GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 June 1926, Page 6

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Waratah.” PRUNING SPRING FLOWERING* SHRUBS. At this time of the year, when pruning is being done it is necessary to remind the inexperienced amateur gardener that tre»as and shrubs which produce flowers in the spring must not be pruned until they have flowered. Varieties such as lilacss, mocK orange, .spuoas, dowering plums and peaches and any kind of tree or shrub which is in flower from August to the latter part of October should not have branch reductions made after the early part of summer Flower buds are now in existence, and if anv stems are cub off now, the disp ay of bloom in the spring will beconsiderablv less. * Many promising displays are spoilt, n- th 0 * injudicious use of the pruningkiiife or secateurs. In all cases! flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned and made shapely as soon as they have finished flowering. The varieties which flower in summer should be operated on at the end of that season, and so on throughout the year. Any dead wood may be cut out now, and in the case or old neglected bushes some of the very crowded wood in the centres.

CLEANING GREENHOUSES. Cleanliness is one of the chief essentials in successful gardening, and is of prime importance in indoor operations. If not already done, no time should be lost in cleaning the interior of plant houses generally. The roof glass should be washed down as well as the wall surfaces, which should be afterwards sprayed with carbolic acid, using loz to each gallon of water. All wall surfaces should be lime-washed, adding half a pound of flowers of .sulphur to every three gallons of limewash. The best fixing medium for lime-wasli is .skim milk; linseed oil is also used. Size is often made use of, but it is no good for the purpose, as the lime soon destroys it. All propagating cases and frames, should be treated in the same way, replacing the old plunging material, if necessary, with fresh. Stages and benches should also receive attention, renewing any standing material which is old and sour. This is very important, as plants never do well when standing on a dirty, sour medium. Where gravel is used on benches it should be washed. Other material, such as sifted ashes or coke breeze, should be discarded and replaced with fresh. The benches when cleaned should,he watered with the carbolic acid solution advised above for the walls. All the foregoing labour may to many seem unnecessary, but it is only by strict attention to such details that'plants may be grown with success under glass. REMOVING SUCKERS FROM ROSES All budded or grafted roses are liable to produce suckers from the stock, especially if the roots are damaged with the spade. It is necessary when sucker® are sent up to remove them, or they will draw all the sustenance from the rose and eventually will cause its death. To remove these robbers, draw the soil carefully away from the roots until the point of union with the root is laid bare. If the rose bush has plenty of roots and the sucker arises at a distance from the ste, cut off theroot just behind the sucker. This is not always possible, as the sucker often arises close up to the stem, cut off root just behind; the sucker with a sharp knife or chisel, being careful to remove all buds. THE DAPHNES. These popular sweet-scented flowering shrubs are of easy culture if a little car© and attention be given to them. There are two varieties most commonly grown—Odorata, with white flowers and rubra, with pink and white flowers. The latter is more popular, because of its free-flowering habit and atractivelyooloured blossom. Both varieties are natives of Asia, and are found growing on hilly country in shady gorges, and in positions not fully exposed to the sun. This indicates that a shady position is more suitable than one fully exposed; but the daphnes may be successfully grown In a sunny position, provided that during summer the soil about the roots is kept cool and moist by .placing a mulch of well-decayed manure on the surface. Almost any soil will suit th € daphnes if it is well worked and manured. A fine effect may be produced by means of a framework of wood on which the branches near the centre of the plant can rest, allowing the ends of the branches to hand down somewhat like a “weeping” tree. No pruning is necessary, but the plants mav be cut back if necessary to make them shapely. They will stand the flower® being cut, and, as a rule, this provides sufficient pruning, as the ends of the growths must be cut off when the bloom is removed. ROUTINE WORK. Plant shelter trees, hedge ' plants, shrubs, fruit trees and roses. • Keep the growth of early flowering spring bulbs free from weeds to give them as much' light and air as possible and lessen the, harbour for slugs. Earth up late celery and leeks. Plant potato' and tree onions. Sow broad beans. Prune fruit trees and hushes.