GARDEN OPERATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 8 (Supplement)

GARDEN OPERATIONS.

MUCH TO BE DONE. Ordinary routine garden operations have been greatly hampered and hindered for some weeks, owing to the continued showery and wet weather, keeping the soil in a cold and web condition. Heavy, retentive soils have been quite unfit for treading upon or disturbing, or for the f reception of the many varieties of annuals and biennials and herbaceous plants that should bo bedded out at this season for the coining display. Only the hardiest, such as stocks, Iceland poppies, calendulas, wallflowers, etc., could be satisfactorily planted, and those only under favourable soil conditions. The light volcanic soils are more easily treated during recent weather conditions. After a few hours of sunshine planting near the borders may bo proceeded with. As the season is fast advancing every favourable opportunity must be taken to proceed with the planting of those seedlings that are necessary for the late spring and early summer display and for preparing ground for successional planting, and clearing tho garden of weeds, regulating tho borders and placing the beds and borders ns well as edgings and walks, in good order. FINAL PLANTINGS. Complete the planting of roses and lightly fork over the surface around the established plants. Complete the planting of the different varieties of hedge plants, bamboos excepted. They may be planted ns late as the end of next month. Complete tho planting of ornamental trees, evergreen and deciduous, and also flowering shrubs, with the exception of flowering and other gums, acacias, pepper trees, jacarandas, and others that are grown in pots. Evergreen climbing plants are as a rule better planted at this season, when rains are usually less frequent and atmospheric conditions are gradually becoming warmer. Bougainvilleas, several of the passifloras and bignonias, are half-hardy and suffer from too much moisture and cold nature of the soil during tho winter.*' They transplant best at this season. THE YELLOW KOWHAI. ATTRACTIVE FLOWERS. Trees of the yellow kowhai (sophora tetraptera), ono of tho few species of native deciduous trees, are now laden with the greatest profusion of glorious yellow pendant blossoms. This tree is interesting in all stages of its growth. The beautiful flowers precede its light green acacia-liko foliage. It is very hardy, easy to transplant, succeeds near tho sen as well as inland. -It grows well intermixed among the trees and shrubs in the mixed ornamental plantation, as seen now in full flower in the Auckland Domain, standing nut. conspicuously in all its glory, presenting a most, attractive floral sight. The yellow kowhai comes into flower when quito voung, and is suitable for planting in the mixed border and also for single specimens. CHARMING ANNUAL. Ileliophila is a charming new annual from Cape Colony, with pretty blue, white-eyed flowers, freely produced in long racemes. A daintily-arranged table at the recent Auckland Horticultural Show elicited the. greatest admiration not only for the graceful elegance and light appearanco of tho flowers, but as a unique novelty. It is propagated from seeds arid may bo grown either in the open ground or as a pot plant. Planted in masses it is most effective. Grown in sin. pots they arc most useful with small plants of blue and white hydrangeas, having a single flower on each plant. TO CORRESPONDENTS. C.M.. Hemuera. —The leaf and flower belongs to Saxifraga eraseifolin. (thick-lenved). an extremely hardy winter-flowering plant, suitable for the rock garden and planting on banks. It is a native of Siberia. J.O'C., City.—The anemone is attacked by a species of rust fungus. It is too late to apply effective remedial measures. The continued wet state of the soil for weeks in succession has been detrimental to both anemones and ranunculi. The sickly yellow appearance of ranunculus leaves is the result of too much moisture and the cold state of the soil. V.W.L., Russell.—l. Gnavas make a suitable dividing hedge, but must only be sparingly trimmed. Plant them about Sft. apart. 1. Persimmons will now strike root and prow from cuttings. 3. When the fruit of orange trees tirop off soon after setting, the pollenation must be defective. Is the tree in a good, healthy-growing condition? The root action may be defective. J.T.H.. Arney Road.—Moth balls, broken or powdered up and placed near their haunts, or poisoned parsnip, will keep woodlice away. Cut a parsnip into squares, boil it in an old pot, mixing a small portion of arsenic in the _ water, hoil long enough to cook the parsnip soft. but. not to break into pieces, and place where the woodlice infest. They eoon attack the dainty morsel and pay the penalty. F.W., Mangonui.—Ooonsh li cr Si f sum a is the hardiest, most prolific and best of (he mandarins for commercial growing in your locality. To prevent larks from destroying your vegetable crops, spraying the plants with arsenate of load or pome other material that would be distasteful to them, or hanging pieces of benzine tins to flan with the and frightening them, are the only suggestions the writer can make. L.G., Papakura.—Arachis hypogaea (tho underground or pea nut) may be grown locally in moist alluvial or sandy soil. Plant the nuts in rows IBin. apart and Kin. between tho nuts in the rows, and 2in. deep. When they come up, earth them up and keep the surface soil around free from weeds. After tho plants have flowered and the pods begin to lengthen the pedicles, force them into the earth, where they ripen their seo<ls or nuts. M.C.H., Remuera.--Cclandine, or swallow wort, the only species, is a perennial herb abounding in an acrid juice. Tt is an excellent subject for naturalising in shrubberies. Increased by seed, its cultivation is very simple. It grows most freely in damp, shady situations in a wild state. It is distributed over the temperate parts of Europe and Asia. It is grown in the woods in Britain and associated with spring flowers. Cheledonium majus is n. native of Great Britain. Not being obtainable locally, you would have to send to Europe for seed. D.G., Hamilton.—-Tho disease upon the leaves of your silver beet, that renders them almost, unfit fo- use is a species of {uncus that is transmitted through the seeds. This draws attention to obtaining the seeds of this and other vegetables from sources that are the most reliable. Endeavour should be made to keep their strains as free as possible from fungoid diseases by careful selection of the plants from which the seeds are saved. This applies specially to tomatoes. Seed of silver beet is easily saved, and, if you are successful in obtaining a plant that is free of the fungus, save and plant it to produce your own seed. W.J.. Te Kuiti.—The lemon leaves denote that tho tree they were taken from is attacked with the sponge rot, which is prevalent in miny localities. It spreads along the surface of the ground, and consequently the lower branches of the tree should be kept from coming into contact with the soil by keeping them 18in. above tho surface. Clear away all weeds and grass from around (he. trees and apply a liberal dressing of lime closely around the stem. Spray the trunk and larger branches with a strong solution of Bordeaux mixture and the remainder of the tree with the 4-1-40 formula. Apply to the. ground under the tree lib. or more of sulphato of iron. Give the tree, if necessary, potash manures. Avoid nitrogenous manures. See that the drainage is goo f. T.G.W., Auckland.—The. hickory (Carrya alba) is the shcll-bark hickory. It could be successfully and profitably grown in the milder parts of the Auckland Province. Unlike other members of the walnut family, it will succeed where the water is near the surface. In America thousands of acres nro planted commercially. Seedlings are erratic in their fruiting and take a long time to come into bearing. Tho lending planters selected grafted trees of the largest and best fruiting kinds. The seedlings are used foi grafting or working the named varieties upon. The hickory is n rapid grower, with a clear stem and symmetrica] head. Splendid specimens of this tree may be seen nt. nn Avondalo nursery. They aro very de.pp-rootiriß: and succeed host in a moist, deop, loamy or sandy soil. The Taurnnga district should be ideal for their cultivation. Reclaimol swamps planted in hickories would he a profitable project, pot onlv for their fruit, but for their valuable timber. A good svstem is to procure and plant the nuts where they are intended to remain permanently, ns they have very long tap roots. This would save transplanting. Eepos.