THE GARDEN

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 11

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

By

D. Tannock.

The Greenhouse and Nursery. Continue to pot on the cinerarias and primulas to their flowering pots, and shake out the old corms of cyclamen and pot them up, using a similar soil like that recommended for cinerarias, with the addition of a little powdered charcoal. Six or seven-inch pots should be the maximum for cyclamen. The wallflower seedlings which were lit ed out some time ago have taken very well this year in spite of the dry weather, and they are now making satisfactory growth. Keep the surface soil among them stirred <.p with the scuffle hoc, and should slugs become troublesome dust them frequently with lime; the plants will like it, and the slugs will not.

As soon as the pelargoniums which were cut back some time ago to obtain cuttings have broken into growth they should be shaken out, and after trimming the roots should be potted up in pots no larger than they occupied before. Some growers believe in potting into small pots first, and afterwards, when growth is rapid, to pot them on to larger size. A start can be made to put iu cuttings of the bedding geraniums.

The Flower Garden. Those who intend to build a new rock garden or add to the one they at present possess should get the necessary materials together, and make a start as soon as possible. It is much pleasanter to handle large rocks when they are dry, and soil is also much easier to handle when it is dry. First of all the site of the proposed rock garden should be cleared of al! weeds of a perennial nature, and the soil dug over or broken up with a pick. The smaller stones can be mixed with this soil to form the foundations, and a heap of special soil prepared for filling the pockets. This will consist of good clean loam, two parts (as free from weeds as possible), leaf mould or peat one part, and sand, gravel, or rubble two parts. When building bury at least a third of each rock in the soil, and form irregular pockets, but avoid standing all t’.e rocks up on end, also what appears like a series of paddocks surrounded by a wall or stones.

Pack the rocks firmly with the foundation soil, and after the building has been completed some of this can be removed to make room for the special mixture, which should be at least six inches deep.

The general work in the flower garden at present will consist of staking and hoeing, picking off dead flowers and seed pods, and clearing off any plants winch are past their best, in order to keep the beds and borders tidy. Dahlias are making quite a good show at present, and an application of liquid manure will help them considerably. Seeds of hardy annuals can be sown now, and biennials, such as Canterbury bells, forget-me-nots, stocks, and wallflowers can be planted out in the vacant patches in the mixed borders.

The Vegetable and Fruit Garden.

Some people prefer to sow their onions in the autumn and where the soil is "ell drained and not too heavy this season has many advantages. First, dig the sou deeply, then level it and make it firm by tramping or rolling, for a firm seed bed is essential, and as the soil is usually veiy dry at this season tramping does no harm. Make the surface smooth with the rake and draw drills about 2in deep and 12in apart, sow the seed thinly, dust with bone meal, and then cover and firm. The varieties usually sown in the autumn are Giant Rocca and Giant Gittau. Continue to make sowings of lettuce, turnips, carrots, and spinach, and plant leeks, spring cabbage, and broccoli.

Seed Sowing. Autumn is the time which Nature selects for seed sowing, and there is nothing "ciitied by beeping the seeds of shrubs, alpines and hardy herbaceous perennials until the spring. If sown as soon as ripe, they germinate quickly, for there is still a considerable amount of heat in the soil and the air, and the plants have time to develop sufficiently to stand the cold of winter- Even though the seeds do not T germinate in the autumn, they will lie in >“the ground quite safely during the winter and be ready to come up as soon as weather conditions are favourable in the spring. We sowed seed of the Oiegon pine or Douglas fir, Pseudotsugs Douglasii last autumn, and though there was no signs of growth until the spring, the seedlings appeared earlier than the spring-sown ones and the plants are now stronger and healthier. The proportion of seeds which germinated was also greater. There are three methods of sowing seeds of perennials—(l) in beds in the open ; (2) in boxes; and 3) in pots. When there are only a few seeds to be sown it is better to use pots, 4in or sin size being large enough. When more plants are required, then boxes are more satisfactory, but small lots can be sown in boxes, too, if pots are not available. Another advantage of the boxes is they do not dry to quickly, and are therefore more suitable when it is not possible to give them daily attention. Beds in the open are the least trouble of all, and are quite satisfactory. The bed should be in a sheltered, warm position, and as drainage is most important the soil should be taken out to a depth of 18in and 6in of brickbats, clinkers, or broken stones put in the bottom.

Over these place a layer of leaves or rough turf, and on top of all a layer of prepared soil 6in deep, when made firm. Tlie soil should consist of two parts of good clean loam, one part leaf mould, and half a part clean coarse sand. Mix all together thoroughly, and pass it all through a £in sieve. Pass a portion of the soil through a fine sieve for topping and covering, and make the surface smooth, then spread about iin of the fine soil on top. Press a piece of board 3in to 4in wide and. long enough to stretch across the bed, into the soil, making flat drills |in in depth. Write good stout labels, and sow the seed thinly and evenly, covering it with about of the fine soil, and again press with the piece of board. Sprinkle the surface with a layer of clean sand, and water and cover with a piece of scrim. Lt is a good idea to fix a frame over the bed to which the scrim can be tacked, and on which a sash can be placed during the winter to keep off excessive moisture. When sowing in boxes or pots follow a similar procedure, and place them in a frame or cool greenhouse. In some cases like primrose polyanthus the seedlings come away quickly, and are ready to prick out into boxes in a few weeks, but in most cases the seedlings can remain undisturbed until the spring.

In the case of rock plants it is often an advantage to sow them in the pockets in which they are to grow, merely thinning out the seedlings to the desired distance apart. As a rule the fresher the seeds are the quicker the germination, but there are a number of seeds which take a long time to germinate, and it is never safe to throw away a pot or box inside 12 months. Hardy annuals are very satisfactory when sown in tire autumn, where the soil is not too heavy, and is well drained. If a special border is devoted to them it should be dug up, but not heavily manured for this hag a tendency to cause soft growth, which is liable to be damaged during the winter. Make the surface level smooth, and firm, and mark it out in irregular patches. Sow the seed evenly, and cover with about jin of fine soil, making it firm and level. Annuals are often sown in patches in the mixed or herbaceous border, the patches being dug over, and then made firm and fine with the rake, at the same time working in a dusting of lime and bone meal. Sow the seed broadcast on the patch, and firm and cover with |in of the fine soil. If the weather is very dry give a good watering, and then cover with a few twigs to provide shelter until germination takes place. Should the weather be wet and slugs troublesome, it will be neces sary to dust the earth with lime frequently until the seedlings are a fair size.

Planting Bulbs. When describing the planting and potting of bulbs a short time ago 1 did not describe planting in the grass, which is the most satisfactory method for growing daffodils. When daffodil bulbs are planted in grass, which can be left uncut until the foliage ripens off, they will remain quite healthy and flower for years without becoming overcrowded. In some of our patches they are spreading by means of self sown seedlings. There are two methods of planting ; one, as individual bulbs by means of the bulb planter; and the .other, in small groups with the spade. When planting with the bulb planter the bulbs are scattered out to form irregular drifts, and are planted where they lie. With spade planting it is better to peg out the patches, forming irregular groups, ea<i patch being from 2ft to 3ft apart. With the spade remove a piece of turf about Qin square and 4in thick. Dig up the soil to a depth of 9in, mixing in a handful of bone meal, and plant five bulbs in each (one at each corner and one in the middle). Replace the turf, and beat it down with the spade until it is level with the surroundin'” lawn. Daffodil?, and the strong growing bulbs will hold their own v. any kind of grass, but it is better to plant snowdrops, crocus, and other small bulbs under deciduous trees, where the growth is not too strong.