THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22712, 26 October 1935, Page 25

THE GARDEN

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NOTES BY

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS "K. R. M.,” Waitahuna. —Your cineraria leaves are attacked by the leaf miner, an insect which is very difficult to control, for being buried in the tissue it cannot be reached by a spray. When grown in the greenhouse, fumigation with X.L.-All will keep them in check. The best way is to anticipate an attack and spray with tar water or liquid manure, or something which will make the plants distasteful to the insect when looking for a place to lay its eggs. , “ Greenfeast,” Oamaru. —Mildew seldom attacks green peas until the autumn, when spraying with lime sulphur, Bordeaux mixture (summer strength) or some other form of sulphur compound can be carried out. Dusting with flowers of sulphur is also effective. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY The winter and early spring flowering plants, such as cinerarias, primulas of the sinensis and malacoides types and cyclamen will now be past their best, and should be removed to make room for the calceolarias, clarkias, schizanthus, godetias, and Rhenraannias, which will continue to flower until the hydrangeas, pelargoniums, and geraniums are ready to take their place and carry on until the tuberous begonias come in. It is rather difficult to keep the pelargoniums from flowering now, but they should be grown on under as cool conditions as possible, and all flower buds nipped off fo r another mouth. They have to be watered very carefully and given liquid manure once a fortnight. Tuberous begonias have started into growth and they should be boxed up. allowing from 12 to 20 in a box according to the size of the tubers. Those foi pot culture can be potted up into tiveinch pots. The last of the bedding annuals should now be pricked out, and as there should be room in the frames they 1 should be put out as soon as they take to the new soil. Growth is very rapid now, and- if kept inside the seedlings soon get drawn and soft. Plant ' out tomatoes in tins, pots, or borders, taking care to make the soil firm. Continue to take dahlia cuttings and break up the old tubers into pieces, taking care to have a bud or shoot on each. Pot up into four-inch pots. Continue to pot on chrysanthemums to fiveinch pots, and if they do not make a break by the end of the month, pinch onr, the tip of the stem. THE FLOWER GARDEN Weather has been favourable for killing weeds and not at all unsuitable for planting out summer and autumn bedding plants. They should get one good watering and afterwards keep the surface soil loose with the scuffle hoe. Plant out all kinds of bedding plants except salvias, zinnias, tuberous and fibrous begonias and salpiglossis. Daffodils growing in borders can now be lifted and lined out in another part of the garden to ripen off. Tulips and hyacinths can receive the same treatcnent. The rock garden should be both bright and interesting, and attention should be given to weeding and watering and also to removing seed stalks unless seed is wanted. Pollenate primrose polyanthus, and mark ranunculus and anemones -with a view to seed-saving. Seeds sown as soon as ripe will provide flowering plants next spring. The young growths of delphiniums, perennial phlox and miehaelmas daisies should be thinned out to three or five on each plant and where needed preliminary stakes should be provided. Roses are making excellent growth and when exhibition blooms are desired the hushes should be thinned out a bit, first removing the branches in the centre of the bushes, and those growing inwards, and those which are evidently too weak to flower. Should green fly appear, spray with soapy water. Mulch rhododendrons with lawn mowings, or well rotted stable or cow manure and water those which were transplanted during the past winter or spring. Prune spring flowering shrubs either when in flower or immediately afterwards. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN The rains will help all vegetable crops along, and as soon as the soil dries up sufficiently the scuffle hoe should be in use to keep in the moisture and destroy all seedling weeds which will spring up in abundance. It is now safe to sow seeds of runner, French, and butter beans, and further sowings of broad beans and peas can be made to keep up supplies. Maincrop carrots, such as James Intermediate. Chiswick Beauty, or Red Intermediate, beet such as Dells Crimson or Perfection, turnip such as Golden Ball and Orange Jelly, Parsnip Hollow Crown and Student can also be sown. Other vegetables to be sown to keep up supplies are spinach, radish, lettuce, mustard, and cress. Cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and early self-blanching celery can be planted. Peas should be earthed up and staked, beans topped, and all early crops thinned. A dusting of sulphate of ammonia will bring on crops rapidly after the rain. Plant mainorop potatoes, and earth up the early ones. Prepare trenches for celery and hills for vegetable marrows, pumpkins, and ridge cucumbers. Mulch strawberries, spray fruit trees for mildew and leaf curl with lime sulphur or some other approved sulphur compound, and with kerosene emulsion or blackleaf 40 for aphis. Spray anplea with arsenate of lead for codlin moth. RHODODENDRONS The genus rhododendron, which includes azaleas, both deciduous and evergreen, is one of the most important among garden plants, and the popularity of this family has been greatly increased during recent years as a result .of the introduction of a great many new species from China, Tibet, and Upper Burma, as well as many beautiful hybrids raised by nurserymen and enthusiastic amateurs. They are shrubs and small trees varying in height from a few inches to upwards of 30 feet, so that there are kinds to suit all gardens from the smallest to the the largest, where they can be naturalised in thin woods or on the margins of bush. They look particularly well by water or in a dell, where they can be seen from above as well ns from below. Mo§t of the species and varieties are perfectly hardy though, in the interior, where spring frosts are prevalent, the Himalayan species and .their hybrids are liable to be spoiled when in flower. They flower earlier than the ordinary garden kinds. They will thrive in any kind of soil in which there is no free lime, but prefer one which is rich in organic matter, such as peat or leaf mould, and one with a clay subsoil or one which does not dry out readily, but at the same time is well drained. * Some of the very small species, such as Impeditum or racemosum and sevaral others, are suitable for the rock garden. The large leaved and many of the Himalayan hybrids are better when grown under semi-shade, such as is provided by the native fuchsia, scarlet oaks, Japanese cherries and laburnums, those which drop their leaves in the autumn admitting full sunlight during the winter and providing shade during spring and summer when the sun is stronger. Rhododendrons can be had in flower for about six months provided a representative collection be planted, but they are at their best during October and November, when they provide varied and bright colours in the flower garden. Some of the smaller kinds suitable for small gardens are Impeditum, which is only a few inches high and has mauve or light purplish-blue flowers. Rocemosum is an erect-growing, shrubby species with pink to white flowers freely produced. It is one of the earliest species, and is sometimes showing colour in late winter. R. ciliatum is a spreading kind rarely growing more than two feet high, with rosyod buds opening to pale pink. R. cinnabarinuin is also a neat little plant with cinnabar-red flowers like a lapageria. Among the large species, R. Aucklandii is one of the best, it having large

