THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 8

THE GARDEN

ANSWERS TO ' ENTS Cromwell.—The grass sent is Hares-tail grass,. Lagurus ovatus, ; an ornamental species, but of no agricultural value. ... "Siberica."—lt would be better to allow your Siberia! wallflower to. ripen their seed and they will sow themselves. Old cut over plants are not satisfactory. "Bulbs."—You should plant the gladioli and ranunculus on arrival from Europe. The ranunculus will be all right, but the gladioli will not flower well the first year. The postage on 50 gladioli and 100 ranunculus .would probably be 4s. " W. M.," Dunedin— Ground oyster shells are a valuable substance to add to flower borders. They provide lime and open up the ground, rendering it easier to culr tivate. We have always used it freely in potting mixtures. " Strawberry," Outram.—l have dealt fully with strawberry cultivation in this week's notes. Plants put out before April should fruit next season. "Interested," Otautau. You should make your ground firm before transplanting your onions in the spring. Ailsa Craig is a good onion for exhibition purposes, and also for autumn sowing. ' Giant Rocca is also a good variety. THE GREENHOUSE AND '• ' - ' /,;"'-;: Pot; on. seedlings!, of cinerarias...to.' three.;.op-four-inch; p6ts,;'aiicl ,^i'ick' : out seedlih gs of , primulas into, do xes ; of light soil as soon as they enough 'to handle. Seedlings' primrose polyanthus can also be pricked Out into boxes. Continue to stake out the chrysanthemums and take the buds of the; large flowered kinds as they velop, removing all;shoots which arise below them. Bud roses, layer carnations, and put in cuttings of pinks.. Continue to- give the- tuber'-! ous' begonias -a■ : ?little ; : licjuid manure and.keep side flowed'pinched off., the flov^:r ; ;garden : ;/; Continue to';,"thhi out the buds on' bush rosesv-and;spray for. mildew with lime r sulphur or liver of sulphur and keep;the beds and borders hoed. The second crop appears to be very good. Thin put the growths on sweet peas, and let,down those which are grown on r the single stem system; to produce flowers.-for show and*for cutting,* Keep all seed pods picked Off. , •• ■, .;,.•..,„• ~•-; :]. .; ■ , Plant out grape hyacinths, • scillas, crocus and snowdrops in-; beds, borders and the grass. As soon as the Sweet William' is finished the plants can be-cleared out,' and. if there :is 'nothing else,in the beds or-" borders" Canterbury Bells can be planted l . '" ; ' uv '*; Continue-to stake and tie up dahlias an£, to pick off the old flOWers to prevent-Seed froirt-forming; "?'** Cut: over;;the old flower stdlks bii the* and "keep the rock garden free' of weeds. the; vegetable and fruit ;.*. .>,;; ..garden ;■/•■ CuCover- the ibid* stema/of ■■raspberries and loganberries as jsoort as the fruit is picked, and thin,out.the young growths of raspberries to five or six of the strongest to each stool. Leech on pears and cherries can be controlled by dusting or spraying with hellebore powder,; Joz' to the gallon,.-of -water.., ■■'■*.■ '•<; ■■■•>■'. -:i, IP Continue to plantV Out .cabbage, autumn cauliflower, winter broccoli and savoys, also leeks and celery. Make jl sftwihgpf lettuce, radish, shorthorn carrots, "white and golden ball turnips, and spiriadv ■.• Attend to thetieing up of tomatoes, the removal of side shoots, and stop the plants as soon as they have formed five or six.,bunches of flowers. Dig the second early potatoes arid select some medium-sized tubers from the best plants for seed.

GENTIANS AND CAMPANULAS In a properly-planted rock garden,no matter how small it may be, there is something in flower and of interest all the year round, each family having a season. At the present

WORK FOR THE WEEK;

NOTES "BY r D. TAN NOCK, A.H.R.RS

-time the. gentians and bellflowers are the most important, though they are not the only things which are in flower. -The gentians are,not all Gentiana. acOulis flowering in spring and early'summer, but the majority are late sumnier and aufcumri'-flower-ing, and they provide bright.patches of the most glorious blue. •":';■ ;''.' Of the many species and varieties I will describe only-a few of the more reliable and more showy kinds which can be obtained in New Zealand nurseries. G. Farreri, a native of Northern Kansu, Tibet, is a very distinct and .most desirable species. Its leaves, which are bright green in colour, are long and narrow, and as a young plant it fortris a rosette' from which spread many branching shoots.; The flowers, which are large, are a- luminous Cambridge blue with a white throat. It can be raised from'seed or the. old-plants can be divided, up; G.> sino-ornata, a native

of China, had no.rival among the autumn-flowering gentians until G. Farreri arrived, and even now this darker and later-flowered species makes its appeal to a great many. This species is one of the easiest to grow, and, given good, rich soil, it will flower from April until frost is severe. It is easily increased by division. Its colour is A royal blue. G. septemfida is also an Asiatic species, and the plant is rriore or less upright in' growth, each stem being upwards of a foot in height. The flowers are borne in close heads and number up to eight or more on a strong shoot, the colour being deep blue, with lighter colour and spots inside. G. Freyiana is a native of Asia Minor and is a reliable species, not unlike Septemfida in growth, the flowers being borne at the tops of the stem, usually single. Colour is blue or purple-blue. G. lagodechiana is a good plant, though not so floriferous as Septemfida. The colour is deep blue on the inside and paler on the outside.

