GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 9

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

By

D. Tannock.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Continue to put in cuttings of the chrysanthemums, to cut over those which are past their best, and to bring in others to take their p!ace in the greenhouse. Keep cinerarias, calceolarias, and primulas growing steadiiy in as cool conditions as possible Cut and stack turf for potting, collect leaves and manure and store in a dry place, so that it may be available at any time during the potting season, and store away dry tubers of dahlias and begonias in a frost-proof sheil. .Wake and put in hardwood cuttings and lift and line out the cuttings which were put in last season. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Clear off the herbaceous boarder and all other beds cf summer flowering plants, complete the planting out of spring flower ing plants, dig and trench beds and borders, mow lawns and rake up leaves. Plant roses and other ornamental trees and shrubs, prune rambler roses, trees, and shrubs, and dig or fork over the borders. Herbaceous perennials can be replanted now. though in wet and cold districts this is better left until "Towth commences in the spring. Weed and fork over bulb borders. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. AI ake the last sowings of peas and broad bears, lift and store root crops, dig and trench all vacant land and clear off spent crops. Prune fruit bushes and fruit trees except pearhes. and make fresh plantations. PRUNING HARDY TREES AND SHRUBS. I have frequently pointed cut in these notes that whei ■> s the pruning of fruit trees and shrubs is considered a necessary horiicultural operation, the pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs is usually neglected. If any pruning is done it is usually with the hedge shears, and most of the flower buds are pruned off; but m most cases it is entirely neglected, and the plants become a t ingled mass of twigs and dead and halfdead wood. Unless the shrubbery is planted for a special purpose, such as shutting off an undesirable view or providing shelter for cold winds, the plants should stand out and show iheir individuality and not grow into a tangied miss, killing off all except the top and outside branches. To obtain this and maintain individual specimens regular pruning is required, and if this is done with judgment there is no reason why there should not be an abundant snow of blossom. It is u safe rule with both flowering and fruiting trees and shi übs to prune or thin thorn out when they are at their best to supply material for house decoration,and it is surprising what a quantity can be obtained from a well-planted shrubbery with a minimum of attention. For the purpose of pruning we can divide the trees and shrubs into definite groups:—1. Deciduous trees: These should be w orked up into pyramidal shape witlr a well defined leader, ai d all side shoots which show signs of usurping its position should be shortened back or out right out. Should anything happen to the leader one of the best placed and strongest side branches can be taken up. W hen side branches cross and rub one another, the one growing inwards or the least satisfactory, should be cut out, and likewise all those that grow' inwards towards the centre of the tree. In every case cut out all dead and dying branches, and prune up the lower branches to obtain a trunk about 12ft in height, there being plenty o' room under the lowest branches for a tall man to walk about in comfort. In every case all dead and dying branches should be cut out and if there are any holes in the stems dug to branches dying right in, those should be filled with concrete and plastered over or covered over with a piece of lead to keep the wet out.. \Vh en a largo branch has to be cut out it should be done with great care, and it is belter to cut it in two or three plates. If an attempt be made to remove a big heavy branch with one cut close up to the main stem, the result is usually an unsightly wound, owing to the branch breaking away when the saw is half-way through the cut and tearing away part of the bark of the trunk. A limb or branch should be cut away close to the trunk or larger branch from which it springs so that no stump remains, and after smoothing the break with a knife the cut, surface should be painted over with coal tar to keep out wet and germs of disease. Evergreen trees such as coniferar should not have a clean stem, but should have branches to the ground, but a few of the lower ones which rest on the soil are better cut away to render mowing the grass and raking up the leaves an easy operation. Evergreen flowering shrubs.—As a general rale such evergreen flowering shrubs as rhododendrons. kalmias, arbutesus and berberis, if they need pruning at all. they need it only to preserve their shape anil to prevent them from becoming lanky and bare below, or becoming too large for their quarters. In such cases pruning should be done while they are in flower or immediately after it so that they have a long season to form their young growth, to allow it to ripen and form the flowering buds. In the case of rhododendrons it usually means the loss of flowers for a Reason and is seldom necessary. Evergreen foliage shrubs such as hollies, yews, box and laurels, have to be clipped or pruned a bit to keep them in a reasonable shape, and pruning with secateurs is better than clipping with hedge shears. I don’t admire clipped trees, but thev have their uses, and when associated with the severely formal garden or placed on a terrace they do not look at all out of place. (2) Deciduous Shrubs. —The pruning of this section has to be regulated according to the time at which they flower, and the kind of wood on which the flowers are produced, (a) Those which flower on the current year’s wood or young wood such as Ceeonthus, Gloire de Varsailles, 11ydrange paniculata, Buddleis variables and Genista fra gratis. All these shrubs flower in the latter part, of the season, and on the wood produced the same season so that, the production of voting wood is essential for the abundant production of flowers. These, are out hard back to within a few buds of the old wood during the winter or early spring, that is provided they have reached their maximum growth.

6. Those which flour on the wood of the previour year, such as wcigelias, philadelphus, spiraeas, etc., in fact, all the early flowering trees and shrubs. In this group any pruning done during the winter would mean the removal of flower bulls, and if cutting back is necessary it should he don - as early as possible to allow of the fullest possible period of growth before the following flowering season. In place of pruning it is much better to adopt a system of thinning which means the removal of all superfluous growth—all weakly arid crowded shoots, and in some cases a proportion of the stronger ones. Many shrubs like the philadelphus, deutzias, .and early flowering spiraeas have a tendency to thicken into a dense mass unless attended to regularly. A judicious thinning out such as that recommended not only promotes the development of cleaner and stronger growth, and consequently finer flowers, but it often gives also a more graceful aspect to the plant. The thinning out process need not be an annual one, and how often and how much must he left to the prunor’s judgment; but after the shrubs attain their maximum height once every two or three years will be often enough. After pruning rake up and burn all twigs and branches, and fork or dig over the borders lightly to make them tidy for the winter, and those growing in holes on a grassy hank should be cleaned and weeded, and those growing in grass should have the weeds and grass which grow up and choke the centre of the plant pulled away. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ M..” Dunedin.—lhe malformations on year ole&ria hedge are caused by a little midge or mite which lays its eggs on the young shoots and the little grubs cause the growths. The best remedy is to clip ihe hedge just after the insects have laid their eggs in early summer, and to burn all the clippings. The new growth will be quite clean, and an olearia hedge does not look at all untidy though uncut during the winter. We found little trace of the blight on the plants in Anderson’s Bay road, and consider that dust is not appreciated By the insects. ‘'View,” Dunedin. —Three good apples for eating would be Cox’s Orange, Jonathan, and Delicious or Stunner; three for cocking • —Hawthornden, Bismarck, arid Ballarat Seedling. Pears: William’s Bon Chretien and Winter Neiis. Plums: Coe’s Golden Drop and Pond's Seedling. ‘‘Rosary ’’ —It is certainly a mistake to have your ros s scattered about among the other flowers, and you would have far better results by collecting them together in a bed or border by themselves. The best plants for carpeting or associating with roses are carnations, pansies, or violas. If the violas or pansies grow- too strong, cut them back and allow them to come away from the ba-=e again. Though a certain amount of shelter is desirable, bush should not be too near the roses, and a rustic fence on which ramblers or climbers can be trained is much better. Drainage is not necessary. It will not make the soil any drier during a dry season, and is absolutely necessary in a wet one. Poultry manure is qu te good when mixed with dry soil or sand and applied to the surface, or used as liquid manure