READERS' PROBLEMS: Some Queries Answered

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23507, 18 November 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

READERS' PROBLEMS: Some Queries Answered

Identification of Shrub.—Enclosed is a specimen of a tree which I would like you to identify. The tree in question is growing out of a five-finger tree. Would ypu kindly give its botanical and common names, and -state whether it is rare or not?—" Tree Top," ißotorua. The tree is Tupeia antarctica, native name Pirita, ono of the native parasitic mistletoe. While not exactly rare, it is at least uncommon. Pampas Grass.—(l) Is the pampas grass grown as a windbreak and cattle food a special variety and quite distinct from the native toi toi? Could it bo planted now? (2) Is it too late to sow wattle seeds ? Does tho riealbata get the diseases which affect the black wattle?—"lnquirer," Tauranga. (1) The pampas grass is quite distinct from the native toi toi and can bo planted now with safety. (2) The wattle seed can be sown any time now. All the wattles are more or less subject to the diseases. Diseased Lemon. —Is tho enclosed lemon a good variety and is there any way of making the skinß thinner and tho fruit with more juice? If not, would it be possible to graft another lemon on it, say a Meyer? When would Tie tho best time to do this? Many grateful thanks for your notes each week.—"Puzzled,Epsora. The lemon is not a good variety; it is citronello or wild lemon used for stocks on which to graft commercial varioties. It is also bad'y affected with verrucosis. Any other variety of lemon can be grafted on at the present timo. To control the verrucosis, spray with Bordeaux powder, one ounce to one gallon, periodically. Passion Fruit Disease.—Cl) Will you kindly advise what is wrong with passion fruit leaf enclosed arid suggest a remedy? (2) What is tho best manure for a Pink Pearl rhododendron? It has not grown at all in ono year (3) Will you suggest a good artificial manure for rhubarb, as . natural manures aro not available?—A.W., Milford. (1) Leaf spot. Spray with litno sulphur, 1 in 120, or Bordeaux powder, ono ounce to ono gallon of water. Give an application of superphosphate three parts, sulphate of ammonia one part, and •sulphate of potash half a part. (2) It may he uncongenial soil. Manuro will not help matters. Give a good top-dressing of leaf soil or peat. (3) Six parts superphosphate, ten parts sulphato of ammonia and ten parts of sulphate of potash. Budding Stooks.—(l) Do tho flowering apples, cherries aifd plums belong to tho samo family as tho fruiting varieties? Am I right in assuming that they are.simply varieties which are of moro valuo for their flowers than their' fruits? (2) I have suckers planted out which aro obtained from under old cherries. They have rather small leaves and I asumo that thoy aro most likely inazzard. Would they be suitable for budding flowering cherries? (3) What stocks are usually cmployed for flowering crab apples, flowering plums and flowering cherries? (4) The correct method of pruning Boysonberry?—"Tyro," Wairoa.

(1) Yes, they belong to the same family and arc in most cases developed garden varieties. (2) Yes, quite suitahlo. (3) Seedling apple or Northern Spy for crabs. Seedling plum or peach for plums. Mazzard or Gean for flowering cherries. (4) Same as for other berries of that type, cut out tho shoots that have fruited and train in tho current season's growth to fruit tho next season. Brown Weevils.—Am forwarding a specimen of a weevil or beetle wUich has killed tomato seedlings by enting the tops. They apparently como out only at night. Is this pest a well known and widely spread one? What other plants will it attack and what is the remedy? As I am waiting to replace seedlings 1 would greatly appreciate your advice.—G., Kerikeri. Tho insects are brown weevils and their ravages are not always realised as they work at night. They seem to become more widely spread each year and will attack most garden plants but have a special preference fqr tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco seedlings, cabbage and lettuce plants. Tho crops can be protected by spraying witli arsenato of lead half an ounce to one gallon of water. Many can also be disposed or by poison bails made by dipping tomato or potato leaves in the arsenate of lead solution and laying along the rows at dusk. TIIO baits should be renewed each night as stale foliage is not attractive to the pests. Bunches of fresh green clovor 1 and arsenato of lead are sometimes effective.

Gladioli Blooms.—(1) I purchased a stock of exceptionally lino cornis sonic three years ago and each season have had fine blooms. This year some of the corms, which are now very large, nro sending up' several spikes which are not of the usual healthy order, and I fear that I will not get the good blooms. Is there anything I can do in this matter? (2) I have heard Condy's crystals and alum spray recommended for tomatoes —would it bo equally good for potatoes? Would it be detrimental to mix arsenate of lead with this spray? (3) Would you identify enclosed creeper or shrub?—"Chrysnlis," Whakatane. Provided tho plants are not diseased, weak liquid manure will improve the spikes of bloom. This should not be given until the bloom can be felt low down in tho sheath. (2) The spray could be used for potatoes us woll as. tomatoes but whther it would be us effective as the Bordeaux in the control of blight remains to be seen. Thero should bo no harm in mixing arsenate of lead with this spray, but if tho spray turns black, do not use (3) Abutilon vexillarum, a trailing shrub.

To Correspondents. Unfortunately, lack of space necessitates replies to numerous garden problems being held over each week• These will all appear in due course, but in any case of urgency a stamped addressed envelope will bring an immediate reply.—"Kepos."

