GARDENING NOTES

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1937, Page 6

GARDENING NOTES

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Make further sowings of half hardy , annuals, and such vegetables as celt ery, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, to- ‘ matoes, cucumbers, leeks, and onions. There should by now be quite a number of seedlings ready' to prick out ; into boxes or pots, and it is necessary to keep them moving on so that they' , may be put out into cold frames to , be gradually hardened off as soon as ) possible. Tuberous begonias and gloxi inias can be placed in shallow boxes ) of soil, watered well and placed in the ! warm greenhouse to start them into ; growth. If many plants of any particular variety of dahlia are requir- ) ed the tubers can be placed in the whrm house to start growth with a view to taking off the young shoots as cuttings. Continue to take cuttings of chrysanthemums and perpetual flowering carnations. Hydrangeas can now be potted up in six, seven or eight inch pots according to the strength of the plants, the large ones being put into tubs. As soon as the soil is in good workl ing condition the seedling primrose polyanthus can be lined out in nursery rows and any' trees or shrubs which were raised from cuttings can also be lined out. Rhododendrons, magnolias and azaleas, and any shrubs which cannot be grown easily from cuttings can be layered now. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Soil is now in better condition and all digging of either herbaceous or shrubbery borders should be completed as soon as possible. Continue to prune roses and after manuring the beds and borders, to dig them and to spray with lime sulphur. The planting of trees and shrubs and hardy perennials and alpines should be pushed on so that the various plants may become established before drier conditions set in. Dig over and level and prepare the sites for new lawns and manure, weed, and topdress old ones. Plants on the rock garden are growing now and a sharp lookout has to be kept for slugs which soon do serious damage by eating off the flower buds of such ' mat plants as aubretias and phlox. THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN. Complete the pruning and spraying of apples, pears, cherries and plums. When pruning of any kind is being carried out it is most important to have a sharp, clean knife or secateurs and to hold the latter properly' so that the blade is pressed against the shoot and not the shoot against the blade. It is also important to make the cut in the right direction and at the right distance above the bud. Spraying with red oil, one in ten, is carried out to destroy scale-mite and other insect pests and with lime sulphur or Bordeaux mixture to destroy fungoid pests. In every' case this operation should be carried out on a calm day and care should be taken to see that all the wood is damped. To clean the trees of moss a caustic spray such as caustic soda or freshly slaked lime wash can be used. Make small sowings of peas, broad beans, turnips carrots, radish and spinach.