DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 21819, 7 September 1934, Page 10

DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

The Gardening Club met on Tuesday evening, when there was a good attendance, Mr F. H. Hollingworth presiding. Mr E. A. Hamel spoke on ‘ Sweet Peas and Chrysanthemums,’ and said in regard to sweet peas that it was now time that all seed sowing was completed. Those who had plants in pots or boxes large enough to plant out should wait till a favourable opportunity to' put them out in their permanent quarters. The preparation of the trenches should be finished, if not already done. It was important that the trenches should be completed some considerable time before planting, so as to allow the soil to consolidate. Sweet peas did best in a firm rooting medium. It gave a short-jointed stem, better flowers, and they did not grow so tall and were more resistant to disease. For ordinary garden purposes manuka scrub was the most suitable to grow them on. Chrysanthemums.—Mr Hamel said that the growing of chrysanthemums from seed was a most interesting and fascinating hobby. As regarded the single chrysanthemums, it was very easy, and the chance of raising something new and good was in the hands of everyone. Now was the time to sow the seed, which should be sown in boxes or pots or in some well-sheltered situation in good sweet, open soil, slightly covered, watered, and shaded. They would germinate quite freely, and, if in boxes or pots, should be pricked off into plant boxes, and when large enough planted out into their flowering quarters, about 2ft apart and well staked. If well cultivated they would grow into nice plants and would flower next May, As they came into flower the best could be marked and kept, and the remainder could bo scrapped. Those grown for seed purposes should be left to ripen their seed, and should bo then, cut, taken inside, and put in a dry airy place to further mature the seed.

Mr Hamel presented those present with a packet of chrysanthemum seed, and offered a trophy for the best flowers produced from that seed next May. Ho also offered chrysanthemum plants for a competition for which ho would donate a trophy. At the conclusion questions were answered, and on the motion of Mr Gray a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Hamel for his informative address and generosity..