THE HOME GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18553, 10 November 1923, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE HOME GARDEN.

a——— ! ORDER IN TOE GARDEN. [;:■■■■■■':.>■ ;■-..' i.' • ,♦ , ; .':.; —_;J i STAKING AND TYING. Carnations and picotees require special attention at this season' in the way -of tying up and arranging. the flower stems to. neat stakes, at the same time thinning out some of the flower buds and picking off any dead leaves near ■ the base of the shoots. After the tying up lightly fork the soil around the plant* and scatter a little lime and soot mixed together on the surface around each plant. This keeps the soil sweet and destroys many insects, including , wireworms and the minute white mite that is often prevalent in the soil, especially where liberal manurings lave been applied. Carnations require to be renewed every second year, as older plants usually become scraggy. I Hence the. necessity of layering some ,of the border varieties each year and the striking or cuttings of the tieo or perpetual flowering kinds, which are best propagated from cuttings. Good results are obtained by growing some of the perpetual class in pots in the greenhouse or conservatory. Marguerite carnations are raised from seed; they last for one season, and are most useful for cutting and flowering for a long time. THE ROSS SEASON. Most of the varieties belonging to the different sections are at their best. The climbing kinds are in full bloom. The Wicharianas come out later. \ Roses are flowering earlier than usual. .■. : .; Grc ■.: fly or aphis is very "prevalent, the young shoots and bads being covered with these insects, that suck the juices and naturally injure the bushes. v Fortunately they are easily killed by syringing with Gishurst's compound black leaf 40 or other approved insecticides. Two or three dressings are necessary to destroy the successive broods. Green fly increases with marvellous rapidity by two means by eggs in the early spring and autumn, the eggs lying dormant throughout the winter, and are hatched with the warmer weather. During the summer these insects become viviparous, ejecting young insects at a sur-.-ising rate, hence the enormous number that are produced in a very short time. Almost every plant has its own ; peculiar aphis, that of the rose being called green fly. Oleanders suffer badly from the attacks o* aphides that infest and injure the young tips. This particular species is more difficult to Kill, owing to their greasy nature warding off the spray. The black aphis ... of the chrysanthemum is : : also troublesome. Black leaf 40 is the most effective.

