GARDENING NOTES

Grey River Argus, 5 March 1937, Page 10

GARDENING NOTES

THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN. Dig potatoes auid' store the tubers in a dark, dry cellar or shed or in clamps Thin out seedling crops,, clear off spent, crops of peas and. beans, lime and dig over the vacant ground:, aud plan'll spring cabbage or broccoli, or sow winter spinach. Earth "up leeks and celery and give 'vegetable marrows a good application of liquid manure. If animal manure is not available dissolve in ounce of sulphte of ammonia or mitirate of soda in two gallons o f water and 1 apply it. Collect fruit as it ripens, aud rootprune fruit trees which are making excessive growth, THE FLOWER GARDEN. Sweet peas are flowering well now, and owing to the cool, wet weather, they show little signs of setting seed pods. It will (Hot be necessary to feed or water them this year. Dahlias are coming on rapidly, and' if large flowers are desired for exhibition purposes the buds will have to be tlhinned out to one on each stem. For garden decoration all the buds can be allowed to develop, and liquid manure once a week will assist. The dwarf decorative singles and bedding kinds are doing particularly well for they are not setting seed. The old flowers should be removed from time to time, and the young shoots tied in. Continue to plant the various kinds of spring flowering bulbs and tubers and to cut over the old flowers of herbaceous perennials a s they get past their best, and to remove annuals and biennials altogether. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Chrysanthemums are now forming their buds, and those intended for large flowers and the decoratives should be taken. To get the largest flowers tak£ the/ fif-st crown bud, which is the first buid to appear oil the cud o f fll e stem. This gives the largest flowers, but not of the most intense colour, and if it appears too soon, it is taken out and a shoot allowed to arise below it on which we will get the second crown bud. The crown bud is distinguished' from the terminal by the fact that the buds which form below it develop into shoots.

whereas in the terminals the buds which arise below* the lop bud are other flower buds. For cut. flowers and singles it is better to go on to the terminals and unless sprays arc wanted, to remove all except the top bud. If sprays of three or five, flowers are wanted it is better’ to remove the top bud. which is usually a bil ahead of the others, and l Io select the desired number all about the> same stage of development. Plants growing in pots or tins and, in fact ihose in ’the opop as well, should receive a lopdressing as soon as the buds sei. Io be followed, by applies I ions of liquid manure at first once a week and later twice, n.n'til the buds show colour, wlhen feeding should stop. Insect pests have not been •troublesome this year, but fungoid ones have, and a spraying occasionally with stilphli'de of potassium loz i.n three gallons of water, can be given when the foliage is dry. Keep the stems securely staked and as soon as colour shows pul in under cover of some kind. To reta'nd' the blooms a little Ike shoots which arise below them arc allowed to develop a little, but it i s really bolter to remove them as soon as they can be handled. Cinerarias which wore pot'tcd up int 0 three-inch pots will now be ready to ]>ot on into fives or sixes. It is befltcr to pot the tall.growing stcllaitas into fives now, and into eights later on. but the dwarfcr kinds can be potted into six-inch pots right way. Stand on a cinder bench i.n the green house or in a frame and keep a sharp lookout for green fly or leaf miners. Owing to unseasonable weather, the cyclamen will now be better in the greenhouse than in the frame. Give weak liquid manure once a week. Prick out seedling cyclamen into boxes or pans and grow On in 'the warm greenhouse. Put in cuttings of geraniums and pelargoniums, and out the old plants back to within an inch of the old wood'.

Top-dress palms, ferns and other foliage plants.