THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21242, 24 January 1931, Page 7

THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

fiMrj NOTES BY Hgtm D. TANNOCK, F.R.H.S.-

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY.

The pelargoniums and geraniums, whi.ch are so useful for providing the display in the greenhouse between the spring and early summer annuals, and the tuberous begonias should now be past their best, and as soon as all the space is required by the begonias they can be stood outside in an open, sunny position to ripen their shoots with a view to getting cuttings later on. The tuberous begonias will noiv require considerable , attention; the flowers need some •upport, either with wires or neat, thin bamboo sticks. Keep all the side or female flowers picked off, and water carefully during dry weather.' The hanging basket varieties soon exhaust their soil, and an application of liquid manure once a week will be appreciated by them. and will extend the flowering season. Cyclamen raised from seed in the early spring should now be ready to shift on to their flowering pots, which will be six inch size for the very strong plants, and five inch for the ordinary ones. Pot carefully, using a good light loam to which some powdered charcoal and Jime rubble has been added. Pot fairly firmly, and keep the young corm on the surface of the-soil. Give one good watering and stand on a bed of ashes or gravel on the greenhouse bench until the new roots extend into the new soil. The second lot of primula sinensis seed and the first lot of greenhouse' calceolarias can be sown now. Both seed* are expensive and scarce, and consequently have to be handled with great care. The calceolaria seed is so fine that it cannot be covered with soil at all, nor can it be watered overhead with the watering can. - Prepare six inch pots by filling them half full of crocks, use fine, light soil, making the surface smooth and fine. To avoid watering after sowing, the pots are soaked the night before, and after sowing and sprinkling with clean sand the pots arc covered with a sheet of glass and shaded with paper until germination takes place. They do not require heat at this season, but should be stood on the bench of the cool greenhouse or propogating pit. Owing to the backward season and the absence of continuous sunshine the tomatoes are not ripening very well, though their growth is quite satisfactory. As soon as they form six clusters of flowers the tip of the stems can be pinched out at two leaves beyond the last bunch, and the lower foliage can be thinned out a bit to allow the sun to get into the fruit. Take advantage pi the showery weather to line out . wallflowers, sweet Williams, Canterbury.- bells, and make a sowing of the primrose polyanthus seed as soon as it is ripe. Tulips, hyacinths, anemones, and daffodils, which were lifted when their foliage was green and lined , out in a bed of sand or light soil in the nursery or reserve garden, can now be Ifted, dried a little, cleaned, and sorted out into those which are sure to flower, and the smaller sizes, which are not quite certain. Spread out in shallow boxes, and store away ,in a cool, dry, airy place until the. planting season. If space is available the small bulbs can be lined : in at once in flat rows , at from two to three inches apart, where they will develop into good, large, wellripened flowering bulbs by next season. THE FLOWER GARDEN, Roses are lasting well, but the first flush of the bushes is, poof, and - they are making young wood with a view to a second slildew . has pus in an; and spraying'.with liver of .sulphur or Gow’s mildew destroyer will be necessary. To get reasonable flowers it'-is also necessary, to thin;out the buds a Tittle, but not so severely as the first crop. If daffodils have not already been lifted they should receive attention at once before root action starts. Lilium Regale is making a fine show at present, the flower stems being stronger than ever. This is certainly one of the most useful of the lilies, as it is so easy to raise from seed, and seedlings flower when quite young. Spartium junceum is.one of,the most useful and universally fofular of the summer flowering shrubs, have noted it in flower, right through from- Auckland to Dunedin and doing