white flowers slightly tinted with pink and slightly fragrant. This is one of the parents of such good hybrids as Loderi, Loder’s white, Marquis of Lothian, and several others. 11. Thomsonii is a smaller bush than Aucklandii, with fleshy and wax-like, deep blood-red flowers. This is the other parent of the Marquis of Lothian and many of the other pink and red large-flowered hybrids. R. arboreum is a variable species with distinct foliage and flowers varying from pure white through pink to deepest crimson. Cornubia is an early-flowering hybrid with pure scarlet flowers and is a very, desirable plant. Some of Rock’s seedlings are flowering with us for the first time, and they are really dwarf arboreums, mostly white and pink, but very suitable for a small town garden. Of the large-leaved species, R. sino-grand has leaves 12 to 15 inches long and five to six inches -wide. It flowers early, when its bell-shaped flowers, winch are ivory white with conspicuous blotches at the base, are very attractive. . , ... . , R Falconern is a small tree, ultimately over SO feet, with large, leathery leaves six to 12 inches long and three to six inches wide. The flowers are creamywhite, shaded with lilac, and marked with conspicuous blotches at the base. It is a very striking plant when in flower. R. Griersonianum is a smallish shrub, late flowerer, with distinct geranium-scarlet flowers, one of the parents of many of the newer hybrids. Of the Himalayan hybrids there is no end, but probably the best known and most appreciated in and around Dunedin is the Marquis of Lothian. It is very free flowering, with flowers as large as Aucklandii, rosy-red in bud and pleasing pink when open. The Countess of Haddington is also a desir able hybrid. It is literally smothered with its large pink flowers, and, though considered a little tender, if always does well with us. Luscombei has rose-pink flowers. Dr Stoker, Gills Triumph, and Gill’s Goliath, Loderi, and Loder’s White are all good hybrids. Of the ordinary hybrids, those which flower a little later than the Himalayan hybrids, and consequently avoid the late frosts, there is a great variety. These are hardier and stand more sun and drought, but many of the older kinds were decidedly purple. Pink Pearl has large deep pink flowers, and is very popular. White Pearl is paler pink at first, turning white when older. Charles Lawson is also pink with a decided spreading habit suitable for a bank, and Alice, which has large, upright heads of pink flowers does not burn. Of dark reds there is Bagshot Ruby and Michael Watercr and the pale lilac Gomer Waterer and the double lilac Fastuosum FI. PI., a double variety, are worth, growing. Though rhododendrons are identical with azaleas botanically, they are quite distinct horticulturally, and will be dealt with in another week’s notes. SCHIZANTHUS Schizanthus, the “butterfly plant” or “ poor man’s orchid,” is a very valuable pot plant for providing a display in the greenhouse in early spring and earlv summer, and, though it is quite hardy and will flower quite well in the open, we do not get the delicate shades and markings which are such a feature of this plant in such a satisfactory way in the open. It is an annual, a native of Chili, and a member of the potatoe family, though it looks much more like a pea. To get them in flower now, seed is sown in autumn, and the seedlings are grown on under as cool conditions as possible while excluding frost during the_ winter. They are sown in small three-inch pots, and when a few inches high are pinched to cause branching. As soon as the small pots are filled with roots they are potted on into five-inch pots, and after being pinched a second time they are transferred to seven or eight-inch pots in which they will flower. They have to be supported with a few neat bamboo canes, and as soon as the roots fill the large pots they get a little weak liquid manure once a week. There are a great many varieties of S. pinnatus, both the colourings and markings being quite remarkable. To flower in the open seed is sown in heat in spring.- and the seedlings brought on like half-hardy annuals, being gradually hardened off and planted out ab.out now. S. Wisetonensis in its several forms and giant hybrids are the kinds most worth growing.