THE GARDEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 227, 23 August 1935, Page 13

THE GARDEN.

Notes are published under this h eaduig, 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. It was not possible to do very much gardening last week-end. In fact, any work that had to bo done outside was better left alone. If one had a glasshouse to work in it was possible to sow some seed in boxes and this takes up quite a lot of one’s time. However, as soon as you can get to work outside fork over all beds and borders; this will help the water to drain away and will keep the weeds down better than bv hoeing. If these seedling weeds are turned under they will not come up again quickly, which is a good thing at this time of the year. Ono large bulb grower savs that the wet season is having the effect of making bulbs grow tall and strong, and he thinks that by the time the shows come round the llowers will be quite good. Other growers have also told us that they think their flowers are better this season than they havo been for some time. Primroses and polyanthas are growing well and many are coming into flower now. The colours are more varied; the introduction of Buff King into many gardens has given seed which throws back to that colour, but the dark varieties seem to be darker than over, and we have seen some beautiful dumps with leaves broad and nearly a foot in length. There is no doubt but that almost anv gardener can improve his plants by careful seed saving and by cross fertilisation.

'Those who have well drained gardens will be feeling the benelit of their drains now. The surplus water is able to get away quickly and, although the surplus moisture gets away, the land does not become as dry as it would if it were not drained. The soil that one has to work with or against is always a problem that has to be taken into account; we know that a deep friable loam is the best, but over and over again we see enthusiasts who have nothing but a shallow loam on a stiff clay bed who are doing the most wonderful tilings. The whole secret of it is that the heart is in the right place and it is a matter of considering the ways and means before tackling such a soil. Another thing that would help one with such a soil is to consider what it requires in the way of working, and then what is the best thing to put in it. There are some plants which prefer these heavy soils to the light ones. Roses, one is apt to think, would be the best for the purpose, but it must be remembered that unless the land is well worked and kept open and free roses will not do any better in it than they would in a light soil. Give them a good rooting medium and they will do well anvwhere. Carnations would not object to such a soil if it was raised up and plenty of coarse sand and lime worked in. 11l fact, we havo seen carnations doing better in a heavy soil than they do in a light one. Some growers like a moderately heavy soil for their gladioli. This may be alright, but they are plants that can be grown where _ the drainage is good and reliable. Growing covering crops and digging them in is a good method of keeping heavy soils open, and then the use of lime has the same effect, but when lime is used there are many plants which cannot be grown successfully. Boronia, heaths, rhododendrons and azeleas do not like lime in any form, and it is said to be injurious to brooms of various kinds. This always seems a sort of paradox to the gardener. He is told to give his leguminous plants such as peas and beans plenty of lime, and lupins also like it; but there are other members of the family that do not. Most seedling annual plants like lime in the soil, and when making up boxes from the compost heap and the turf heap there is always a certain amount of lime put in with the soil. In lighter soils where the drainage is good there should not be any need to worry about lime if the work is done properly; that- is to say, deep digging and keeping the surface of the soil well stirred. When sorrel begins to appear in a garden it is a fairly sure sign that something must be done to correct the acidity, and lime is one of the most powerful agents in this respect. Sorrel cannot grow where there is a sufficiency of lime. DAHLIAS. “Interested” says: “I have always followed the practice of leaving my dahlia tubers in the ground until I uni readv to lift and. replant them. This advice was given to me by a grower some years ago and I have always followed it and J have only lost one or two varieties by so. This year I am moving to a new home some miles away and I want to take mv tubers with me. Do you think they could be lifted now and stored until I am ready for them, or shall I leave them and not bother with thenir There are some old cactus varieties which do not seem to he in the new catalogues, a.nd I want to keep them. They are splendid for decorative purYou can lift your dahlia tubers quite safelv now, but the method or storing them is the most important. Choose a sheltered place in your new home and dig the soil; then place the tubers on it and cover them with some light soil or sand. Be sure when you are taking them up that you attach good labels to each one, with a piece of wire for preference. This is important, because if you do not do so jou may lose one you wish to keep. Do not nut them in a dry shed and trust to luck to keep them. Some are almost sure to rot away. Keep them just moist and they will be plump and fat when required. CARNATIONS As soon as you get a chance clean up the carnation plants. They arc sine

