VERBENAS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 8 (Supplement)

VERBENAS

AUTUMN SOWING Verbenas aro favourite garden flowers of long standing and the florists of a past generation made much of them as an exhibition flower. Undoubtedly the best results are obtained by autumn sowing, and seed should be sown now if an early display is required nextseason. Any specially good varieties that have flowered this summer may be propagated by cuttings put in now, and the old plants may be lifted later, cut back and potted up and placed in the greenhouse for providing more cuttings next spring.

The cuttings, when rooted, must be kept growing quietly with enough warmth to exclude frost, freedom from draughts, but free from excessive heat and moisture. Green-fly and mildew are the principal euemies of this' family when the plants are under glass. Frequent light fumigations will keep the former at bay, while the mildew is best dealt with by dusting with sulphur. The florists' verbenas are the offspring of such species as V. chamaedrifolia, itself a delightful little plant for a warm rock-garden, with vivid scarlet blossoms, and V. teucrioides. A mixture of seeds from a reliable seed firm will provide a wide range of beautiful colours in all shades. Seed is also obtainable in separate colours. Some of the best forms are to be found in the class known as mammoth. The auricula-eyed verbenas are striking and lovely, with the centres of the blossoms in clear relief against the remainders of vivid hue. These are fine in mixture. A dwarf compact class is so bushy as to require no pegging down. This is available in mixture or such named kinds as Defiance, scarlet, and Coerulea, dark blue. Some of the most popu-lar-are the beautiful pink Miss Willmott, Ball of Fire, Crimson King, Boulo de Neige, Purple King and Blue Beauty. These must be perpetuated by means of cuttings. As the verbena emits roots readily from every joint when pegged down in the beds, no difficulty should be experienced in obtaining a supply of plants true to colour for next season's bedding. Quite different from any of the foregoing is the old favourite Verbena venosa, a plant with wiry stems and bushy habit, bearing innumerable small heads of violet-coloured blossoms. It is a useful subject for bedding in large areas and will maintain a colour display for a long period. It is good as the sole occupant of circular beds, but shoiild be kept away from hard scarlet or red flowers, as the Verbena venosa has a colour which will clash with a good many others. SEED DISINFECTION USEFUL SOLUTIONS A number of fungal diseases of plants axe spread by the use of infected seed, the fungus causing the disease being present on the surface of the seed or inside the tissues. It is possible in many cases to kill the fungus, and so make the seed healthy, by treating it with certain chemicals. Seed disinfection has been practised by farmers for many years, particularly with cereals, but it is only recently that the practice has been extended to vegetables and flowers. A much wider range of disinfectants has also become available in recent years. One of the difficulties in practical seed disinfection is the danger of reducing the germination of the seed. Hecent researches have been directed to producing disinfectants which will have no effect on germination. The new mcrcury disinfectants are particularly useful m this respect. Dusts are also safer to use than liquids. Copper sulphate or bluestone in onft per cent solution to one gallon of water) is a valuable disinfectant and rarely causes injury unless the mixture is made too strong. Washing the seed in water afterward will reduce the danger of injury. The time of immersion should be from 15 to 30 minutes. I'orinalin is a still more efficient, fungi- I cue, but there is often ;i danger of re duciug germination unless the seed is sown immediately. The beat'strength to use is one in 400, the time of immersion being from two to three hours ■ Stronger solutions will require a shorter time, but there is a greater danger of injury to germination. Corrosive sublimate used in vorv dilute solution (loz. in 10 gallons), can )C< recommended for cabbage and broccoli seed. Tho time of immersion should be .'JO minutes. The material has tiio drawback that it is very poisonous and great care should be tdken to avoid its accidental misuse. Seed treatment with fungicides has no effect on insect pests; a number of these can bo controlled or prevented by treating lie seed with certain substances. Carbon bisulphide is used against bean and ppa beetles, and turpentine or kerosene are tho best to use against flea beetles.

GUERNSEY LILY ROSY RED FLOWERS Nerino sarniensis having rosy red flowers is one of the most popular of this genus. It is commonly called tho Guernsey Lily, because of a popular belief that bulbs were washed ashore there from a wrecked ship and became established in gardens on tho island. iSermes flower only when in a potbound condition. They are therefore kept in tho same pots for many years, and tho bulbils which develop around them eventually reach flowering size, and a mass of bloom is produced. Potbound plants aro kept growing vigorously by top-dressing them annually. \\ lien growth commences a little of the surface soil is replaced with fresh compost. When repotting does become necessary it should bo done just before the plants start into growth. Jn mild, sheltered districts Nerines can be grown successfully out of doors, but once planted they should be left undisturbed for many years, in fact until they show signs of deterioration.