THE GARDEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 6, 6 December 1930, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

Notes are published under this head ing. and readers interested in gardening are invited to send in questions relating to matters upon which they wish expert advice; answers will be published with the weekly notes.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Dahlias should be got in as soon as possible, especially if they are wanted tor show purposes. Any old tubers can be divided now as they are showing where the eyes are coming from even if they are not actually growing. Although these plants have been grown for many years, there are still plenty of gardeners who think that as long as a tuber is planted that they will grow'. They are not like potatoes, and the only eyes they have are in the crown of the plant or at the base of last season’s stem. When planting it is necessary to provide stakes lor each plant to be tied to. Being brittle, they ar© easily broken off and it is better to put the stake in before planting. A little superphosphate sprinkled round each plant and hoed in will be found useful to them. Plant chrysanthemums for decorative blooms now. By planting late the growth is retarded and many varieties that are quite tall when planted earlier can be dwarfed by late planting. They will come in most useful lor decoration when flowers are scarce. Anemones and ranunculi are still flowering in many gardens, but where they are beginning to turn yellow and die off they can be lifted and dried off before storing away. Many good varieties are lost each season by being left in the ground too long. They should be replanted in fresh soil each season or they, will become affected with rust very badly. Narcissi bulbs can also be lifted when the foliage turns yellow- Nothing can be gained by leaving them in the soil, and the ground can be turned over and sweetened up in preparation for another crop. Some of the soil fumigants should he used on soils that are used for bulb growing. Eelworms are almost certain to be in it, and the only way to kocp it clean is to use soil fumigants or to heat the soil to about one hundred and fifty degrees. Aster seed can be sown in the open ground now and the young plants thinned out as soon as they are large enough to handle. Seed sown now should give good flowering plants for March when they are most wanted. When, the young plants are through the soil water them with a very weak solution of permanganate of potash, just enough to turn clear water a pinkish colour. Sweet peas require plenty of attention now, and where they are in bloom the flowers must be kept regularly, picked. As soon as seeds are allowed to form the plants will stop blooming and tlieir term of usefulness will be over, but keep the blooms picked regularly and it is wonderful how long they will go on flowering. The soil round them must bo kept well hoed to allow the air to penetrate into the soil. Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned as they go out of flower m order to promote more growth for next season. A good deal of latitude has to be allowed in pruning shrubs and gen- [ erally the gardener knows wlxat he I wants to get and cuts accordingly. All i the pruning that rhododendrons rei quire is the removal of the I seed foods as soon as the 1 flowers have faded. This must be carefully done so as not to injure the tender shoots that are coming out just below the flowers. Carnations are much later this season in coming to flower. They should be carefully staked or a ring of wirenetting placed round each plant. Keep the soil round them well cultivated and work in a mixture •of lime and soot which is .all the manuring they will require. Aphis are 1 rather troublesome at times, but they are easily removed by spraying or with the fingers. ROSES. Roses are beginning to bloom well now and last Saturday there was a good show of these in the Empire Hall Those who were fortunate enough to see this show were charmed with the richness of the colours, the other garden flowers were also well represented and showed that the improvement noted and written about last week is going steadily on. It is important in rose culture that the beds should bo kept well worked and that all faded blooms should be removed from the plants as soon as they are over. Cut back to a good strong bud and the plant will break away for another flowering in a very short time. Climbing and pillar roses want some attention in the way of tying back the new growths which are coming very freely. Many of these will be wanted to take the place of those that havo to be cut out later on and must be carefully handled for that purpose. Spray of plants now before mildew appears. There is nothing like getting in early and generally, although mildew, cannot he seen, it is there and another thing is that by keeping mildew away one is sure to keep black leaf .spot at bay at the same time.

A USEFUL HEAP. In the spring time when weeds are growing profusely and grass comes up everywhere it is a good plan to make up a sod wall and fill all the weeds that can be got in between. Everything that has no ripe seeds on it will make good compost, and then when the heap is up to the top of the sod bank another lot of soil can be put on top of them and they will sink dowi\. This heap is most useful for digging into the garden and it can also be used for making potting soil or soil for boxes. We know that a tremendous amount of waste goes on every year as far as rubbish is concerned and give the above as a reminder about the compost heap. Sods can also be stacked up to make seed box material later on. No heap is any good until it has been stacked up for at least six months, and the longer it can be left the better. A little manure and leaf mould worked in between the layers will help to make the stuff richer; some gardeners also add sand, but this can be done when the soil is being prepared and can be added to the required amount so it is not necessary to put it in when the heap is being prepared. PATHS'. At certain times of the year a lot of unnecessary work has to be done on paths in the way of weeding and cleaning them. A great deal of this could be saved if the paths were treated with some kind of weed killer. This can either be home made or one bought that has already been well tried out. There are always instructions on the tins for mixing, and when they are used according to instructions they are generally satisfactory. Home-made mixtures are also good, but at the same time they are liable to. be stronger than is required. Salt can be used in some cases, but as it does not last for very long it is better to do without it if possible. The main advantage of using a weed-killer on a path, after that of time, is that the stones are not disturbed and the path made unsightly when it should be flat and smooth. Care must always be taken not to get the weed-killer on to the beds and borders or no plants will grow in them for a long time to come. On drying greens there are often posts and places where it is impossible to cut with the mower and if the grass is killed round these the posts will last longer and not look unslightly with long grass at their bases. One of the most important things in the vegetable garden at the present time is to keep the hoe busy and work amongst growing crops as often as possible. By keeping cultivation going the air is admitted to the soil, and as all plants want air it is easy to see the advantage of giving it to them in the easiest way. The weather has been so cold that tomatoes have not made the growth that was expected. A few warm days should set them up now and a little superphosphate worked in round them will help considerably. Potatoes must be sprayed at the first opportunity. In some cases blight has already made its appearance and it looks as though it was going to be bad all through the, country. Pea crops are all the better for being earthed up in the same way as potatoes. If they are earthed up and staked it helps considerably when the pods have to be picked. Put in stakes for runner beans before they begin to send up their twisting shoots. These stakes should be firmly held at the tops so that they do not blow over. The haricot bean is a crop that is very much neglected in this district and yet it is one that comes in most useful in the winter time and the home grown article is a different thing from the imported one. Once it is grown it will never again be neglected. If seed of broccoli and winter cabbage have not already been sown get them in as quickly as' possible. If they are sown in boxes they are easily taken to where they are wanted and can be transplanted. Keep up sowings of lettuce seed and sow the seed where the plants are to grow and thin them out. A little nitrate of soda given to them when they are making strong growth will bring them away very quickly. The main thing with this vegetable is to grow it as quickly as possible to keep it brittle and tender. Marrows and cucumbers can be sown now and will come on quickly if some manure is put under them. The more water the manure can hold the better, and for this purpose cow manure is as good as any. The apple cucumber is one of the quickest to fruit and if there are too many to eat raw they can be cooked whole like green marrows and are verv good. Give the red beet crop a, little salt sown between the rows and worked in. This is a seaside plant and the salt is what it needs to Hasten its growth.