to have some diseased leaves on them after their winter sleep, and these leaves are best when in the fire. Fire will stop the spores from doing any more damage and the ashes can be used. Work in round each plant a handful of lime and soot, or better still some old mortar that has been scraped from old chimney bricks. This stuff will have to be broken up as finely as possible before being used, but it will be found an excellent manure for them whether they are of the border variety or perpetunls. The latter are coming more to the front every year and in spite of this season being a wot one—n condition which carnations did not like—have flowered very well indeed. Wc have been shown a hunch of these flowers which were grown in the open and admired them very much, but the raiser said he had a few plants which he had covered with a sash from one of liis frames and he thought that the flowers could be easily grown in this way. It was not necessary to close up the side's, but simply to put the head cover on and let the wind blow through underneath. The Australians have raised a considerable number of good perpetunls which suit their climatic conditions, and which come fairly true from seed. Tf anyone wanted to go in for them they should write for particulars to one of the leading seedsmen there. QUESTION.

“Tubers” says: “1 saw a bed of begonias growing in a garden two or three years ago and 1 have always been anxious to try my own hand at them. I wish you would tell me a few things about them. Firstly, what kind of soil would ho suitable for them, and, secondly, when to plant? "What kind of position do they require? Should it be shaded or right out in the open? Mv garden is well sheltered from winds.” When you are growing begonias in tho open garden, get good tubers and shoot them before planting. To shoot them, stand them on some soil in a box, but do not cover tho crown of the tuber. Make up the bed in such a position that it will be partially shaded during the hottest part of tho day. Although these plants like plenty of warmth and moisture, they do not like too much sun during tho hot part of the day. The soil must bo well drained and should have some sharp sand mixed with it, especially below the base of the tuber. Roth the double and the single varieties go towards making a good bed. Keep the soil j well cultivated at all times and do not use too much manure when making the bed. A LETTER. A correspondent says:— “I would like to hear if you know anything about the following ideas and if there is any truth in tne matter. Some of your other correspondents may have some ideas on the matter. "When in a Hawke’s Bay garage some time ago I had to get some wiring done to my car and i asked why each piece of copper wire was saved so carefully. Tho owner, who I found was an enthusiastic gardener, told me that the Chinamen bought all the short ends of copper wires fdr their tomato crops. A small piece an inch or less in length was pushed through the stem ot the plant just below ground level. The wire must come in contact with the soil and being pushed through the stem a sort of electric current is set up which prevents'sdisease. It is said to control all kinds of fungoid diseases. Do you know if there is any truth in the statement, and is it worth trying? I know that wooden piles when driven into sea-water are sheathed with muntz metal which sets up an electric current and keeps sea-borers from them. The copper wire may be after the same principle. AVhat do you think? I have also been told that one can control leaf curl by driving copper nails into the stem of a peach or nectarine tree. I have done this, but being one of the faithless breed I have sprayed my trees with Bordeaux also. The crop of nectarines last season was a bumper one, but I am inclined to think the Bordeaux was the chief cause. An old lady has just told me that she has no leaf curl on her peaches and to stop this she uses ordinary washing soda, one pound to two gallons of hot water, and when dissolved aiic pours this round the roots of the trees. Her trees look healthy and there are no signs of die-back in any of the twigs. Is it the washing soda, or is she lucky ? A chemist told me that Epsom salts sprinkled round a peach or nectarine tree was also a preventive. He said use one pound for a young tree and increase it one pound for each year’s growth up to five. This was to he sown round the trees and forked in. I have not tried it yet, but am inclined to do so because the source of my information said it was effective. If any of your readers would give their experiences I am sure it would make good reading. There must be some simple way to overcome many of the pests that attack our gardens, and it is only by collecting the experiences of others that we can push forward.” We have heard of some -of the things our correspondent mentions, but have never tried them. Unfortunately, many of these remedies are rather like the householder who nails a horseshoe up above his door to ward off evil from the house. If upside down it is alright, but put up the right way it is dangerous. However, if there are any of our readers who can throw any light on. these subjects we would be very glad to hear, especially if it is the result of actual application. We all know that spraying to he effective must be thoroughly done, and if it rains soon after the spray has been put on the work has to be done again. If plants could be treated from their roots it would be more effective.