Garden Problems.—(l) Wo have two Burbank plum tree 6, one was covered with blossom and now heavy in fruit, while tho other has blossomed on only ono branch. This happoned last year also. (2) I have also a large assortment of stocks and would like to save seeds. Is thero any, way in which tho flowers could bp encouraged to keep going besides collecting the soed, as 1 do not want to lose the show, of flowers? (3) When is tho correct time to put in slips of grapes and aro they successful without any grafting? (•1) I inserted wistaria slips which seemed to grow, but the buds dropped off leaving only the centre stem. Could you advise what tho trouble is and if thero is anything I could do to keep them? I much appreciato your help through tho Herald articles. "Lilac," Ngatca.

(1) A growth has probably started from the stock bolow tho bud on the non-blossoming part and this will need to be cut away boforo it chokes out the blossoming branch. (2) Why not let ono plant of each kind carry seed, and enjoy the flowers of tho others, this should provide ample seed for your requirements. (3) Grapo cuttings should bo put in during the dormant season in winter. They will bo quite satisfactory as regards fruiting,, but will bo susceptible to the phylloxera not boing grnfted on a blight-proof stock. (4) Wistaria is difficult lo root from cuttings. Almost any hardwood rutting will push out leaves in spring boforo any roots are made. If roots do not start, tho shoots of course dio and this is what happened in your case. The fact of pushing out leaves does not indicate that tho cutting has rooted. Onion Manure.—t(l) Could you adviso a suitable manuro for onion plants? I liavo planted 1000 plants on rather poor heayy clay soil and would like to help them along in growth. (2) Could you suggest a method of ridding ground of encroaching convolvulus making inroads from adjoining premises?— "Subscriber," Morrinsville.

(J) Two parts blood and bono, one part sulphate of potash and ono part sulphate of ammonia. Two ounces per squaro yard. (2) Tho best way would be to dig out the encroaching roots then keep an open trench on tho side whoro tho roots como through.

Grafting Loquat.—(l) Could you advise mo what fruit or fruits I could graft or bud on a loquat tree. I havo tried apple with no success. Which would be the better, to bud or graft? I have another loqimt that I wish to lower considerably, when should it be done? (U) Poliutukawa which has trrown too high, ivlien would be tho time to cut this back? (4) In the early winter I moved a large persimmon tree. This has not shown any leaf yet although tho wood is still green. Is there a chanco ol tho trco remaining

dormant this season and putting out leaves next season?— Kcnnicra.

(1) Budding would ,bo the best method for the loquat stock. As buds on loquat stock aro slow to start, it is advisable to cut back the' stock to just above the bud as soon as possible after the bud has taken. You can try any of the following:—Apple, pear, qninco or medlar. (2) Cut the loquat back now. (3) Gut tho pohutukawa as soon as tho flowering period is past. If the sacrifice of tho flowers is no object tho cutting back can bo done now. (•I) The persimmon might start next season, but the chances aro that.it will not. These trees do not like disturbance when they aro of considerable size. Lemon Seedlings.—(l) I have some lemon seedlings which have been growing for ono year. Will theso seedlings have to be grafted nnd when? (2) I also have somo grape seedlings two years old. Will theso seedlings produce grapes or do they need to bo grafted or treated in any way?—" Grape," Mcrcor. (1) The seedling lemons will bo worthless unless they aro budded or grafted with a good variety. Either grafting or budding can bo done at tho present timo. (2) Tho seedling grapes will also need to bo grafted with a known good variety. This can bo dono during the winter just beforo the vinea start to grow. Wisteria Species.—Could you adviso why my wisteria drop.s its buds, also is it usual for this kind to get its loaves before tho flowers aro propprly out? Would heavy pruning bo beneficial and do they need any special manure? This is tho first tune that tho plant has flowered. Could you state tho namo of this variety?— Mrs. McF. The namo of tho species is Wisteria floribunda var. mullijuga, the Japaneso wisteria. This species is a week or two later in flowering thin tho Chinese variety, Wisteria sinensis. The dropping ot the buds is probably caused by tho strong growth. Prune all the lateral shoots back to four,or five good leaves in January and remove any long basal runners right back to their place of origin at the samo timo! This will assist flower buds to set and tho dropping will cease. Insect Pests.—(!) What is tho reason for tho enclosed begonia leaf curling and turning brown. The plants aro kept indoors in pots and watered regularly and the position is a sunny one. Could you give a remedy? (2) Enclosed also is a pioco of forn with brown lumps on. Theso are also on aspidistra, king ferns and two other varieties.—"Gardener," Epsom. (1) The begonia needs repotting in some fresh soil. Half loam and half lcafmould with some snnd. Seo that the drainage of tho pots is made good and keep tho plants in semisliado now, rather than in full sun. (2) Tho brown lumps aro scalo insects and should bo removed with an old toothbrush dipped in a solution of nicotine sulphato two teaspoons lu a gallon of wy.tor, with plenty of soap added to ma'Ci a lather. Rinso with clean water afterwards.

Identification of Plants, —Kindly identify tho enclosed plants, giving common as well as botanical names' and a fow facts of tho origin of each. —"Mokauiti School." (I) Deutzia scabra, nativo of China and Japan. (-2) Chenopodium album, goosefoot, common weed. (3) Leptosyno, nativo of California. (1) Stellaria media, chickwcod. (5) Mikania scandens, German ivy, nativo of America. (0) Cominclina coelestis, blue sniderwort, nativo of America. (7) Ampolopsis llenryii, nativo to Japan. (S) Spiraea thunbergii, nativo of Japan. (O) Specimen insufficient. (10) Olearia species, native of New Zealand. (11) Viburnum (omentosum, native of Japan. (12) Spiraea Atkinsonii. (13) Cerastiuin tomentosum snow in summer. (14) Lychnis Huageana, (16) Polygonatum officinale, Solomon's Seal.