well under every condition. In some districts where nearly everything else was burned up, it was flowering away freely, and in the cool, moist regions it was equally satisfactory. It is a native of southern Europe, and is usually grown from seed, though cuttings root fairly well if put in in the autumn along with the other hardwoods. It can be kept in shape by pruning after the flowering season is over or in the early spring before the young growth commences. Another good, but more choice yellow flowering shrub, is Fremontia Californica, a deciduous or half evergreen with soft and very downy twigs. The flowers, which are from two inches to two and a-half inches across, are produced singly on short stalks. There are no petals, the bright golden calyx being the conspicuous part of the flower. Though the flowers are not produced as freely with us as in drier districts it is a very showy plant, and very suitable for the small, dry, sunny garden. It is easily raised from seed, but as ..it does not transplant well the seeds should be sown singly in small pots. Carpentaria californica is another attractive shrub in flower at present, and is well worthy of a place in the small garden. It is an evergreen, 6 feet to 8 feet high, and the flowers, which are from 2 inches to 3 inches across, are pure white, with yellow stamens, and fragrant. It is also a native of California, and though not considered very hardy, is quite satisfactory with us on the hillside. Rhododendron Maddeni, the last of the rhododendrons to flower, is still covered with its large, white, fragrant flowers. It thrives best in a cool, moist, semi-shaded position. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN. Vegetables of the stem and leaf kind are making very satisfactory growth now, and the pod kinds are also coming on, though a bit backward. Continue to plant broccoli, winter greens, leeks, and late celery, and make small sowings of carrots, lettuce and spinach. As soon as the strawberry crop is picked the protecting nets should be removed, the soil between the rows which has been tramped down during picking forked up, and the runners not required for propagating removed. There is no doubt that better results are obtained from young plantations, and it is a mistake to keep the old ones more than three years. Continue to thin out the young wood on the peach trees, and summer prune apples which are making too rank growth. Keep the soil among .bush and tree fruits weeded and cultivated. Keep the tomatoes which are growing in the open air tied up to their stakes, pinch out all side growths, and top the plants after they have formed five bunches of flowers. - ' POTTING AND BOXING BULBS FOR FORCING. In the early spring after the chrysanthemums are all past and before the usual hardy and half-hardy annuals and the hardy bulbs come in there is usually a dearth of cut flowers and a lack of variety in the greenhouse. This can be avoided by growing bulbs in pots or boxes, and by bringing them into the greenhouse after they’have formed their roots, forcing on the development of the flowers. Every' wplLdeveloped buib contains the flower in an embryo state, and all that is required is a reasonable amount of heat and moisture to bring about :.its- development. Bulbs, at least some kinds, can be grown without any soil at all, and at one time it was quite a common thing to see hyacinths grown, in glasses with nothing more substantial to root into than some clean water and a few pieces of charcoal. The Chinese bring on polyanthus narcissi in bowls of gravel or chips of stone which are kept well watered, and these flower quite well. Another method frequently adopted is to grow them in bowls without drainage, the rooting material being specially prepared moss fibre. This material, which can be obtained from seedsmen, is perfectly, odourless and clean to handle, and when the bulbs are in flower they can be brought into the drawing room or dining room and a little bit of spring introduced when wintry - conditions prevail outside. First rub the fibre until it is free of lumps, then add the shell grit, and water a little at a time until the heap is moist, but not wet. If the mixing and watering are well done the fibre will increase in bulk by about one-third. First put a layer of charcoal in the bottom of the bowls to keep the fibre from becoming sour, then a few inches of the fibre according to the depth of the container and the size of the bulbs. Tulips and hyacinths should have about a third of the bulbs above the soil, daffodils should be just buried in it leaving the necks above, and freesias, crocus, and scillas should be just under the surface, but not buried deeply. When completed the surface of the fibre should be about an inch below the rim of the container to allow for watering later on. Give one good watering, and stand the bowls or vases in a cool cellar or under the greenhouse stage covered up in some way to keep out light, and to prevent the drip from the watering reaching them. Very careful watering is required at first until the roots fully occupy the fibre, and should it become sodden the bowls should be turned on their sides to allow the surplus moisture to drain off. When grown for greenhouse decoration and to supply cut flowers ordinary flower pots or boxes are quite satisfactory, and the usual loam mixture provided for pot plants will do quite well. Six-inch pots are the most convenient, and one good hyacinth bulb or three medium ones, five tulips, five to seven narcissi, and nine to twelve freesias, lachenalias, scillas, crocus, or grape hyacinths can be potted up in each. The soil mixture can consist of good fibrous loam two parts, leafmould half a part, sand and lime rubble half a part, with a six-inch potful of bone meal to every barrow load of the mixture. Put in a few pieces of crocks for drainage, and plant at the same depth as recommended for moss fibre. After potting give one good watering and stand in a frame or any well-drained cool place, covering all except the freesias and lachcnalias with a layer of clean ashes or sharp sand. It is usual to invert a small pot over the hyacinth bulbs to keep the ashes or sand from damaging the top. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. M. M., Clarksville.—The name of the plant is Parsonsia albiflora. “Amateur,” Caversham,—The best time to break up primrose polyanthus is in the spring after flowering, and ■ pvrethrums can be done at the same time. It would be a good plan to lift your cinerarias after they have done flowering, and to dig and manure the border.. Replant with seedlings if you have them. “ Inquirer,” Lawrence. —The names of the plants are white daisy Aclnlle ptarniica and Sutherlandia frutescens (South African Bladder Senna). W., Warrington.—The malformed plums are what is known as Pocket Plums, the malformation being due to a disease which I will describe in next week’s notes. R. C., Waihemo. —I cannot understand why your apple trees should be

bare of leaves just now. You should top your artichokes when about six feet high, but do not cut them down. “Amateur,” Mosgiel. —If you lift your hyacinths or tulips now they can be kept in boxes in a cool, dry shed until the autumn planting season. You should sow your stock seed at once to get plants to flower next spring. “Lily,” Milton. —You should plant your bulbs when they arrive. The name of the lily is Hemerocallis fulva Day Lily. “ Taieri,” Mosgiel.—lt is usual to cut aw r ay a portion of the sets of potatoes to cause them to rot away.