The campanulas also provide patches of *blue and white colour on the rock garden at the present time, and though some of the members of this genus are troublesome weeds when once established, there axe also a number of most desirable gems. Most of the alpine kinds are lime-haters, but will thrive in good, gritty soil and prefer an open, sunny position. C. pusilla, one of the gems, is a rampant plant three inches high with pale blue or white flowers. It has a tufted habit, and will grow almost anywhere, being particularly suitable for the wall and the paved garden. C. muralis forms large mats of glossy foliage covered with bell-shaped flowers, the colour being purple-blue. C. fragilis is five inches high, blue, and is easily grown. C. rotundifolius, the Hair Blee, is 10 inches high, blue or white in colour and suitable for almost any situation. It seeds freely and would soon take possession of a neglected rock garden. C. pulla is deep violet and three inches high. C. carpatica vars Riverslea and Porcelain blue are stronger growing varieties, six to 12 inches in height. THE STRAWBERRY The strawberry is the first fruit of the season to ripen and is much esteemed as a dessert fruit and for making jam. It is one of the most suitable fruits for a small garden, for it is possible to produce useful crops in a comparatively small plot, and by following a simple course of rotation of crops the patch can be moved about from time to time. - The strawberry is a comparatively modern fruit and the different types have been produced by crossing Fragaris vesca, a native of temperate Europe, Asia and North America, F. virginiana, from North America, and F. chiloensis, native of South America. From these we h>ve the large-fruited kinds usually called English strawberries, the smaller fruited perpetual and the alpine sorts. The English or large-fruited kinds are by far the most important, and they were raised about 150 years ago from a chance cross between Fragaria virginiana and chiloensis. Strawberries can be grown on any kind of soil by treating it in the right way, but they prefer a fairly heavy loam which does not dry out readily and which has been opened up a bit by liberal dressings of farmyard manure, compost heap or leaf mould. Trenching should b<? at least two feet deep, but deeper where the subsoil is of a kindly nature. While trenching is going on a heavy dressing of farmyard manure should be mixed with the lower spit, keeping it about a foot below the surface.

A—Wrong way. B—Correct way. C—Planting quincunx fashion or chequerwise. D —Formation of new plants by layering runners.

Lime rubble or coke breeze can be mixed with the surface soil if it\is too heavy and sticky, anda dressing of bone meal can also be worked "in. Ground which has been trenched and cropped with potatoes is usually ;in a very suitable condition for planting strawberries, a good.dressing, of farmyard manure being dug in. • Strawberries are grown from runners, which are produced on. thin, running stems, and to get these to form good roots, so that they may be transplanted with a ball, they are pegged down or held in position with a stone. It is better to take these from plants which are-strong, healthy and which produce good crops, and if they have been encouraged to root they will provide* good plants suitable for putting out in the late summer or early autumn. When strong runners are. planted early in good, well-cultivated'soil,

they can be cropped, the following season. If weak and planted in spring, it is better to prevent them from fruiting the .first season.' When preparing the ground for planting, first fork it over to break all lumps, mixing in a good dressing of bone meal and superphosphate, and then make the surface fine with the rake. . There are several methods of planting, one being:to/put. out the young plants with the trowel in, rows i:twb feet and aj-halfi to'three feet'apart aria, allowing two. feet between the plants in the rows, putting them as deep as possible without allowing the soil to get into the crowns.; Another method is to plant in two or threerow, beds, allowing 18 inches, between , the plants each way in the beds and three feet between each bed. This is a useful method" for small patches, for it allows the.beds to be covered with nets to protect the fruit from birds and for walking between them when cultivating, weeding and picking the fruit. . In the commercial Strawberry gardens in the north, new plantations are made every year, but in the south it is usual to crop them for two or three years and then to replant. Where there is room for a fairly big strawberry patch it.is an advantage to renew a third of it every season so that there is a regular succession and a continuous supply of fruit every season, , It is most important that planting be done early so that the plants may root before the soil becomes cold, and form the crowns from which the flowers are produced the following season. Established plantations not more than two years old should be forked over between the rows, all weeds removed, and a dressing of blood and bone manure worked in. When the rows are planted at two and a-half feet apart some people allow the runners to remain after the second year's fruiting," two row* growing into a bed. . Where there is no room available in- the garden for strawberries they car: be grown in barrels. These have holes bored in the bottom for drainage and other holes about 18 inches apart are made in the sides, into which the plants are placed. Some stones and rough material are placed in the bottom for drainage and two or three agricultural pipes are placed in the middle, the lower one being filled'with sand to facilitate watering. The barrels are then filled with good rich loam and the plants planted in the holes and on the top. Watering has to be done through the drain pipe regularly, and the barrels should be turned round from time to time to give. the plants an equal share of the sun. Varieties to plant are Laxton's Noble, Melba, Fillbasket, and Ettesburg.