THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 228, 25 August 1938, Page 6

THE GARDEN

Notes are published under this heading, 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 FLOW T ER GARDEN

Planting out shrubs and roses should be done as soon as possible now. when putting in rosea at this time of the year they can be pruned before they are planted. Examine the roots and cut away any that are broken or damaged. Place the union of hed and stock about an inch below the soil and plant firmly. Most evergreen shrubs when they are prepared for planting are balled. That is to say, the plants are lifted, with a good ball of earth round their roots, and this is carefully done up in sacking which is tied into place and then the plant is put back into the soil and kept until required. In the meantime the plants send out new roots which often penetrate tho sacking, and this is one of the reasons why the sacking should not be removed when these shrubs are replanted. In the case of deciduous trees and shrubs, balling is not necessary. Spread the roots out carefully and put some good, fine earth between the roots and press this. down firmly as well. The rest of the soil can be put on the top and left loose. In exposed places it is a good plan to stake each plant carefully. To prevent the stake and stem of the tree chafing together put a piece of rubber tubing between the two and tie the two together. Hedges may still be planted., but as much attention should he given to them as to any other shrub that is put in. Far too often we see shrubs and trees put in an<l then they are either forgotten or stock are allowed to get at them. Possibly stock can do more damage than neglect, but if you want a hedge to do well dig the ground deeplv and see that water can get away from 'it quickly, and then the planting can be done. When the shrubs or hedge plants have been set in place cultivate the land in the same wav as you would for any other crop, when they are treated ill this way they will grow quickly and provide the shelter a garden needs. We have often been tolu that a board or iron fence will give :;s much shelter as a hedge, but there is always this to consider—a board or iron fence begins to deteriorate from the time it is put up, but a hedge, on the other hand, improves with ago and the attention that is given to it. When planting any kinds of trees or hedging plants never do the work -when the ground is wet and sodden. If you do this the earth will bind round the plants and they will be very slow at getting away. Always get the best, you can Size is not a test, but healthy, well-shaped trees should always be chosen instead of overgrown, leggy ones.

PEACHES AND NECTARINES. There are very few people who do not enjoy a ripe peach or nectarine in season, and yet there are few wlio will take the trouble to spray their trees to secure this desired end. When either of these trees is neglected it suffers from a fungus which is known “leaf curl.” This disease can be controlled altogether if the trees are sprayed at the proper time, which is now when the buds am beginning to turn pink. AYe always recommend Milestone and washing soda for this purpose, because it is easier for the average amateur to manage than the true Bordeaux, which is Milestone and lime. Take one pound of powdered Milestone and dissolve it in a wooden or porcelain tub, and when dissolved make the water up to six and a-ha It gallons. . In another six and a-balr gallons dissolve one pound of washing soda. When both are dissolved pour the washing soda solution into the ! Milestone and stir vigorously- bpray I the trees at once as the mixture does ' not keep more than eight hours. A second spraying a week later will help considerably if the trees have been neglected. If you leave the trees unsprayed it would be better to dig them out and burn them than to have unsightly objects about. QUESTIONS. “An Enquirer” says: “As I intend planting a few lemon trees, I should like to get your advice as to tho best, kinds to grow. I have planted one, the Mayer. Is it early and of the dwarf variety? Would you recommend the dwarf variety for a small

plot, and what distance apart, and what manurial treatment would you recommend?” The first thing to consider when growing lemons in this district is to find a place that is not subject to heavy frost. Three or four degrees of frost will not do any harm, but the position should be where the early morning sun does not strike them, Tho next thing is to see that the water can get away quickly, because lemons will not stand stagnant water at their roots. They like a rich soil, but this can be given to them after they have begun to grow. The variety Mayer is not a commercial variety, and one plant of it is enough for* most homes. The varieties of lemons that are most grown in this district are Lisbon and Eureka and in some places Genoa' does well, but unless the others have been found unsuitable do not try it. Lemon trees should have a good stem .so that the wind can blow under the branches and round the stem. They require a little pruning to keep the centres of tho trees open. Fowl manure is very suitable for them, and should bo kept to fork into the soil round them.

