AMONG THE TREES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20988, 26 September 1931, Page 8 (Supplement)

AMONG THE TREES.

TRANSPLANTING OPERATIONS. The season for transplanting fruit, shelter, or ornamental trees is rapidly drawing to a close, so that any planting that had been held over on account of the wet state of the soil should be completed as soon as possible. Most deciduous fruitbearing trees are rapidly pushing into growth, while many of the more established trees, particularly peaches, nectarines, and Japanese plums, are in full flower. In planting, even small trees, every care must be taken to avoid too great a check. The success attained with late-planted trees depends in a great measure upon the way the ground is prepared, and the treatment given until the trees become established. The soil should bo placed in a condition to ensure quick root action, and should dry weather set in, either mulching or a nice loose surface should be maintanied, so that the air and wnygnth can penetrate and encourage healthy root growth. Almost throughout the whole planting it has been almost impossible, except in soils of a light friable nature, to plant without puddling the soil around the roots. This will entail extra labour in breaking up and keeping the surface well loosened until the trees become established. BREAKING UP THE SOIL. After very heavy rains, no matter what the nature of the soil, the surface natural ly becomes battered and caked and requires to lie loosened up. The stiffer the soil the more need there is for this attention. Good cultivation, howevor, applies equally to all trees, whether newly-planted or in a fruit-bearing condition. Breaking up the soil and applying a good dressing of some stimulating manure can, at this time, bo undertaken with advantage, as the object in manuring is to return to Ihe soil the material absorbed by the trees. The quantity of manure applied should lie in proportion,'according lo the growth and fruitfulness of the trees to be treated. Amateur growers, in applying manure, should bear in mind that tlie roots of fruit-bearing trees arc widely distributed, so that the manure, to become affective, should be spread well over the ground. CULTIVATION AND MANURING. The want of cultivation and manuring is the cause of many failures with fruit trees, and is by no means confined to any particular varieties. Tlfe whole of the orchard or garden in which fruit trees are growing should be kept in a thorough state, of cultivation. Keep the surface well stirred to prevent undue evaporation during the summer, when the trees are developing their crop, as well as allowing the air and warmth to penetrate and assist healthy root action. In the cultivation of bush fruits, such as gooseberries, currants, etc., spring mulching plays an important part. With these and other surface-rooting plants this is especially necessary, more particularly with plants growing in local gardens or in the more northerly districts. These plants, when in a good fruit-bearing condition, are invariably furnished with abundance of surface roots, which are quickly aifected by dry weather, unless the roots are protected by mulching. VALUE or MULCHING. Neglect to protect the roots is on© of the chief causes of failure in fruiting, for although the plants may flower freely the flowers frequently fail for the want of moisture just at the time they most need it to enable them to set and mature their fruit. Thoroughly mulching with stable manure, if obtainable, not only stimulates growth, but keeps the roots supplied with food at the time when they are most in need of it. In cleaning around the plants care must be taken not to injure the surface roots. Shallow hoeing or hand weeding is the safest method of weeding. Where stable or other animal manure is not obtainable for mulching, sprinkle the surface with some stimulating manure, and mulch the surface with grass or other suitable material. TO CORRESPONDENTS. " Three Generation Reader," Kawakawa.— The specimens are:—l. Fraxinus ornus (the flowering ash). 2. Olea sativa (the olive). 3. Buddlea salvifolia. 4. Abelia floribunda. 5. Solanum capsicastrum (star capsicum). 7. Anthropodium cirrhatum (rock lily). 8. Asplenium lucidum. 9. Blechnum discolour. 10. Asplenium bulbiferum. 11. Polypodium diversifolium. 12. Asplenium flaccidum. 13. Pteris scaberula. 14. Metrosideros diffusa (the climbing rata). 15. Species of wild cress. 10. Stellaria media (chickweed). 17. Erigeron canadense (a wayside weed). 18. Blechnum caponse. 19. Veronica agrestis (speedwell). 20. Geranium dissectum (crane's bill). 21. Gnaphalium luteo-album. i!2. Hypericum (St. John's wprt); 23. Veronica speciosia. 24. Oxalis cornucopia. 25. ijapicium campestre (pepper cress). 20 Modiola multilida (creeping mallow). E.H.R., Kelson.— To eradicate convolvulus or bind-weed is a difficult and tedious process. if the ground is not wanted tor cropping for some time, a surfaco dressing of spent salt trom the iellmonger s or common garden salt, spread over the surface of the infested plots when the weed is in full growth, is a good remedy. Otherwise persistently fork the ground over and pick the white roots out. Toward the end of summer, when the eoil is in its driest state, roughly forking the ground over and as many of the roots to the surface as possible, and afterwards forking out any that appear above the surface, is the only system of treating it. The roots die when exposed to the sun and air. A.E.L., Poverty Bay.—There is no cure or preventive for onion mildew. Liquid solutions will not adhere to the onion leaves. It is necessary to obtain the seed from the most reliable source and to keep the onion plants,in a good growing condition. At the time of sowing scatter a little sulphate of potash along the bottom of the drills, and when tlio seedlings are a few inches high water them with nirate of soda, loz. to the gallon Of water, applied every 10 days. " Gardener," Mount Eden.—The fertiliser you refer to it a reliable mixture. Applied either in the liquid form or lightly scattered on the surface around the plants and lightly stirred, it is equally good for all pot plants. " Iris," Westport.—lris tingitana, if properly treated, invariably flowers. Lift the bulbs when the foliage is about mature, expose them to the full rays of the sun by placing them on a sheet of galvanised iron for about a fortnight, and then place them in paper bags or in shallow trays. Hong the bags in a light airy shed near the window. When they begin to start into growth, replant them, inserting the bulbs 4in. below the surface. Bulbs treated in this manner invariably (lower. A cold, wet, heavy soil is unsuitable. Amateur," Epsom.—Artificial manures in liquid form are of great value applied to seedlings at this beason, and also to pot plants. Apply when the soil is wet. " Inquirer."—The lemon branch has no sign of scale or fungoid disease upon the leaves. The yellow appearance is ovideiiMy the result of frosts, the shoot being young and susceptiMe. The very yellow appearance of the daphne is the result of iincongenial soil at the roots, causing defective root action. The best treatment will be to take it up and replant it in a mixture of good turfy loam, with some leaf mould and a little sand mixed. f L.M., Elleralie.--Do not plant zinnia until the last week in October or early in November. The failures of so many planters last year proved to be due to the weather. It was caused by the early planting, and not by any collar rot. Kepos.