GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3671, 22 July 1924, Page 11

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

By

D. Tannock.

WORK FOR TIIF WEEK. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Continue to put in cuttings of chrysanthemums as they become available, sow seeds oi the hardiest kinds of bedding plants and the early kinds of vegetables, also those of tuberous begonias, hardy herbaceous and alpine plants and trees and shrubs. Seeds do not germinate so quickly just now, even when we put them into a heated greenhouse or frame, and growth is slow at first, consequently we have to keep a sharp lockout for slugs, which would soon devour a box or pot of liny seedlings. Give primulas, cinerarias, and cyclamen applications of liquid manure at least once a week; pot on ferns, palms, and other foliage plants, and prune, clean, tie up, and too-dress climbers which are trained on the roof or walls of the greenhouse. The old fuchsias which were lifted from the flower beds last autumn and were heeled in at the foot of a hedge or wall can be lifted now, and after triming the roots and cutting away all the obviously dead wood pot them up in pots which will just hold the roots. Use a light soil mixture, shake it well into the roots, and stand the plants on the sparred bemh in the greenhouse where they can be syringed twice a day with tepid water to encourage the breaking into growth of the many dormant buds. When started now the plants have plenty of time to make a reasonable amount of new growth before they have to be put cut into the frames to be hardened off in preparation for planting them in the summer bedding schemes as standards among begonias. TRIE FLOWER GARDEN. The pruning of hardy trees and shrubs and the digging or forking of the beds and borders should bo completed as soon as possible to enable the garden to be cleaned up in preparation for the spring display. WheTe trees and shrubs are growing in the grass they look both neglected and uncomfortable when the grass grows up through the branches or round the stem. A circle, at least 2ft in diameter, should bo cleaned and cultivated round them, and if growth is not satisfactory a mulching of well-retted manure, leaf mould, or compost heap, or failing either of these a topdressing of bone meal will be helpful. The planting and transplanting of trees and shrubs should also be pushed on as rapidly as possible. Spring bedding plants are. beginning to grow, and all beds and borders should be cleaned and scuffle-hoed or forked up; this kills seedling weeds, admits air to the roots, and should keep them clean and tidy until the spring display is OVor. If not already planted, the carnations which were layered last season can be lifted and planted in their permanent positions now. They are quite satisfactory in beds or borders by themselves or in groups in the mixed or herbaceous border or in the newly-planted rose beds and borders, where they seem to like the conditions which have been provided for the roses and come into flower just after the first crop of bloom is over, thereby continuing uie display. Plant roses, lift, divide up, and replant herbaceous plants, form and repair paths, and clean the rock garden. At this season when cut flowers are so very scarce I have found the wattle very useful. Acacia Bailevana has been flowering for some time, and the flowers last quite well in water. It is known as the Cootamundra wattle, is quite hardy, has finely divided silvery foliage, and grows into a small tree, but commences to flower when little more than a bush. Young plants iir pots can be obtained from nurserymen. The silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) follows A. Bailey aim, and l is followed by the bush-like A. cultrformis, aften called the knife-leaved 1 acacia, THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN.

Plant and prune hardy fruit trees and bushes, spray where necessary, and dig, plough, or otherwise cultivate among them, manure and trench or dig all vacant ground, and thereby expose the soil to the breaking down and pulverising influences of air and frost. For these who don’t possess a greenhouse, but own a garden frame, it is a groat advantage to make a hotbed which will enable them to bring on seedlings and to root cuttings during the early spring months, when weather conditions are very uncertain. A hotbed is not at all expensive, the load cf fresh strawy manure is little the worse as a fertiliser after the heat has gone out cf it, and it is a way of making this manure serve a double purpose, so that nothing will be wasted. A load oi fresh, strawy manure and one of leaves will be sufficient for an ordinarv two-light frame, and to start the fermenting process these materials have to he thrown up loosely, and well mixed together. - When the heating process has started the heap can be turned over, that from the outside being placed inside, and the hot stuff fom the .side bought to the outside to secure even fermentation. In another two days the heap can be again turned, and it will, be ready to pack into its position. When the frame is small, it is hettei 'to build the heap a foot wider and a foot longer than the frame, and set it on top, but if it is both large and deep it is csertainly more .satisfactory to put the. manure inside. In this way the whole of the heat is retained. When the frame is placed on the heap some of the heat goes off into the air.