“Daphne” says: “1 am a new gardener, but there are some things I must have, and a daphne is one of them and a boronia is another. My garden is very heavy and wet, but I have been promised some drains which will take tlie surplus water away. Do you think that these plants could be grown in such a soil, or would it be necessary to grow them .in pots or boxes?” These two plants are very impatient of stagnant water, but if the land is well drained it should be quite possible to grow them well. Of course, if the land is very heavy it may be advisable to get some lighter soil and put it in for the plants to grow in. Daphnes do well in a rich sandy loam, but they do not like root disturbance or close working with a spade. A little well-rotted cow manure can be worked round them to advantage. Boronias are easier to grow than most people think, if they will only spray the plants with nicotine sulphate or “Black Leaf 40.” These plants are infested with little red mites and when they are sprayed they .will grow quite well. Spray three times within a- period of about twelve. days and everv one of these insects will be destroyed. A light sandy soil with leaf mould is their natural soil and this can easily be made up to suit. “Farmer” says : “I want to put in several plantations on my property and would like to know what opinions you hold on planting in grass or in ploughed land. At a dairy company meeting recently one member was. urging dairy-fanners to do more planting, hut he said that he found trees did better when they were put in grass land, in which holes had been dug for them. Others said that they could not get trees to grow- in these places, but preferred well-worked land and a crop in between the trees while they were growing.” There are very few cases where we have seen a quick and satisfactory growth when the trees have been put in grass land. On the other hand, when land has been ploughed and disced, and the trees planted in them, they have done well and there have been very few losses. The best results have been achieved when root and other crops have been grown between the trees. Crops that have to be cultivated to keep the weeds down are better than those which are sown, and the land does not receive any other attention. We would strongly advise you to cultivate wherever you can. There are steep banks and such places where this is not possihle, but spaces can be prepared and the surplus water can be drained away.quite easily, and trees will do well. “8.G.C.” says: “In the past I have lost quite a lot of seed through the bed becoming choked with weeds; in any case the seedlings were very weak and drawn out I understand the soil should be sterilised with steam. I could construct the boiler, but should like, to know how long the soil should be treated and at what temperature, and the best method of passing the steam through the soil.” We have already given a few hints on seed raising in this issue which may help you. In regard to soil sterilisation, this is easily done by making a false bottom in a drum about half way down and putting water in the bottom, and then some scrim or sacking on the false bottom, which should be full of holes to get the steam into the soil. Light a good fire underneath and raise the temperature of the soil on top to about 30 degrees and keep it at that for twenty minutes. By covering the drum with sacking you will conserve the heat. Allow the soil to cool down and then take? it out and dry off. Repeat if you want more soil. The soil to use is some old loam that has been stacked up and allowed to rot, and is then chopped up finely and put in the steriliser. When dry it can be sieved and some sand mixed in with it to keep it open. The seedlings being drawn 'and weakly rather points to too much seed being sown in a given space. Try to sow the seed thinly and as soon as the young plants are large enough to handle prick them out into other boxes. You • will probably find that seeds of all kinds do'not germinate as quicgly in sterilised soil as they do in ordinary soil. The variations will be from three to ten days. There are specal sterlisers on the market for treating large quantities of soil which are good, but we presume you do not wish to go to this expense. You could also buy the soil you require from any nursery man who has a sterilising plant, and probably this would be your best plan. Special appliances can be had for treating large quantities of soil in the open ground, but these are also expensive and are only required when large quantities are being grown in the open. These appliances are largely used by tomato growers for treating the soil in houses, and save a great deal of tho labour involved in moving and replacing with fresh soil. If only small amounts of soil are wanted some can be baked in an ordinary oven in a shallow dish; put some water in the soil and bake it until it is about dry, and all the weeds and insects should bo dead. SEED SOWING. There are few gardeners who do not sow seeds at some time of the year, but there are;very few who think anything about their wants or their needs. It is enough for them that they are seeds of plants that they want, and if they sow them or cover them with earth and give them water and warmth they will with luck turn into the plants they require. The seed is really a highly carbonised body, and given the proper conditions, if a seed is properly ripe when gathered, it will keep for a considerable period. The length of time a seed will retain its powers of germination varies with the different varieties. Some are better if they are sown as soon as they

are ripe, while others are said to give lietter results if they aro kept for a while. However, the first act of germination reverses the maturing process; those sown as soon as they are ripe will germinate quicker than those that are kept. There are three things that are essential to germination — moisture, warmth, and air—and no seeds will grow if any of these conditions are lacking. Moisture and warmth without air will rot seeds, and warmth and air without moisture will shrivel them up. When germination begins, tho first thing to appear is a tiny root, and as soon as this begins to draw its food supply the next thing to appear is a tiny shoot, and this must have light, or they will be poor, attenuated things of a poor colour; but give them light and air and they will become green. The warmth or temperature required to germinate seeds varies from 32 degrees up to about BU. The average temperature at which seeds can bo raised varies, but if the house or soil can bo kept at 50 to 60 degrees almost any kind of seed can be raised at this time of the year. Later on, say, in October, the outside conditions reach this heat, and seeds can be raised in the open. When seeds are sown in boxes, it is necessary to allow for the surplus water to get away as soon as possible, and for this purpose the coarser pieces of earth are put in the bottom of the box, with the finer particles on top. Keep tho box level so that all tho water does not run to one end when the box lias to be watered. If the soil is very dry, when put in the box, give it a, good watering and leavo it until it is dry enough to handle before sowing the seeds; then sow on the surface and press them in with a flat piece of board and sprinkle a little soil over them. When sowing seeds out in the open ground the process is very similar and the great thing to do is to provide a surface that does not cake and crack. Sandy soil or a soil mixed with sand can bo used te cover them with. There are some hard seeds, such as acacias, that can be softened by having hot water poured over them and left to soak in it for twenty-four hours before sowing.