Seasonal Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume XXII, Issue 3, 30 June 1948, Page 6

Seasonal Gardening Notes

(By “HOItTI.”)

With the shortest day behind vis many gardeners will be brushing up their gardening knowledge, studying seed catalogues

and taking stock of their retail

s over the past season

Word of Warning

Although spring may bo just around the corner and this fact is emphasised by the appearance of spring bulbs putting forth ’.their blooms to encourage us, I would add a word of warning regarding the sowing of seeds in the open ground at present, except perhaps in very favourable circumstances. Your slogan should be “Make haste slowly,'’ for often our worst weather is between now -and September. I have found from experience in this district that although you may be fortunate enough to get early seeds to germinate there is so little warmth in the soil at this time of the year that the plants, even if they do survive, will never make good specimens and later sowings under more favourable circumstances will invariably produce much better results. The usual routine work of pruning, transplanting, spraying and manuring will be claiming the attention of most gardeners at this time of the year.

Pruning

The principal reasons for pruning may be given as follows: maintain shape and even balance of growth of the specimen, within required dimensions; (2) to remove dead, weak,, .unhealthy and overcrowded growth and flowers; (3) to throw the energies of the plant into the most desirable channels, through the removal of superfluous portions.

The importance of keeping plants within bounds speaks for itself. It frequently happens that the stronger growing .subjects, which are often the less choice, are allowed to extend beyond their allotted portion, to the detriment of •their smaller growing neighbours. By means of careful pruning it is possible to keep all specimens within bounds and still maintain their beauty. How often do we see people going around a garden with a pair of hedge-shears, giving an annual clipping to keep a rounded appearance on all plants and shrubs. This method is to be condemned, for besides destroying in many cases the flowering wood it robs each plant of its particular individuality. Correct pruning is oft,en the difference between success and failure with your plants, and it is well worth while to take a little trouble to study the individual plants and their requirements rather than proceed in a haphazard manner with this important work. It 'is ndt my intention to endeavour to cover the work of pruning various plants and trees in these columns. Apart from the three principal reasons given for pruning there are many books with diagrams which are inue}i more helpful and which cover each individual specimen separately. However, it may be worth while to give a little advice to those new gardeners who are contemplating planting one or two fruit trees in their sections this season.

Apples do quite well in this district, and provided the trees are not allowed to run to too much wood do not interfere with a cottage garden. Prior to planting young fruit trees make sure that any torn or damaged roots are removed and that each tree is provided with a strong stake that will afford support until the roots have become firmly established. Pruning may be done soon after planting, and although the treatment recommended may sound rather drastic it must be remembered that the ultimate object is to secure a tree that will produce a sturdy framework that will in later years stand up to the weight of a heavy crop. The young tree fresh from the nursery is probably provided with four small branches, which are insufficient in number for the final formation of the tree. It is therefore necessary that each one of these should fork and in turn produce two branches, making a total number of eight. In order that these branches should grow in the right direction it is necessary that the first pruning should be made with care and deliberation. If the cut is made to an outside bud that bud will produce the strongest resultant growth. This constitutes the first branch. The next bud below this will produce the second, and it is necessary that this should also grow outwards. It should now be explained that growth buds are spirally arranged, «o that when the cut is made it should first he ascertained that not only does the bud to which the cut was made face outwards but also that of its immediate neighbour below. Had the pruning been done Indiscriminately to any outside bud it is possible that the bud immediately below might have been pointing inwards towards the centre of the tree, where n would eventually have to be cut out.

Rose Printing

Don’t be in a hurry to prune your roses. The end of July or the beginning of August are any amount early enough in this district. Roses pruned now will lie forced into early growth, which will most likely be destroyed by frosts or cold southerly weather and cause the plants a severe setback.

Winter Spraying

This is a job that can now he proceeded with. Check ,up on your trees and shrubs for fungoid and scale diseases. It is amazing the numbers of gardeners who neglect this important work and in many cases are surprised when they are shown that a favourite lemon or lemon or apple tree that has not been doing too well is full of disease. For scale and woolly aphis Red Oil (one in twenty) or Lime Sulphur (one in ten) on dormant trees will be found most effective. The lime sulphur will also clean the moss off your trees. A simple spray that has been proved although I have not personally used it may be given a trial. It has been used on fruit trees with scale and also for peach aphides, which come on the trees at blossom time and destroy the flowers. All that is necessary is a tablet of Sunlight soap, which should be sliced up into two gallons of water and boiled until the soap is dissolved, and when nearly cold sprayed on to the trees in the afternoon when the sun is not too hot. For pencil trees the spray is applied to the trees just before the buds burst. This spray will also kill aphides on hose trees, cabbages and swede turnips. The Art of Potting

The potting of plants is without question the most important task in connection with greenhouse plants and every attention should be given •to it.

Pots must be perfectly clean. Those that have been used before should be thoroughly scrubbed to remove slime and all traces of old soil. This prevents the spread of disease if it has been present in the old soil. If new pots are being used they should be soaked in water for at least half an hour unless they have been stored out of doors in the rain- New pots are porous and will draw away the moisture in the potting compost unless soaked. The pots must, however, not actually be wet when used otherwise the soil will stick to them. It is essential that all pots should be thoroughly drained or crocked. For this a supply <of broken pots, oyster shell, or soft brick is suggested; A large concave.crock should be placed over the drainage hole and then surrounded by smaller crocks, the amount depending on the size of the pot used. Over the drainage, it is advisable to place either dried leaves or loam fibre to prevent choking the drainage by fine soil. Avoid Overpotting

As a rule it is better to put a plant into a pot slightly too small rather than too large, remembering that much harm can result from over-potting because of the danger of the soil becoming sour due to insufficient roots on the particular plant being potted. Potting composts must he moderately moist when being used. It is a great mistake to try to pot with them either too wet or too dry. Repotting.—The time for repotting depends entirely upon root action and also the time of the year. A mistake often made is to repot the plants when they are dry. This must be avoided because a “ball-” of dry soil in the midst of damp soil will remain dry, resulting in the plant failing to become established and grow Satisfactorily. It is essential, therefore, to water any dry plants an hour or so before repotting.

Firmness in Potting

The degree of firmness must be governed by the type of plant grown, but generally it is better to pot too firmly than too loosely. The use

of a rammer or potting stick is not recommended for--smaller pots, say, up to six inches, the pressure of tlie lingers usually being quite sufficient to ensure firmness.

Potting is a matter of experience, but it is hoped that these few notes will assist those who may be new to pot work.