GARDEN NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 120, 19 April 1944, Page 6

GARDEN NOTES

THE FLOWER GARDEN. The time has come when sweet pea seed should 'be sown cither in the open ground or in pots for planting out later. The site for the plants should have been prepared well in advance of sowing, and as they are deep rooters it must be deeply worked. Every plant, should have at least foot of space or, better still, 18 inches. For exhibition purposes the laterals are removed in the early stages of growth and three shools are taken up tall enncs. These growths have to bo tied into place because the lendrills aro not strong enough to hold them. Growing liiy-of-lho valley from retarded crowns is very fascinating. They can be grown in pots if you like, but only for one season, when the crowns must bo planted out in the open ground. About 12 plants can bo grown in a six-inch pot. Keep the pot ill a warm, dark place, until the leaves begin to show up; then they can be gently given more light. They will bloom in about a month if the right degree of heat can bo maintained, and very pretty they look. Primula malacoides make good pot plants. Pot some up now in good soil and grow them in the glasshouse. The main thing is not to water them too freely during the cold weather; in the early spring they will require more water, but it does not pay to give them too much at any time. Cinerarias and schizanthus are two other plants that can be grown in pots in the glasshouse and make a good show when flowers aro scarce. Kose planting will soon be with us, and all those who are going to set out now plants should lose no time now in getting the new bod ready. Roses like a good open situation whore they get the sun for the most part of the day, particularly the morning sun. When making the bed, it is necessary to work the soil as deeply as possible. In the case of very heavy soils, work in some thing that will help to keep the subsoil open and free; use some strawy material such as that from an old stack bottom or some cow manure. If the surface is good, clean turf thoro is no particular need to put any manure with it. This can be put on the surface after the plants are growing and worked in lightly. If the plants should come to hand before you are ready to plant them, heel them in, pressing the sod well round their roots, and they will be ready when you want them. It is not necessary to label each plant, but make a plan of the bed and mark the position of each plant on it, keeping this plan where it can be referred to when the plants arc in bloom.. When replacing o'.d plants that have died out, remove the soil round them taking out about two feet square of soil and replace this with some fresh, clean turf. If new plants are set out where old plants have died or have proved unthrifty, they seldom do very well and it pays well to remove the old soil, which can be used elsewhere in the garden. Do ' not prune your roses until August. A bed, I seven feet wide will take three rows of plants two feet six inches apart and this will give you a chance to work the i ground from either side without walking on the soil. ■

LAWNS.

Lawns that have become thin in places through being used tor games should be topdressod or otherwise renovated before the cold, wet weather sets in. When topdressing it is the whole surface that receives a- thin coaling of good, prepared soil. This is raked and rolled clown until the whole surface is level; but when dealing with tho bate patches that arise through constant use it is better to.returf them with good clean turf from tho sides or the reserve lawn. The soil on the bare patches is removed to a depth of about three inches and is replaced with turves cut ,to the same thickness. Roll these turves down and topdross lightly with fine soil, working it into any cracks between the sods. Another way to renovate these places is to fork tho soil up and break it down as finely as possible and then sow it with a suitable mixture of grass seed, raking it well into the soil. Lawns that have become thin can generally be said to suffer from soil .impoverishment, due principally to the fact that every time the grass is cut the grass catcher picks up all the clippings. If these were left on tho lawn they would provide a certain amount of nourishment which could be added to by using a soil topdressing into which has been mixed some compost, finely sifted, or some well-rotted manure. Some grass fertiliser can bo added at the same timo and the whole lot spread evenly over the surface. Bad places can be improved by spiking the lawn to a depth of three or four inches and raking the top-dressing material over it before the roller is used. A little well-pounded charcoal is a. splendid tonic for a tired lawn, and this can be used at any time. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

There are some varieties of vegetables that can be sown or planted. If you have a good.fresh piece of ground, put in some cabbage plants which, if they get a good start now will go on growing slowly through the winter.. Cauliflower plants can also be set out and, as long as the drainage is good, will go on growing. Thin, out the turnip plants and use the thinnings as green stuff; they will bo found to bo very good. Perpetual-spinach plants can be set out now in very rich ground, and in a short time they will conic into use. It would be interesting to know how much a family would save annually by growing their own vegetables. If you have any leek plants going to waste, plant them out fairly close together; although they will not grow very much they will be found most useful. At this season of the. year the most important thing is to give the soil a good manuring to get it ready for the next season's crops. The sooner this can be done the better chance (ho soil will have of absorbing the plant food that is freed by the rotting material. Get the manure you have on hand wheeled out on to the land that has to be worked, and do this before the soil becomes too wet to walk or wheel upon. Some ground must bo prepared for sowing onion and cabbage seed for spring planting. So far the conditions have been splendid for the preparation work and everybody should try to do something towards such a worthy object. As soon as a crop has passed its useful stages, take the old plants out of the ground and if they can be turned into manure put them in the compost heap; if they are too old and woody for this, burn them and use the ashes on the garden. One gardener has written to us saying that he has had a very fine crop of late peas, sown about the end of January, and is now digging the haulms into the soil as he finds they make a splendid soil fertiliser. Take good care of the runner beans that were planted last year. Theso plants are perennial and when they are well treated during the winter they will come away in the spring. A good dressing of manure dug in on either side of the row will be ready to work when required. Clean up the asparagus bed now by cutting away all the tops and burning them, then remove the weeds and cover the bed with a good dressing of manure. Two or three inches of manuro can be put over the bed and covered | with a, light dressing of soil from the ! paths at the side. The plants will not' begin to grow until the spring, but by . manuring them now they will have a j chance to do their best. Rhubarb is n I gross feeding plant that likes a good rich I soil, and this can be done by digging in ' a good dressing on cither side of the row. This plant is one that does not like wet feet and if the soil is heavy it : must bo well drained. Although rhubarb is said to bo a gross feeder it is a strange fact that almost any plant will grow after it and do well. Give gooscberrv bushes a good dressing, but be careful not to injure their roots or stem when digging the'matcrial into the ground , round them. |