HARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 11

HARDEN & ORCHARD.

WORK FOR THE WEEK, By D. Ta.v.vock. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Continue to house the chrysanthemums, and where these are growing in the open borders, and there is room in the tomato house or vinery, they can be lifted, pro vided their buds have set, and can be replanted in the tomato or vine bordei. where they will continue to develop and provide useful cut flowers during the winter, when there is a scarcity outside. First firm the soil all round the plants, next give a good watering, which will help to hold the soil together, and then lift with a .reasonable ball of soil, and after transplanting again give a good watering. As it may not be desirable to dig into the vine border, they can be put into boxes, large pots, or tins, and stood on the surface. The shoots of the vines and leaves should be reduced a hit to admit light, and the ventilators kept open whenever weather conditions are at all favourable to maintain a dry atmosphere. Continue to put in cuttings of pentstemons, calceolarias, pansies, and violas, and continue to give the cinerarias a little liquid manure once a week. TIIE FLOWER GARDEN. Dahlias and begonias are still making quite a display in the flower garden, and sweet peas are betteT than ever. Continue to trench new beds and borders, to form and repair paths, t to topdress and replant the rock garden where the plants have grown up out of the ground, and plant out bulbs and spring flowering plants wherever space is available. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN. Root crops should now be matured, and if the ground is required for another crop, or if -it is to be trenched, these can be lifted and stored in a pit of dry sand in a shed or lifted and stored in a pit of dry sand or ■buried in a dry part of the garden, near a path if possible, where they can be obtained easily during the winter. If the ground is not required both beetroot and parsnips are better left where they are, and dug when required. Preparations should be made for planting and transplanting fruit trees and bushes. Continue to earth up celery and leeks, and clear off all tpent crops. Dig or trench all vacant ground. TRAN r PLANTING. When laying out a new garden we have, in order to get results right away, to put in far more trees and shrubs than we ntend for the final effect, and as these develop, it becomes necessary to cut some out altogether, to transplant them tq another part of the garden, or to sell them to someone who is laying out a new place and desires results without waiting. When the planting has been done with a view to cutting out later, a number of quick-grow-ing common things being pu in, they are not worth shifting, and it ft better to cut them out, but when good and choice things have been used transplanting should be done. In preparing a shrubbery I prefer to trench the ground to a depth of from 2ft to'3ft, and to provide drainage if the subsoil is clay, but when planting steep banks this is impossible, and we have to be contented with large holes. These should be about 3ft or more in width, round, not square, and dug to a depth of from 2ft to 3ft, the bottom being broken up with a crowbar or pick, and the spies made perfectly perpendicular. In clay soil we have to guard against flooding in the winter, and drains have to be laid from the bottom of the hole, connecting with a main drain which will carry the water away quickly or discharge it out of the bank. In banks where there is considerable soakage it is often necessary to put a layer of rough clinkers or rotten .ock in the bottoms of the holes in addition to providing an agricultural pipe as an outlet. If the soil is vary heavy and sticky, or very light and

sandy, it is better to provide some good loam for filling in the holes round the ball of roots, and some well-rotted stable manure (either in the form of a mulch or mixed in with the soil, provided it does not come into direct contact with the damaged roots) will be an advantage. The first operation should be the digging of the holes, for there should be a minimum of delay between the lifting of the tree or shrub and putting it in its new place. These holes should be large enough to allow the ball of roots to go in easily with a reasonable space all round, and deep enough to allow the surface of the ball to be about the same depth as originally. Deep planting is a mistake, it means smothering the roots, and in a retentive soil possibly flooding, and as the natural tendency for roots is to grow downwards the valuable surface soil is unoccupied. Planting too shallow is also a mistake, water runs off instead of running in, and the ball of roots becomes dry. If there is turf or rough soil this should be thrown in first and chopped up in the bottom of the hole, and when either trees or shrubs are beii-g planted without a ball of soil, a mound should be formed in the centre of the hole, on which the base of the plant can be placed. When shifting large specimens it is an advantage to prepare them a year or so ahead by digging a trench all round at a distance of from 2ft to 3ft back from the stem and undermining as much as possible to cut the strong roots with a downward tendency. The soil is filled in again and rammed firm, but the check prevents the development of a lot of soft sappy wood, and encourages the growth of a mass of fibrous roots wherever the strong ones have been cut.

