy clay where the drainage will not be too good The time for planting is about now. Being a tuberous crop, the artichoke will delight in a welltilled soil, so the proposed plot should be dug over deeply. An out-of-the-way corner should bo selected for the purpose where possible, as the artichoke is a tall growing plant, and is liable to overshadow any smaller crops. Besides, as it takes about eight months in which to mature, one should avoid growing it in one of the best plots the use of which would be lost for such a long period. The artichoke has tubers similar to potatoes in that they have eyes, and sets possessing about three eyes are suitable. Those with several more than this number may be cut in two just as large potato sets are. Drills about 6in deep are formed, in which to place the sets, and these should be separated by 2ft Gin or 3ft where more than one row is being grown from 12in to 15in may be allowed between the sets, according to the food content of the soil. During development do not require a great deal of attention. When the young plants are about Sin high they may be earthed up. Surface cultivation is practically all that they require after this. Later on, when the plants attain a height of about sft it is desirable to stop their upward development by “topping” the plants. This will help to divert the strength of the plants into more useful channels —viz., the feeding of the tubers. Any tubers which have been loft in the ground from last year’s crop had better be dug now and stored in sand. The artichokes keep better when left in the ground, but the fact that the approach of mid-spring will cause them to sprout, necessitates their removal at the present time. SOOT WATER FOR PLANTS Tim beneficial results that follow the application of soot to the soil in which plants are grown aro well known to experienced cultivators. Soot is also very useful for keeping down the numbers of pests which thrive in tho surface layers of soil. It is often very inconvenient to use soot in a solid form for tho treatment of indoor plants which aro grown in pots. For one thing, if the soot is merely laid on the surface of the soil in the pot it is apt to blow about the room,.and even if the soil and soot are mixed together a verj' unpleasant black-looking soil is produced. The best way to apply soot to indoor plants is to use it in the form of a solution. Got a calico bag and place in it a few handfuls of good soot. Then tie up the bag and place it in half a bucketful of water, allowing it to remain there for about ten days. At least once a day you ought to stir the bag about in tho water, iu order to facilitate the extraction of all the beneficial qualities of the soot. After ten days or so the soot water will be ready for use, and if you water tho soil of tho indoor plant with this liquid you will get the same good results ■which you would do if you had treated the soil with solid soot; in fact, the results will be better, as tho plants can the more readily assimilate it when it is in solution. For hardy plants the soot water can bo used at full strength, but for plants which are of a rather delicate habit it is best to dilute the liquid with an equal quantity of water before using it. FLOWERS BENEATH TREES At this time of the year, it is noticeable how well spring flowers thrive under trees (writes “Lorna,” in the ‘Manawatu Times’). Where the branches of trees, both evergreen and summer leafing sweep the turf in pleasure ground or drive, many pretty spring flowering bulbs may be naturalised beneath the branches, and will thrive with little attention. It is chiefly in the case of deciduous trees that this can be done, but even in tho case of conifers and evergreens, some graceful objects may be dotted beneath the utmost points of their lower branches. We know that a great number of our spring flowers and hardy bulbs mature tneir foliage and go to rest early in the year. In spring they require light and sun, which they obtain abundantly under the summer leafing trees; they have time to flower and grow under it before the foliage of the tree appears. Then, as the summer heat approaches, they arc overshadowed and go to rest, but the loaves of the trees once fallen, they soon begin to reappear, and cover the ground with beauty. Cowslips and primroses as well as bulbs flourish extremely well under deciduous trees, and if a large outspreading apple tree is within the vicinity of the garden, there is no prettier sight than to plant blue flag irises beneath its branches. The pale pink tints of the apple blossom, with the blue setting of the iris underneath, provide a pleasing colour combination. During exceptionally wet winters, bulbous things are really a greater success under trees, as the roots, spread out iu all directions, tend to keep the roots dry. and better drained. By taking advantage of all such spots, more space is available for growing summer and autumn flowering plants. On any grassy spots where bulbs arc to be natiiralised, care should be taken not to overdo the planting. To scatter narcissi equally over the grass every where is to destroy all chance of repose, or relief, and of ‘seeing them in the ways in which they often arrange themselves. Bold groupings here and there are much more pleasing and provide a wealth of bloom for cutting..

MANURING YOUNG TREES

Replying to a question as to Avhcther kraal manure is suitable for ' newlyplanted trees, and Avhether they should be treated ae in the old-established orchard, Dr M. J. van der Spuy, Lecturer in Chemistry at Grootfontein School of Agriculture (South Africa) stated:— The method of applying the essential plant-food constituents to fruit trees will largely be decided by tho age of the trees. In other Avords, in cases of old trees the plant food should be broadcasted over the entire orchard—not too near the stem, however—and, further, it should be thoroughly ploughed in. Considering orchards of trees one or two yeans old, it will not bo necessary to apply the fertiliser' over the Avhole area, as the feeding roots are not very distant from the stem. The treatment—-that is the plant food to be applied as well as the amount and form in Avhich it is to be supplied—depends mainly on the general condition of the trees and the nature of the soil. In order to give any definite advice, one must as least have the folknving information: Whether the trees show under, normal, or rank growth; whether trees are shy or? good bearers and the nature of the soil—-that is, sandy, loamy, or, clay, etc, _ Manure can always be considered as a very favourable plant food; containing substance, but should, e.g., be used where trees are making too rank a growth. In the case of normal growers and bearers, manure supplemented by phosphates ia a v «?.ry satisfactory treatment. TRGPEOLUM SPECIOSUM The above climber, the flame nasturtium, excites admiration Avhenever and wherever it is seen, and worthily so, for when seen at its best it is a plant of great brilliance. When planted near evergreen trees it threads its slender annual groAvths, laden Avith vermilion floAvors, sometimes climbing into the tops of them, but more often drooping over them, their beauty lasting for many Aveeks. Even when the flowers are gone, attractive purple iruits take their place, and thus extend : the interest of this charming subject well into the winter. Thisplanthas often been described as the glory of the Scotch Highlands, where it is said to reach,, and in some instances clothe, the:roofs of cottages with its:gorgeous flowers.