OHRYSANTHEMtJMS AND DAHLIAS. The general planting of chrysanthemums should be completed about the middle of this month. Those that were planted about -the middle of October, as recommended, should have their tops nipped off to keep them dwarf and promote the growth of side shoots; three of i these should be retained to grow on, removing the others. Those intended i for garden decoration and flowers for cutting should be trained in bush form, Commence the planting of dahlias, early this month, continuing until the end- of December. The muted border is the most suitable place for dahlias, -which dispensable in every garden, r as- they flower continuously throughout the late summer and A autumn.. The varieties belonging to the -cactus section are ! still the most popular, the large looser I flowemd paeony varieties ranking, second. The collarettes are very attractive witt; their beautiful single flowers that : have a collar or circle of secondary petals around the centre and are earned upon long, ! stiff stems giving them a most conspicuous and decorative; appearance. JteW splendid for cutting. Dahlias delight in fairly rich soil. Consequently, m preparing the wholes a forkful of stable manure well mixed with the sod; should be given each plant, ■ or ; as a substitute a handful of bonedust. They require a distance 1 of i about 3 1 feet apart .to 'allow the plants room -to develop aide growths and for convenience in tending them, ; such as tying up < and regulating ; their growth, disbudding, and s gathering the flowers. ■PLANTING OPERATIONS. November is always a busy - month ; in the flower garden, planting-up operations occupying a considerable c time, not only i in planting but in the good % preparation l of the soil which is absolutely necessary for the ; well being of the plants i and ! production ifof; the best results. Deep digging and well manuring promote ; free ~ root action arid prevent the soil from becoming baked and too- dry. Beds * recently occupied by anemones, ranunculi, and some other V oarly flowering ? bulbs & should be deeply dug* and' allowed to remain in the rough "to sweeten and receive surface application of lime preparatory to reforkin* to bring it into a good state of pulyerisa-; tiori'l for replanting with suitable! seedlings for summer flowering J selected from the many varieties ■' available >■•■ for present planting. The >% leading '■>% kinds 'x include - asters, zinnias, ; : dwarf French ; and :.tall African ; ' marigolds, \ large r flowered | phlox, scarlet salvias, ;s petunias large-flowered, some ? 5 with ii frinbriated i edges, perennial delphiniums, / antirrhinums, ■ pens tern ens, verbenas, ; corrobsis,- gailla' dias. These comprise the, leading varieties for present planting. Cosmoea and feathered cockscombs, also portulaccas may i be planted later -toward the end of the month and early in December i being soon anough? for these. GENERAL OPERATIONS. Neatness should be the order of the day in keeping with the general floral 'dis-; Elay. The; beds -. and • borders % should ; be kept * perfectly free from : weeds arid: the surface soil stirred at least once every week. ' This is ; important ;arid ; should be regularly attended to not only, to £ act as a mulch but to give the beds a better appearance.: Spent ; v flowers * ;,- : '.- ; on % rose, bushes -should:, be L picked off daily, v; this giving thent a, tidy appearance and prolongs ;. ; the flowering. Spent. blooms of many other varieties of < plants should -be -removed, j; Seedlings ,from hJ seeds '<:■ sown in the beds and \ borders 'i should be thinned to ; suitable distances apart. This { is an important ' and necessary operation ; to allow each " plant ■, sufficient ; room to ■ develop. Neatly trim., grass verges .and. attend regularly to a mowing the grass onMawns and v to \ 'occasionally roll. •v Do .';'■ '■: no A '■ clip evergreen hedges ■ until the growth is more matured. The :;; indiscriminate ;j clipping at this ; season is most injurious. ■-. FRUIT CULTURE. - - COMBATING PESTS. „ '"■"* During the- -next few f months, in fact, almost. throughout the whole fruiting season, orchardi'sts ; will' be ; kept ; fully employed in combating the >various pests and diseases, > f in addition to other orchard requirements. With « the setting of the fruits "; the labour is' at once , , the various enemies that most fruitgrowers, have; to fight before they can place sound fruits upon the market renders it necessary I that ; nothing should i;beV left j to ; chance, but that every reasonable means should be 5 used ; to ft prevent;- as far as possible damage caused to fruit* and foliage by the various ;, orchard pests. During the last ; few years ■the commercial ; orchardist has done wonders in keeping the codlin moth and other * insect i pests • under con- I trol, with the result that but. a very email percentage of ;■ fruit in injured by them. ,With' many amateur growers, however, the same energy is by no means displayed, while in very many instances, in spite of fruit" trees; being j subject ;to| inspection, ; little or no attempt' is ' made to control pests, with the result that sot only is ; most of the ; . fruit rendered [ unfit for use, but the orchard? forms a* breeding •' ground for almost every kind of fruit and leafeating insects. ; ■~ ■ Mm