The autumn is the best season for transplanting trees and shrubs, no matter whether *hey be fruiting or ornameutal and it is not necessary to wait until the leaves drop from the deciduous kinds. As soon as they have developed their resting and flower buds will do. By planting in the autumn when the soil is dry and reasonably warm, the cut roots have tur.e to heal up before the winter rains set in, and they may also start to develop some young fibres in readiness fot com mencing growth as soon as conditions are favourable in the spring From the middle of April to the middle of June is usually quite suitable for transplanting, and the advantage of having dry soil to deal with when shifting specimens is very considerable. The size of the ball will depend on the size of the tree, but as a rule Ml through and 2ft deep is quite large enough for most things, and less is often quite satisfactory. First, dig a trench all round from 12 to ISin back from the stem of the tree oi shrub, and when 2ft deep work tinder, cutting the roots with an axe as the excavation proceeds When the roots are out all round and underneath, turn over on one side and place one or more sacks underneath, at the same time reducing the ball by removing any soil which is likely to fall off in any case. The sacks can then be tied across the top or round Ihe stem with string or rope. They help to hold the ball together, and provide something to catch by when lifting it up out of the hole.

VVhen a very large tree is being lifted it is often necessary to lay it over a bit. filling in some soil, and then to lay it back on the other side, and put in some more, and continue this operation until the hole is filled in and the ball is on the surface. Smaller plauts can be lifted quite easily by four men, each catching a corner of the sack.

If they have to be moved some distance it is better to put them on a sledge or hand-barrow, but if only a short distance they can be dragged or skidded on planks or rollers. In any case careful handling is neressary. When shifting deciduous trees and shrubs a ball of soil is not a necessity, though it is an advantage, and the soil can be shaken off carefully without seriously damaging the fine fibrous roots. We shifted hundreds of trees and shrubs down to the Exhibition grounds last year without, balls of soil, but we had bails wherever reasonably possible. Having made quite sure that the hole is wide and deep enough for the roots, slide the tree in gently, taking rare to have the best developed side against the prevailing wind or next, the path or road, if this is desirable, and be 9ure that the stem is upright. Break in the sides of the hole, packing the soil in firmly round the roots, and continue alternately filling and firming until the hole is filled up. If the soil is poor manure or peat can be added as the filling proceeds, but this should not come into direct contact with the damaged roots, and is better put on top as a mulch, after planting, or dug into tne surface soil. If the soil js very dry it should receive a thorough soaking before the filling in is completed; the water will wash the soil in amongst the fibrous roots. In the case of evergreens it is essential U the position is a windy and exposed one, it is better to provide a stake right away and this should be as tall or taller than the tree, ( and three ties should be provided, with a piece of old rubber or sacking between the stem and the stake to prevent damage to the bark. When trees are too large for a stake they can be stayed with three wires until they are settled in their new position When the roots are damaged during the transplanting—and this is unavoidable when shifting large specimens—it' is necessary to prune the branches a bit, to bring tha part above the ground into harmony with the part beneath. In the case of quick growing kinds and bamboos it is better to cut back hard; but in most other cases reasonable thinning will do. Cut out branches which cross and rub one another, shorten back the young wood, if growth has been rapid, and reduce th,* head to a reasonable shape. In the case of shrubs with branches low down on the ground, it is better to cut most of them right away, and to tie up the rest with a ropo during the shifting process.

VVhen tender natives or other shrubs of doubtful hardiness are put out during the autumn, it it desirable to proteef them in some way by sticking in pieces of manuka scrub or spruce branches round and over them for the first winter. Plants which are quite hardy when established often suffer when newly transplanted, and there i a no need for taking risks. Moreover, rabbits often eat or otherwise damage newlyplanted trees and shrubs, and wnere these pests are troublesome, it ia better to provide some protection by surrounding the trees with * circle of wire netting or ft petrol tint

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Ignoramus,” Dunedin.—The flowers in the beds you mention are African marigolds, lemon and orange, and these are edged with the dwarf marigold, Legion of Honour.

“Shrub Lover,” Lawrence.—You will find all the information you desire in the notes on planting and transplanting.