GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 October 1924, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

FLOWER GARDEN. (By “Waratah.’') Voilets. —Violets are greatly appreeiated for tlieir beautiful colour and delightful fragrance, and as being one of the first to appear of the earlv spring flowers. The .plants are not difficult to cultivate and large flowers with long stalks can be achieved by any grower with a little care and attention to the needs of the plants. Tile principal causes of failure to grow violets well are: Inferior soil, too hot or di-y a position, neglect to water during dry periods, and continually growing on the same plants If well cultivated a bed of violets will produce flowers for many years, but after the second season the flowers show a ten dency to become smaller and the stalks shorter each year. The finest violets are produced on one or two-year-old plants, and after they have flowered the second season they should be uprooted and destroyed. The be«t practise is to plant- a bed of rooted runners each year at about this time, when they are usually well-rooted. Sever the runner from the parent plants and lift the young plants with as much soil as possible and transfer them to the site chosen for their reception on a dull day or in the evening. The site chosen for a violet, bed should be one that is shaded from the hot afternoon sun and the soil deeply dug and enriched by adding to it a. liberal quantity of well-decayed cow manure or garden refuse. Place the young plants nine inches apart in the rows and allow twelve inches between each row. When a large bed is being planted at every fourth row a space should be left 18 inches wide so that when the violets are being picked it will not he necessary to tread on the beds. The soil in which the plants are growing must never be- allowed t-o become very dry, and it will requires copious supply of water in hot dry weather. A syringing overhead in the evenings following hot dry days will be of great benefit to the plants and help to keep down the attacks of red spider, the principle foe of the violet plant. Two-year-old plants should have any runners removed that are not required for propagating purposes, all weeds removed and a liberal quantity of bone-dust sprinkled about the plants and lightly forked in. As the weather becomes hot and dry a mulch of well-decayed manure will retard evaporation and save much labour in watering the plants. Mimulus.—This plant, which is sometimes kntfwn as “Monkey Musk,'’ is a useful one to grow in damp, shady positions. The flowers have a yellow ground and' are beautifully blotched and' marked <swith various shades of pink and red. ’ Seedlings put out now will give a magnificent display of bloom until early winter. Matluola. Bicornls. —This plant, commonly known as the evening scented stock, is a hardy annual with pretty lilac flowers, hut is grown principally for the sake of the delightful perfume emitted by the plants after a shower in the evening. Patches, of it should be sown near the house. It will be found a charming acquisition to the garden. Dahlias.—Tubers of dahlias that were lifted last autumn and stored should now be brought out and placed on the ground somewhere in the open until green shoots appear at the foot of the old stems; then divide the roots up. Each piece should consist of a. growing shoot attached to a piece of tuber. Choose the strongest shoots, as many as are required for planting’ and throw the rest away. Each single shoot will grow into a large plant by the autumn and will produce far finer flowers than if the oid bunch of tubers with a large number of shoots was planted. . Many people leave the roots of dahlias in the border year after year, and do not remove any of the shoots. Under this treatment the flowers rapidly deteriorate. The site where the young plants are to be planted should be deeply dug and well manured, and the site sheltered from strong winds, as the stems of the dahlia plant are very brittle and easily broken. Allow a space of 4 feet between each plant, and when planting leave a basin-like hollow around each to facilitate watering in hot weather, when the plants will need large supplies of water. Place a stake to •ach of the young plants and keep the main stem tied to it as it advances in growth. , Later on, as strong isiderhoots are sent out-, more stakes will be needed to tie these to, and this should be done as soon as they are a few inches in length, as they are so easily broken. Young plants are very liable to attack by slugs and should b? kept protected by a ring of tobacco dust or coarse coal ashes, and if cold winds prevail or frost threatens protected at night by means of tins or boxes. Sow hardy annuals and half-hardy annuals in warm, sheltered positions. Sow sweet peas for late summer flowering. Cuttings of chrysanthemums may still he taken. Stake carnations and any other plants needing support. Remove suckers and superfluous ‘hoots from rose bushes and keep constant watch for green fly and caterpillar. After the spell of wet cold weather we have recently experienced mildew is likely to appear. It slows first as a white mould covering stems and leaves, and will do irreparable damage if not taken in hand as soon as it is observed. The remedy is to ■spray with a solution of one ounce of potassium sulphide to 5 gallons of water, or to dust flowers of sulphur on the affected parts while wet with dew. VEGETABLE GARDEN. • ! Kuineras or sweet potatoes are easily grown in any ordinary garden spil.j They are preferred by many to *the ordinary potato, and have an advan-l tage over it in being immune from the 1 fungoid diseases which make potato- 1 growing go great an uncertainty. The cultivation of the kumera. differs from ’ the ordinary potato insomuch as the! kumera’s tubers are not placed in the! ground to grow as are potato sets, but! the kumera tollers are encouraged to emit shots by placing them in soil on a hotbed. These shoots when about two inches long are pulled off and transplanted into boxes, and in about ten days’ time they are sufficiently rooted to transplant into permanent quarters. Kuineras give the best results when planted in twelve inches of light sandy soil on a hard bottom. One good method of planting is to plant three plants 18 inches apart on slightly raised mounds, 30 inches apart, or they may be planted in rows 2ft Gin apart, allowing a minimum space of 18in between the plants. After cultivation consists of keeping the soil free from weeds and lifting the running shoots occasionally with the hands to prevent them rooting into the soil from the joints, and thus taking nourishment from th 9 main roots

at the end ’of which tile tubers are formed. Sow broad beans for succession and pinch out the tips of those growing when they attain a height of 2ft. This will induce the beans to form and also prevent attach by black aphis, which settles in the thick cluster of young ieaves at the top of the plant. Sow I Tenon, butter and runner beans, the first two every three weeks for succession. Sow lettuce , radish and mustard and cress in small quantities once a fortnight for saladings. Sow autumn Giant cauliflower and broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and Savoy cabbage for use in winter. Sow carrots, turnips and parsnips in soil free from fresh animal manure. Onions may still be sown for use in winter. Sow cabbage for succession. Sow cucumbers, melons of various kinds, pumpkins and squashes as advised in previous notes. Young plants must be protected at night from cold winds and possible frosts. Rhubarb may now' be sown Jin deep m drills 18in apart. Thin out seedlings to loin apart. Sow spinach for succession in rich soil, and if possible in a position shc-lec! from sun after mol- 'ay. Celery plants may he put out "n trenches, prepared as advised in last week’s notes. Parsley may still be sown. Sow peas for succession every three weeks, allowing a. space of two foet between- dwarf varieties and four feet, for tall varieties. Sow . sweet corn 2in deep in drills 4ft apart and thin out to 9in apart. The space between the rows can he utilised to grow' such crops as lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, etc., which will benefit by the partial shade provided by the corn plants. Keep tomato plants tied to their stakes as they advance in growth, and pinch oufi the side shoots which appear at the junction of the leaves with the stem, as soon as they can be handled.