GENERAL OPERATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21254, 6 August 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

GENERAL OPERATIONS

BUSY MONTH'S NEEDS The present is a busy timo in all detriments of the garden cliiefly in completing the pruning of roses, which should be done in all localities not later than the i middle of the month, as well as the spraying and manuring and digging among the planfs in the beds and other places. The pruning of all trees and shrubs, evergreen and deciduous, and tho pruning of hedges should also be completed as soon os possible. Spraying is a necessary operatioji to kill moss and other parasitic growths which is so prevalent in moist humid climates, giving the frees and other plants an unsightly appearance and forming a harbour for latent insects. The citrus family is subject to several scale insects and requires treatment to keep the bark smooth and shining, and the leaves in a healthy condition. / DIGGING AND PLANTING. Digging .or otherwise treating the soil !n the various beds and borders is a necessary operation at this season as well as weeding among seedlings and regulating the growth of some of the plants, and attending to borders. Grass on lawns is becoming more active and needs to be 1 mown and the surface occasionally rolled. Autumn sown grass should receive its first cutting with' the scythe. / Hasten on with the planting of most of .the varieties of evergeen and deciduous trees and shrubs, also roses. Citrns trees /or - ornament or otherwise are best ) planted at this season. This also applies to several trees and shrubs, notably •ucalypts or gums, acacias and others that Bra usually pot grown. Bamboos for hedges, ornamental and utilitarian purposes should be planted in the spring. SUCCESSION OF FLOWERS Bedding out seedlings occupies the chief attention of the gardener in the early spring, to provide a continuous succes- , sion of summer-flowering needling annuals A and biennials. Care must be taken not to plant tender varieties out of season; this entails loss and disappointment, but so frequently happens. VALUE OF MULCHING Mulching is another important operation. It consists in lightly stirring the surface soil around the plants to break the crust, control seedling weeds and admit the ameliorating effects of the sun and atmosphere. Mulching pansies and some ' other plants with broken up cow manure mixed with coarse sand is beneficial. With the rush of spring work the gardener is kept more than busy. CHRYSANTHEMUMS USE OF CUTTINGS The propagation of chrysanthemums is affected from cuttings taken off tho old plants or from the numerous suckers around the stools. The novice usually prefers a sucker with a few roots attached and plants them in a prepared piece of ground to become well rooted and established for transplanting in October into their flowering place. Experienced growers prefer to propagate their plants from cutting!) taken from the old plants. The cuttings have better root action and by a little attention mako stronger and sturdier plants. The cuttings struck about the middle of August and the second week in September in pots or shallow trays produce tho best results as far as exhibition blooms are concerned. This chiefly applies to local growers. The cuttings must be kept in a healthy state free from insects. When planting tho young plants out permanently, a good system is to dip them in a solution of Gishurst's compound. DAHLIAS The dry dahlia roots in store should bo Borted over to free any soil that may be among the tubers and also to cleanse them from any insects. Wood I ice, carwings and other pesls are by an occasional rearrangement got rid of. Where the stools are very large some of the tubers may be cut off. This will facilitate handling and safe space when placing them in a frame to restart. AN EXCELLENT SHRUB Jasminum primulinum is a splendid hardy winter-flowering evergreen shrub, producing its large bright yellow semidouble flowers wreathed along every branch and twig. The flowers are not affected by the weather. It may be treated as a shrub or for training against tho tides of a fence or wall. Flowering at thig time when there is a dearth of flowering shrubs this primula is most