Seasonal Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume XXII, Issue 5, 14 July 1948, Page 13

Seasonal Gardening Notes

(By “HORTI.”)

Spraying is one of the jobs that is claiming the attention ot (lie home gardener at this period, and a few notes on drifts versus % wet sprays would not he out of season.

Wet and Dry Methods

When selecting a spraying material for use against pests and diseases the home gardener often has a choice between wet and dry methods of application. As both forms have a definite place in pest control, it will he worth while examining tiie relative merits of the two methods. Dusts have the advantage that they are ready for immediate use without mixing, and they can be used on any odd plants whenever one has a few minutes, to spare.

As to the merits ot the efficiency of dust sprays versus wet sprays one finds considerable differences of opinions, according to the nature of the problem. The adhesion of dust is usually inferior to that of liquid sprays. This is ol especial impoi tance when dealing with such materials as protective fungicides, especially the coppers. Thus copper lime dust for use against potato blight, is less effective than a liquid spray and it may be necessary to make as many as three dustings to equal the control obtained with one good wet spraying. 'This is particularly the case in wet seasons. .

This objection to dusts is slightly less important when we consider the sulphurs. Sulphur is commonly used against powdery mildews, such as chrysanthemum and marrow mildew, etc. These are surface parasites and against them sulphur behaves as a contact fungicide as well as a protectant. Sulphur dust may therefore be almost as effective in some cases as a wet sulphur spray.

Nicotine Effective as a Dust

Among insecticides nicotine, being quick acting and of short-lived effectiveness, has no protective value. One might therefore expect nicotine dusts to be equal to wet sprays in effectiveness. This is often found to be the case. In fact, when dealing with grey aphis of cabbage and turnip crops, dust is far more effective than liquid, owing to the difficulty of wetting the waxy covering with which the aphis surrounds itself. Furthermore, when dealing with such pests as leaf curling aphis of currants or peach trees, it will often be found that nicotine dust will “float” into the curled-up leaves better than a liquid spray. Nicotine is effective only during fairly warm weather, and experience seems to show that dusts require rather higher temperatures than liquid sprays. D.D.T., which has become so popular as botli a contact, and protective insecticide, 'can. be used most effectively as a dust against a wide range of pests. For flea beetle control dusts are preferable to liquids, but against apple blossom weevil the improved adhesion of the deposit from a wet spray makes for better control, as we depend on the spray residue remaining on the opening buds for a week or two in order to be effective.

To sum up, nicotine dust for aphids, D.D.T. dust for caterpillars and numerous other pests, and sulphur dust for powdery mildews will all he found satisfactory and much more convenient than wet sprays. Wet sprays will give better results against many of the pests and diseases of fruit trees. Lime sulphur is superior to dust for apple scab control, and dusts are not particularly effective against red spider. Copper fungicides are usually more effective in liquid form than dry.

Taking Chrysanthemum Cuttings

The taking of chrysanthemum cuttings is often a source of worry to beginners. Probably the greatest concern is the type of cutting necessary for a good start. Some plants will give a dozen or so really good cuttings well awey from the stem with no buds on any of them. These suckers make ideal cuttings and give no worry. Then again a plant may not make sucker growth, often due to the presence of slugs, the only new growth appearing being that sprouting from the old stem. The main point is to get the cuttings from as far away as possible from the old plant, but if you are forced to take stem cuttings take them from growth as near the ground level as possible. When taking cuttings the best plan is to lift the old plant entirely with a fork and then tear the growths apart with (lie hands. The -practice of leaving old stools in the garden from year to year is to be discouraged. Poor blooms and disease will soon ruin your plants under this treatment. Having broken up the old stool select the growths that are short jointed, discarding where possible long spindly shoots. The selected growths should then be cut straight across immediately below a leaf joint and leaving about four inches of cutting to strike. It will usually be found most convenient to insert these cuttings in rows about !) inches wide and allowing up to G inches between the plants. Pure sand is the ideal medium for rooting for these cuttings, but in this case they must be attended to immediately they are rooted.

The better plan for the home gardener is to prepare a small border leaf mould with half a part of wood of say equal parts of loam, sand and

ash added. The rooted cuttings may then be left in this border until planting out time, usually (lie end of October.

Regarding sucker growths for new plants, that is pieces of the old plant torn away with the roots attached, these will cerainly grow and be less trouble than cuttings, but for those who value good plants I would recommend the growing of new plants from cuttings that will have a far superior root system and must therefore produce better results.

Our Native Birds

Dc our native birds, including the ttii and bellbird, make periodic visits to your garden? They will do so if you provide food for them.

Artificial feeding is interesting and commendable when necessary, but the provision of natural food for them is more desirable.

This can be done by growing in your garden those native trees which produce the bird’s natural food. While strongly recommending the planting of native trees for this purpose, several exotic trees such as Banksia, Camellias (a l'ew(, Proteas, and Grevilleas, produce nectarbearing flowers during the winter, when bird-food is scarce.

From the following list you will be able to choose native trees that will suit your garden, remembering that in many cases a native tree will thrive and make a splendid specimen where an exotic planted in the same locality will merely survive and. be a disappointment to the gardener.

Trees which Bear Edible Berries

Alectryon excelsum, Titoki. Taupata, Karamu. Coprosmas, in variety. Corokia, in variety, Korokio. Drirnys, in variety, Horopito. Dysoxylon spectabile, Kohekohe. Elaeocarpus dentatus, Hinau. Hedycarya arborea, Porokaiwhiria. Hymenanthera, in variety. Macropiper excelsum, Kawakawa. Melicytus, Mahoe, in variety. Myrtus, in variety. Nothopanax ? in variety. Parsonia,' Kailm (foliage). Podocarpus, in variety, Kahikatea

and Miro. Rhopalostylis, Nikau. Solanum aviculare, Poropcro. Telrapathaea tetranda, Kowhai

Trees . Having Nectar-bearing Flowers Aristotelia racemosa, Makomako. Clianthus, Kaka Beak, in variety. Cardyline, Cabbage Tree, in variety. Fuschia excorticata, Kotukutuku. Knighta excelsa, Rewarewa. Phormium tenax, Flax, several varieties, Harakeke.

Pittosporum, in variety (Karo Kohuhu). Sophora, Kowhai, in variety. ' Vitex lucens, Puriri.

Cow Manure

It is quite commonly supposed that cow manure is richer in plant food than stable manure, .but as a matter of fact this is not so, for it contains a great deal more water and considerably less phosphates, etc. Cow manure is o'f greater benefit to light sandy or stony soils than to stiff retentive clay because the manure itself is wet, plastic and cold. It will help to hold sandy soils together, hold moisture and tend to cool the soil during hot spells. The most advantageous use of cow manure in this district generally would be to compost it with some absorbent organic material such as straw, peat, dried leaves, or garden waste in 6 to 9 inch layers, with a one-inch layer of soil interleaved. Under this process tiie moisture of the manure is thereby conserved and will in turn result in the perfect decomposition of the organic matter in humus.

Maidenhair Ferns

* Maidenhair ferns may now be potted or divided where they have become root bound. Don’t expect to get your ferns (o §row by merely digging a spadeful of soil from the garden and replanting. A wellgrown pot of fern i 3 always acceptable and is worth a little trouble to cultivate. For planting or re-potting the following compost will be suitable: One part each of soil, sand and leaf mould, with the addition of a light dressing of old soot and. if available, a small quantity of wellrotted cow manure. Put this mixture through a'3-8-inch sieve before use.