Don’t put your seeds or cuttings into the frame as soon as it is made up, but allow a few days for the fumes to pass off, then put a layer of fine soil about six inches deep on it, into which the seed pots can be plunged. . Give a little air whenever the weather is at all favourable, and cover with sacks or scrim on cold, frosty nights. To get the best out of a load of manure the heat should be utilised for raising seedlings in the spring, grow a vegetable marrow in it during the summer and the well decayed materials will be suitable for mixing with potting soils or for applying to the garden in the autumn. Make 6mall plantings of early potatoes, small sowings of dwarf peas and broad bean 3, spinach and lettuce. Set up seed potatoes In boxes to sprout, and cultivate among autumn sown or planted co-ops to kill seedling weeds and open up the soil.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A. H. 8., W’estland.—The plants advertised in the American Magazine are as follow»;—Wonder rose: This is a little rose which can be flowered in six weeks from time of sowing seed. The seed can be obtained from Now Zealand seedsmen.

Shoo Fly plant : I don’t know. Giant butter beans a~9 sometimes known as yard beans, the pods being about a yard in length. I don’t think that the seeds o: this plant can be obtained in the dominion. Fire Fly Plant is the night blooming convolvolus, usually known as the Moon Flower. Seed should be available in New Zealand. Wonderberrv is a kind of nightshade plant. Solatium Nigrum. It is an annual which appears on rubbish heaps, and the fruits can be used, but I would not like to recommend them. Bush melon is just a musk melon which does not run. I don’t think it has any advantages over the ordinary musk melon. Mexican Firefly Plant is the summer Cyprus, Kockia tricophylla. The seed can be obtained from any seedsman.

“Holly,” South Canterbury.—lt is quite common for hollies to flower and fail to set berries. Trees vary very much in their freedom of fruiting. Bv cutting round the roots like rcot-pruning apple trees your tree may be induced to set berries.

A. H. —You need to keep your semperflorens begonias moist during the winter and encourage them to grow as soon as possible in the spring, by giving them a little heat.

“Novice,” Mornington.—lt is quite possible to grow good grapes in an unheated greenhouse, and as the vine is at rest during the winter no artificial heat is required at that season. Gardeners often go to considerable trouble in preparing a vine border, but you should succeed fairly well if your soil is well drained, well cultivated, and manured with bone meal in liberal quantities. Vines can be planted now, and any of the Dunedin seedsmen should be able to obtain a plant of Black Hambro for you. Remove it from the pot in which it will be growing, to tease out the roots, prune back the strongest ones a little, dig a hole 18in square and the same in depth, spread out the roots, fill in with fine soil similar to that required for potting, shake the plant to work the soil in amongst the fine roots, and make firm. It would require a lot of space to describe the construction of a rock garden and to list the most suitable plants. I have written a little book on this subject which is to be published shortly, and in it you will find full instructions, also lists of suitable plants. “Balclutha.” —Any weed killer which would kill convolvulus will kill everything else in the garden, and the only remedy which I can advise is to dig up as much as possible during the winter or spring and keep all growths hoed off frequenlty during summer. If prevented from making leaves the roots will in time perish. A good manure for your lawn will be basic phosphate or bone meal with a little nitrate of soda when growth commences in soring. Boiling water would kill the weeds beside your asphalt path, and the commercial weed-killer would also be satisfactory. It won’t kill your pampas grass to cut it' over. “Caroline Testout,” Owaka.—Black spot is - certainly a very troublesome disease, and in wet, cold seasons almost defoliates the pernetianas. It is caused bv the fungus Actinonema rosea, and can be controlled to some extent by nicking off the affected leaves in the early stages and spraying with ammonialed carbonate of copper, which is prepared as follows: Make up soz of carbonate of copper into a thin paste and aou three pints of strong ammonia, which will produce a clear solution. Dilute this with 45 gallons of water. This is not quite such a good fungicide as Bordeaux mixture, but it can’t be applied during the summer. After the pruning 13 completed it can be applied with advantage, the winter or stronger formula being used. You will find it better to lift and replant your gladioli every year, and, if desirable, they can be kept out of the ground all winter.