GARDENING NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 September 1938, Page 4

GARDENING NOTES

(BY

“WELLWISHER”)

During fine weather the garden scene should be one of activity, there is always so much to do and very sel- , dom do we manage to catch up with > our work and have things as we would ; like them. Planting operations in re- | gard to shrubs, roses, shelter and fruit i trees should be pushed on at every i opportunity and finished. Those who haven’t ordered their trees etc., will , probably have to be satisfied with what the nurserymen have left as most choice varieties will probably be sold and now they will have to be content with second • best. This shows us the value of early ordering and getting in while the going is good. I Don’t endeavour to plant and sow I while the soil is wet and soggy as the ■ pores of the soil are closed up making i percolation difficult and in some cases lan utter impossibility. Bad drainage will keep the soil sour and cold, thus I hindering the growth and development I of all plant life. The temperature of J the .earth rises when sunshine is ab- ’ sorbed and so does the temperature of water but not to the same extent. The ['water of a large pond remains cool in the summer when the shore may be [ quite hot to the touch. Water therefore requires a greater amount of beat than earth to attain a given temperature. This partly accounts for the coldness of soils saturated with moisture. The water content absorbs much heat without much corresponding rise in temperature. There is however, a further reason, water has a high latent heat. When water is turned from the liquid state into that of a gas, heat is absorbed ("latent heat). This is true whether the water is evaporated at ordinary outdoor temperatures or at boiling point. At school we learnt that the heat required to evaporate 11b of water would be enough to raise the temperature of 10,000 lbs. of -water 1 degree Fah. This you can see is obviously a large amount. NoW the heart required for evaporation is by no means always supplied directly from the sun, for I dry winds are very effective in promoting evaporation of soil water. As heat must be given to the water formed, this is drawn from the soil and the latter falls in temperature. Anything which will hinder evaporation will increase the warmth of the I soil, so we can gather from this that drainage can be overdone. Good drainage does not certainly mean that all moisture is removed from the soil because that would be fatal for plant life —but good drainage is accomplished when all surplus moisture is carried away while ample is still retained from which plants can draw upon as they may require it. One of the virtues of the fine tilth that the gardener likes for his seed bed is its loose surface which hinders evaporation and thus keeps the soil warmer. So this is why a mulch is provided in hot weather to conserve the moisture.

We know by experience that the moisture in some soils drains away quicker than in others —thus a sandy ■ loam requires less drainage that a clayey, heavy loam, and the reason • is that water percolates quicker where there are coarse particles or wide pores, and percolation will always be slower through a clay sub-soil. The lesson we can learn from this is, that shrub planting etc., can be carried out efficiently and the soil be workable when it is a sandy mixture by some gardeners, while others have got to wait for percolation to take place before their soils will be workable. ATTENTION TO ROSES Roses can now be pruned. All dead wood must be cut away as this is where the spores of disease hybermite and accumulate. No definite plan or ruling can be laid down in regard | to pruning roses or other trees and I shrubs. Most roses grown for show ■ are pruned to within three or four buds of the base even when the natural conditions are thoroughly favourable. the number of shoots are restricted and the flower buds are thinned so that blooms are fever but of a better quality. Rambler roses should be pruned directly after flowering, any new growths could now be tied in to remove their straggly appearance. The pruning of other roses will vary with the sorts but as a rule it is wise to prune hard all dwarf roses. There is always a tendency with beginners to under-prune rather than prune severely, but experience whereby we benefit by mistakes will be our school of learning. Divide up all herbaceous perennials before growth gets too far advanced, small stocky growths from the outside of clumps have generally the best roots and make the best plants. Do not plant back again into starved and exhausted soils and expect good results, some fresh soil, manure, sand and ashes mixed together will give beneficial effects. All plant life re-; sponds to a little encouragement in the way of added cultivation and hoeing- of the soil around them during the fine days.

All hardy seeds such as candytuft, sweet alyssum, sweet peas, goditia, clarkie and lupin can be sown now in raised beds where they can be reasonably protected from slugs and bad ’weather. Any hardy plants can now be planted out in the open border to fill up gaps and bridge over the period when the spring blooms will be finished and the summer annuals come into bloom. In the orchard all pruning should now be finished and spraying should always follow on. All sprays can still be used at winter strength except on plums and cherries which will soon be breaking into bloom.

One good strong spraying when f rees are still dormant is worth a lot as prevention is better than cure. When pruning is finished remember and select some good healthy scions for later use in grafting, heel them in in a shady place now. Currants, gooseberry and logan berries can still be planted, all pruning of these should be now finished and any cuttings of currants and gooseberry trees I can l)e placed in sandy soil so that ’ a few young bushes will be at hand next year to replace those that have outlived their usefulness. A few branches of loganberries can be laid in sandy soil if you require to increase your stock. Plant the new. “Youngberry,” which is a cross between the loganberry, blackberry and raspberry, the habit is something between a blackberry and a loganberry and therefore needs tying up to a fence or wall. The fruit is quite 2 to 3 inches long and of the appearance of a dead ripe loganberry, is rich and juicy with very little seeds and de-1 lightful for dessert or jam. Very eas-1 ily picked, prolific and early they make a welcome addition to any gar-,’ den. ;