PANSIES AND VIOLAS.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 20, 9 October 1930, Page 9

PANSIES AND VIOLAS.

Amateur gardeners should he safe inj the asst-mption that the cold and w«t weather will soon be at an end. Comparatively few growers are able or are disposed to dig over the proposed quarters in the late autumn or early winter, but there is no doubt whatever that those who get their beds and borders ready for tro reception of these plants by deeply digging last autumn, have a distinct advantage over ot-herV who have left this work until the spring, it "breaks up in splendid fashion, Pansies and Violas in ground that has been left in the rough throughout the winter for the frosts and weather to pulverise and sweeten it. Insect pests are destroyed by such treatment of the

quarters* and when the surface soil

comes to bo lightly forked over, pre- £ *g^*o^y>t©. ; «ct&£ -^tuaJL in the '.* spring,1 it breaks up in" splendid 'fashion, ■■ and makes the levelling and planting

a pleasure.

By the time these notes appear in print; the ground should bo in suehv a condition as will make the digging of it a useful and health-giving exercisv. It should be drying off somewhat, as the strong", keen winds will make this work possible, even in tlie most loirlying situation. May I: urge readers to do the digging in thorough fas-hion? So much depends upon this; All too frequently the beds and borders are dtfg over just one spit deep, and .the sufloaoil left undisturbed. jSTot seldom tkeae quarters were previously planted with Pansies or Violas, and I have known this practice to continue for years, until at last the plants have failed absolutely._ The.soil has become what is known among ■expert growers as "Pansy sick." The plants seem to hay© assimilated almost: all i>b.e plant food in the soil that is suited to their peculiar needs; disease has also developed on the old plants, and this has not -been destroyed because the ground was not turned up for the frosts to do their beneficent work.

Pansies and Violas are deep-rooting subjects, and theiT vigorous roots will search rfelly^ three feet for the food , they need. This being so, it will beobvious how very necessary it is to dig tie beds and borders more than one spit deep if the plants are to do wellImpoverished aoijs of old and ill-cared-for gardens may be made fertile and provided the soil be dealt with in practical fashibiu Person ally, I prefeT to trench new quarters each season, and this heavy work is always amply repaid by the wonderful results that invariably folloTv. This work may be rather too heavy for some readers to do themselves, and they may, therefore, be disposed to call in profes-, sional assistance. Even when thesemeans are adopted, take good care to see the trenching is not scamped. It cannot properly trench the ground should bastard trench, tire quarters^ This means digging the beds and bpT-, deTS two spits deep and turning over the ibottom soil. By these means a free root run is assured, and in 'hot, dry, and trying weather tho roots, will revel in the cool depths/and continue to display comparatively unchecked for months. \, ;

Should any readers think that both trenching and bastard trenching of tieir garden soil too laborious "an oper ration, they may bo possibly able ib dig the quarters one spit deep, and just turn over the next spit immediately below. Of couTse, this is better than simply turning over the soil one spit1 deep only, although it falls short of what is best for these plants. '

The incorporation of manure at; the time of deeply tilling is important, also the*using of manure that is partially or well rotted, in which much of the real plant food has been retained. See that the manure is really incorporated with the soil as it is turned over, as in this way the more even distribution of the fertiliser provides a continuous supply of plant food from start to finish. The operation will take longer, no doiifbt, [but the extra time taken over the work will be amply repaid with better results throughout the flowering season. It is the practice in some gardens to spread the manure over the ground "before digging over the quarters, and this in a measure ensures ike better aistritra!3oa of the manure as the soil is turned over.

Leave the surface soil in the rough. TheTe is a tendency with the inexperienced to break up the lumps of soil into small particles, in order that a nice, even suTfaee may be made. It is quite unnecessary thus early. The spring winds will do untold good to the soil if the surface be left in the rough. The quarters will be broken up and levelled immediately previous to planting, so tfiat this w^rk may be left over for a week or two.