GARDEN NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 258, 29 September 1943, Page 6

GARDEN NOTES

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Tho main tg- in the flower garden at present is to finish tho cleaning up of borders. The wet weather has delayed this and it is a bad policy to work any soil while it is wet. Gravel paths take up a good deal of time but if one can get some weed poison tho young weeds are easily killed. Gladioli planting will bo general next month ydiere these flowers arc grown every year, try to get a fresh piece of ground. Deep digging is one of tho most important things, and if any manure has to be added put it well down. By preparing the bed well in advance of planting the soil has plenty of time to settle. They are sun-loving plants, but when they are about to flower water is sometimes necessary. These plants will do well on heavy soils, but the best flowers are produced on a peaty loam. If you grow a few cormlets every year you can rely on good healthy stock to continuo with. When planting these norms or cormlets. take oil as much of tho hard outer skjn as you can, taking care not to destroy the soft corm inside. Some of these may flower the first year, but as a rule they wait until the second year. Zinnias are fast becoming universal in, our gardens and whether the largo, medium, or small varieties are wanted the seed can be sown early next month. Many growers find it better to sow the seed where the plants are to grow. Draw a drill about half an inch deep and sow the seed thinly along tho bottom, covering it with a layer of sand. As soon as the plants can bo handled, thin them out to about a foot aparfand loosen the surface of the ground to a depth of an inch or so. These plants arc largely surface rooters and to work too deeply destroys some of tho roots. The new varieties of African marigolds are head and shoulders above the older kinds. Keep well picked. When preparing for plenty of colour, do not forget a good patch of petunias; there are few plants that will give as good a show over a long period. Seeds should bo sown at once. This seed is very fine and must be very carefully sown on the surface of a pot or pan, pressed down, and covered with a sheet of glass and a piece of paper. As soon as it begins to germinate, remove tho paper and grow tho plants on until they are large enough to move to other boxes.

QUESTIONS. “Spray” says: “I have a lemon tree which has a lot of brownish spots on it. I have been told to spray it with starch. Do you know if this is any good and if so how should it bo mixed ? It scorns to be too thick to spray on to tho trees. Is there any other spray I can uso?” The starch spray is a very effective one for citrus trees. We do not know why its use is not generally recommended ; possibly because of its liability to wash off during heavy rain. It must bo used on plants when they ore dry, and have a chance to dry on to tho leaves and stem. Make the starch in the usual way with boiling water and thin it down so that it can be easily sprayed on to the trees, using hot water, and spray before the 6tuff has had time to thicken. The action of this spray is to cover tho scale and stop it breathing, when it peels off, leaving tho tree clean. One authority recommends one teaspoonful of carbolic to each gallon. White emulsified oil at the rate of one part .of the oil to 80 parts of soapy water is useful. This spray can bo used now when the | trees are dry. For borer in the branches, find the hole and with an eye-dropper or a piece of grass put a few drops of benzine into it and plug tho hole with a piece of soap, or even clay. The dead branch is most likely due to borer getting into it. If the tree is very thick, thin tho branches out to allow the sun and air to get into it. Good drainage for the tree is necessary. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.- !

A correspondent says; “Now that wc aro in this ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign, would you kindly allow me some of your valuable space to have my own say. I have been in a position to sec many splendid vegetables rejected because they did not come up to a certain standard. I believe these vegetables have been passed on to another part of the force who were not so particular. I consider that if this kind of thing goes on it is imperative that every householder should cultivate all the space or spaces that lie can beg or borrow. There are unfortunates who have no land they can work and it behoves those who have land to provide for their less fortunate brethren. I am not in favour of town ' or country dwellers digging up their front j lawns and otherwise spoiling the beauty of their homes, but I do think, with you, sir, that there are plenty of open ! spaces where vegetables could bo grown I and these would be the bettor for being ! put to a good use. During the last war all the gardeners in my street banded themselves together and cultivated every piece of ground they could get. The result was that we had more stuff than we could uso and tho balance was sold. I might say there was no Marketing Board in those days. A considerable sum was raised for charitable purposes and everybody was healthier for the exercise and the good diet of vegetables which they had. I would like to see the same thing done hore, and it could easily be done. We had no particular manure supply, but we cut all grass and weeds and put them in a heap to rot. One man had a clover paddock close by which was cut two or three' times in the season and this added considerably to the stock of manure. These compost clubs are doing a fino job and are teaching those who are willing to learn that a lot can be done with waste materials at hand. Long may they continue tho good work. More ■ space should be given to winter crops and those to come to maturity in tho early spring. For this purpose there are succession cabbages, leeks, celeriac, sprouting broccoli (a most valuable vegetable) and Brussels sprouts and spinach (the perpetual, variety is always a good standby). Carrots and parsnips sown in Novomber will stand most of tho winter. I have just dug mine and

they will last until the end of next month, when there will be other things to come on. The savoy cabbages are just about over, but some of the young shoots are ready for use. Lettuces will bo ready in a. week or two and will be very welcome. However, I did not mean to usurp your good work but have mentioned some things I am growing to show what can be done. The week-ends have not been very satisfactory lately, but the days are getting-. longer and a few minutes a day will give you a good start. I am a great believer in the virtue of soot and have used all I can get. I put it in a box and stirr it up every few days for about three months, then sprinkle it on the garden. I have no slugs or other vermin, and put this down to the use of soot.”

We thank our correspondent for diis valued advice, and are of the opinion that everyone should put his shoulder to the wheel, or his foot to the spado and do his best. There is plenty of land for everybody. Pumpkin and marrow seeds can be started on sawdust with a piece of moist sacking thrown over the top. As soon as the shoot appears, pot each seed in a small pot. Cucumber seed can be treated in the same way, but next month would be soon enough for that. Sow tomato seed under a glass -cover and, as soon as the plants show their fourth loaf, prick them out into other boxes. The best soil for tomatoes is a good, clean one, that has not grown tomatoes before. Land dug. out of turf is generally safe. These plants do not require much manure until the first bunch or so of fruit has set and then they can bo given liquid manure to advantage. Sow some leek seed in a -wellmanured piece of ground. Another sowing can be made a month or so later. Sow Brussels sprouts and leave the_ plants ready to set out in December. They require a long season, but arc well worth the trouble. ,