' THE IMPORTANCE 07 SPBAYIJNJ. - Spraying _. is such!: a,; simple operation that there is really little excuse for? ffiMMB making an effort to keep pests under con. A trol, as not only codlin moth but :« leech* beetles, leaf rollers and other leaf-eatuw '■'■'' insects can be kept under by this meanf Fungoids, it is true, are not so eaifl» controlled, though much can be 'd&MMmm this direction by thoroughly drpssJag4hg ? trees ; during winter and r .early 'XamSMsgßffl with fungicides recommend? 1 for this purl' ' pose. In combating tho cudlm the first spraying should be done immedTpsH iately the fruit is set and continued ifrllli regular intervals until the fruit is matured Most varieties of pip fruits are in the right condition for epraying; most of ihoSS young fruit at this stage is in an uprightifil position so that in spraying, some of thillli material, if a fine distributing spray: mIsSI used, is almost certain to enter the &*|ili of the fruit where ir.ost of the eggs of MS the early brood are laid. \ THOROUGH SPRAYING. • ■*.? : :-'.'ij Spraying should be thorough as it i» ■ \ of the greatest importance that as many as possible of this early brood of codlin moth la vae should be destroyed. Arsen- "• ate of lead is- still one of the most effect- ,'' •-£ ive remedies and quite safe, when applied %$$ according to the directions supplied with the material. But in addition to -fruitlwi eating insects, there are few better remedy ies for the destruction of the leech that "'• *J proves so destructive to the foilage of • - plums, pears, quince, cherry; and other " <t trees and shrubs, while the beetles that *Wt play such havoc with the leaves of; frnitfsl and other trees apd plants, are destroyed by the free use of this material. The brown beetle, or what is often termed the aisn "'V grub, is a more difficult pest to deal with as its ravages are by no means confined to fruit trees, but attack the .foliage 'of fsf both deciduous and evergreen trees as 'Ci well as dwarf growing flowering plants ' •' and shrubs. ■ , || : The chief concern of the fruit grower''' is to protect his; Suiting trees, and spray, ing the surest and most effective means of protecting the foliage from their attacks, DESTRUCTIVE APHIDES. "^lllll The Black Aphis is another ; pest thai needs watching. As soon as they make 'ttuPfll appearance they should be at once attacked as they increase so rapidly as to quickly sap the vitality from the young tender snoots. Black leaf 40 is an effective remedy for this pest. SLater - infill season the natural enemy, the small ladySl® bird, Coccinella 11 punctata (so : named from the eleven spots shown upon the insect) keeps the pest under control. In addition to the above there are other destractive and annoying pest 3 that require careful watching and treatment, esVEpI pecially during the hot summer' months. lOf these the Woolly Aphis, is l?tIA*&Sl most troublesome as many of tht most approved varieties of apples are so subject to these attacks. This pest increase 3 ;so rapidly in hot - weather | that, if left unmolested, quickly destroys numbers of buds that might otherwise develop " into fruiting wood, besides disfiguring .thei§y| branches and '■ giving the 3 trees an un» ' sightly appearance. Some, it is true, are less subject to its attack than' others,'' while there are a few that are practically immune. :'■■} But, as already stated, several of the best market varieties are often badly attacked. / '.'^'^'^SH ADVANTAGES OP ' GOOD - PRlJanfO^S As stated in ( previous notes, the method of; cultivation and pruning would assist much in keeping woolly aphis in'check. - Most experienced ; growers '" know ' that trees that make abundance of weak, ! sapp . unriped shoots, if at all subject to' fus pest, * are the v first to «be attacked, a.td soon become white with this insect, while the more matured and % better ripped wood will be comparatively free. : Much can be done by summer .; pruning, pidemn/f £ or ■{ cutting back 4 all superfluous 'weak shoots. This, v in addition' to removing 'much'■■ of their I feeding "■ ground, opens up theV centre of the ; trees, allowing the free circulation of > sun * and air, \ and will encourage'' fruiting spurs to form, instead of a lot hof weak, ; useless inside shoots. Any affected parts should be painted over with red ' oil, strong : kerosene : emulsion, or v ith * black I leaf 40, 5 rubbing in'- the I emulsion with a fairly stiff brush. -^^J l^^^^

■JHL

THE VINERY. j''||

GROWING GRAPES. Growth in this department is now ex* ceptiorsally rapid, moat vines being now at '■;■ the * stage when ■ persistent attention will be needed : to keep pace :: : with their ' requirements. It is at this time thut the : *' energies the growers are folly taxed, for. not only must the lateral growth I» kept under control, but "'the berries : "Ito|s3 rapidly : and 'k need -- ? attention iin thinning out. ?r Both of. these are tedious operations, and .: cannot be j hurried, as special care is ' required ini ; the work. When oitee Ha vines'■ are■■. well ; under way,^the work tof '. stopping ;• and keeping lateral growths under control appears an almost endless > task, but is of , such,j importance Hbt/t it ■'- must on no account be allowed to fall Into arrears. ;;! This ' rapid r growth, s too, is quickly followed by the setting and swelling of I the berries, ,so that - thinning of the berries is added to > the ; other equally >* ; important work. Grapes ' require j all ■tha|K| assistance that can'be- given, and that by keeping lateral growths 'under control the strength of \ the < vines *is "directed hin developing ; the 5 berries, .v If, ■. on v the other hand,' the stopping is neglected, and the .■•>;.;■ superfluous growths allowed "to accumulate, the development of the berries is naturally checked t when a quantity*! ofJ||| growth is removed ;at -one , timeV3|fcyp| thinning the berries, the grower must be >uided by the .= condition \of the vines, *»M| the varieties grown. Varieties vary both in size of bunches and berries, so that thinning ;f must oe regulated accordingly* but Kin: no;case should they be over* burdened with fruit. ■ -v^Bi