STAKING OF PLANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21396, 20 October 1934, Page 10 (Supplement)

STAKING OF PLANTS

THINNING OUT GROWTH One of the most pressing of tasks in the garden at present is the staking and thinning of plants in the borders, more particularly those whose habit it is to grow tall, and a little timely attention will render many of them more useful for cutting purposes. As regards thinning, the novice will be very loth to part with the healthy young growths which look certain to produce splendid heads of flowers, but unfortunately, by the time many of the growths are ready to bloom, they and their neighbours will have developed so much as to be hopelessly crowded. .The result is unhealthy leaves and blooms of poor quality. In a general way, vigorous, hardy perennials* produce about twice as many shoots as they can bring to full devel-

opraent. This applies" to well-established I plants, and not to' those recently planted or divided. Thinning is best done with & strong knife or pair of scissors. No attempt should be made to pull off unwanted growth, or damage is sure to be; done to the shoots that are to be retained. Nor is it of much use to merely pinch the tips out of the u shoots, or the gardener will be dismayed to find five or six new shoots where formerly there was only one. This work should be completed as soon as possible, as'there is no point in allowing the plant to waste energy on shoots that are not required. Methods adopted for staking will vary according to the habit and character of the plants, to be dealt with. Delphiniums and perennial asters are best staked with strong bamboo canes about two feet longer than the, normal height of the plant, measuring in the case of the delphinium to the base of the flower spike. The stakes are bound to be unsightly for a few weeks until "the shoots have made sufficient growth to hide them, but this cannot be avoided.' Do not mate the mistake of thrust-

, ing all the 'stakes vertically into the ground. They are best inserted in such a manner that the tops lean outwards from the centre of the plant. In this . way, the growth will spread outwards as it lengthens, will have ample space for development and yet occupy as much space in the border as if no thinning had been carried out. Moreover, if the shoots are tied in such a manner that the shoots are on the outside of the stake, the canes will be hidden from view in a comparatively short time. Hardy annuals and similar plants may often be adequately supported by means of pieces of twiggy wood inserted between them, thus saving a considerable amount of tying. HARDY CAMPANULAS TYPES FOR' THE BORDER Many of the campanulas are splendid hardy plants for the border and provide , a wealth of bloom during the summer months and autumn. They make a special appeal to many because in many cases they bloom late. The majority of them are perennials of the easiest culture in any average soil. In elegance and colour they are unsurpassed, and few plants can be more easily propagated by division or from seed. Among the dwarf varieties for the front of the border C, carpathica is ideal. Reaching a height of one foot it flowers persistently from summer to autunfn. Such lovely varieties as the deep blue Isobel and its albino; White Starr the rich violet liiverslea, and China Cup in azure, make a choice group, and lists , offer many more such varieties. Slightly • taller is Bowles Hybrid, with erect •" stems hung with nodding bells of a full, clear blue. Another variety worthy of tfider recognition is C. radeana, a plant eminently suited for dry places where the soil ia poor. >;■' Of ,the many hybrids the best is the milk white C. Jenkinsae. This is a really choice plant and is rigid enough to stand erect. Another which cannot he passed by is C. Scheuchzeri, a greatly-magnified variety with large bowls of satiny violet. These occasionally break into pure white. The towering C. latifolia is well known. It produces noble trusses of pale or dark blue, azure or white, which are always good in the autumn. ; ■ BRILLIANT PLANTS TYPES OF KALANCHOES Kalanchoos possess all the qualifications of a first-class greenhouse or window plant, the small scarlet flowers, borne in panicles, being produced in the greatest profusion. The succulent, greyish-greon leaves form an excellent foil for the blooms. The latest addition to this race of plants kalanchoe globulifera. var. coocinaa. mora compact in habit than thl older varieties and is marked by the snHve hriUiancs of colouring. Plants are easily raised from seed during eummpr. They will flower the following itl, Winter t when their bright blossom is §pc:*Ppr eciated.