HOW TO TREAT PLANTS WHEN PLANTED OUT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2361, 25 May 1899, Page 8

HOW TO TREAT PLANTS WHEN PLANTED OUT.

The plants will grow from a foob to two feet, and will then make their first break, fimerally some time during November or the

beginning of December. Now this is the time that plants require a little handling. Nothing but experience can teach anyone how to treat them, as there are no hard and fast rules that will apply to all varieties, nor indeed even to any one variety. When the plants make their first break is the time to take the required number of shoots. If the object be lareg blooms, from three to six shoots will require to be taken. Three is the usual number to take for Japs. I have found a great many of the incurves finish six and eight blooms better than they dc three. An incurve should be grown to curve in and not for iize at the expences of size and solidness ; but no fixed number can be given, as a strong plant will carry more blooms than a weak one of the same variety. The strength of the plants must be taken into consideration when deciding how many shoots are tc be taken. Then again, all plants will not break just at the time they are wanted. Some will break too scon, and some will be too late. There are various ways of dealing with them, Those that do not break naturally when required can have their tops pinched off, this causing them to break. Those that break too early are dealt with in a variety ot ways. Some cut them back to retard them, so as to get the first crown bud some time in February ;' some let them run so as to get the second crown. The latter way is tho safer for bed culture, as it gives an opportunity of breaking them some time in December if they do not break naturally. The object of regulating this break is to try and get them to show their flowering bud in February, be it first or second, crown or terminal bud. There is no guarantee of getting two crown buds about Dunedin. Some years they grow so flowly ihat they only. show a crown and a terminal. If crown buds are taken, then all other shoots are rubbed out as soon as it can be done with safety. If it is the terminal bud, then all other buds must be rubbed off. Gr*eat care must be taken in disbudding not to damage the stem or the flowering bud, or the season's labour will be wasted. As soon as the buds are taken in February the shoots should be all tied apart in some way to prevent foliage and buds being injured by the wind.

FEEDING AND WATERING. A good lookout should be kept early in the season to see when the plants require feeding. I have found it necessary to give them a little guano water poon after planting to get them to start. Our climate being very unsteady about October, they are slow to start, and come very weak. The 'chrysanthemum is very fond of variety in its liquid nourishment, so it is well to change often. The following manures and quantities are what I feed with : Cow and horse manure, 2gal of manure to 16gal of water ; ligal of fowl manure to 16gal of water. I allow it to stand in a tub or barrel for a few days before using — in the sun if possible. Soot water may be given as often as possible. Guano and superphosphate - are two excellent manures to feed with — one tablespoonful to twe gallons of water. Sulphate of ammonia can be given once a week afterthe buds are taken, either by itself or with other liquid manures — one teaspoonful to two gallons of water. It is well to tcsl sulphate of ammonia on plants of little value before using it on good plants, as no two parcels .of ammonia seem .to be of equal strength. In feeding with liquid manure great care must be taken not to. sour .'the soil. Give little at first;,, increasing. the .quantity as the roots of the t plants extend. Attend, to the weak ones, but do not neglect thastrong. The beginner will experience a little difficulty in distinguishing weak plants from weak gnower3 in chrysanthemums, for there »are strong growers and wea4c growers, 'and a-weak* grower can never be 'made a strong 'grower by -over- feeding. Always use tepid water." cold water being very injurious. Leave off feeding when the petals begin to expand, or the blooms will not keep. SYRINGING OP SPRAYING. Spray the young plants as often as possible in warm weather. Don't be afraid to spray them in the sun. Ayoid spraying in cold weather, or too late in, the evening in the early part of the season.

TOP-DRESSING. It is of great importance that the plants should bo top-dressed once, and sometimes twice during the summer. 1 usually give a good dusting of bonedust over the bed, covering it over with soil, about the beginning of January. If tho roots phow through that towards the first of February I repeat the operation.

INSECTS AND BLIGHTS. The insects that attack the chrysanthemum are the black and green aphis, woodlice, or slaters, slugs, minor, mildew, rust, and leafspot. Caterpillars are very destructive to the blooms, and have to be picked off by hand, or they will destroy a whole collection in a very short time. I have found tobacco water "a feure cure for aphis. It can be used of any strength, for I -have never injured any plant with it. I can keep a collection of 200 plant* clean one year for one shilling with a small spray. The. aphis are always to bo found m the hearts of ihe young shoots. I take the top in my hand, and blow' the tobacco water into it, and leave them to soak .in it overnight, and thoy are dead in the morning. As often as they appear I repeal the dose. There are only a few of the chrysanthemums ihat the minor attacks. A spray once a week with tobacco water will keep them clean. Slugs are very troublesome to young plants, but all their triclc3 can be stopped with a dust of lime. Then the slater is very destructive when it gets into n bloom. A little tar rubbed on the utick will prevent him crawling up. To prevent them getting up the stem of the plant, take a strip of brown paper one inch wide, .spread some tar on one Fide only, and wrap round the stem. Mildew is very troublesome. Sulphur used in various ways keeps it in check. Some boil it and put it on with a sprayer; others dust it on; but very often tho mildew will spread in spile of all efforts. Rust is of recent introduction. I have not met it yet, so I rannot say anything about it. There are several other leaf blights, but they rarely attack healthy plants. DAMPING OF BLOOMS. If damping of blooms appears, there is too much moisture. In damp muggy weather everything should be kept as dry as possible, and no watering or feeding done. Over-feed-ing, or gorging, as it is called, or feeding when the blooms are too far expanded, is often the cause of blooms damping. DRESSING BLOOMS FOR SHOW. Some people object to blooms being dreesed, haying that it i& unnatural. The ;ame objection could be raised to a man combing his hair. There is nothing objectionable in straightening the petals of a bloom or removing the centre to allow the petals to come back, or pulling out a deformed petal. There are, however, some grounds for objecting to any additions to a bloom, such as gumming centres in, or extra petals. I consider all bloom fhould be shown to the best advantage, fco long as they are nob unduly dressed.