THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3881, 31 July 1928, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. ' By D. Tan nock. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Those who possess a greenhouse, either heated or without 'artificial heat, or a hot bed in a frame shoma make sowings of celery, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce in boxes, and cucumbers and melons in pots to provide plants fpr later On. Those who grow vegetables for exhibition purposes should also make a sowing of leeks, as It takes a long time to grow the large specimens with long, “smooth) white stalk, which win prizes. As soon as the seedlings are well up through the ground they are pricked out into other boxes, and when well grown are gradually hardened off and planted , out on warm shelter borders when weather conditions are suitable. _ Sowing of such half-hardy annuals as stocks, asters, dianthus, verbenas, phlox Drummoixdi, and marigolds can now be made, Pansies, violas, and nemesia, which were sown a few weeks ago,, will now be' ready to be pricked out into boxes of richer soil, and these should be ready to be placed out into cold frames, or outside in a sheltered position by the time the stocks, asters, etc.,, are ready to be pricked off. By beginning with the hardest kinds of beedding plants, following with the less hardy, and finishing with the tender kinds the space in the greenhouse or heated frame is utilised to the greatest advantage and overcrowding is avoided.

- THE FLOWER GARDEN. T The soil in the beds and borders of spring flowering plants becomes beaten down by the winter rains, and as soon as it is dry enough it should be forked or hoed up to kill germinating weeds and admit*air.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Though it is far too soon to make any extensive sowings or plantings in the vegetable garden, a few of the early and quick maturing kinds can be put in bn a warm, well-drained, sunny border, and, .if they fail, they can easily-be replaced later on. If successful they will furnish very w - elcome : supplies at a time when fresh vegetables are scarce. Ground for the very early crops is not usually dug until it is required. It is then drier than ground which had been trenched or dug during the autumn or winter. After digging over the patch required for immediate sowing, it should be forked over, all lumps broken and made level with a fine rake. ’lf it is wet and sticky it is better to prepare a heap of light soil for covering the seed, and the careful gardener has usually a heap of old potting soil or other suitable soil stored away in a shed or some sheltered place to be used for this purpose. Do not dig too much stable manure in for early crops. If any is applied it should be well rotted. Broad beans and'peas of the English ■ Wonder type can be sown in flat drills, and Short Horn carrots, early white turnips, All the Year Round cabbage lettuce, round or summer spinach and radish can be sown in narrow drills from 12 inches to 15 inches apart. By placing the beans at one side of the plot and the peas at the-other they will provide shelter for the smaller crops later on. Cabbage of the Early York type, cauliflowers of the Early London type, early potatoes, and Jerusalem artichokes can also be planted. Seedsmen’s catalogues are now arriving, and the present is a suitable time to go through them and make a list of all the kinds it is proposed to raise. It is really better to send in the order for the season’s supplies and to have them at hand when required. It is a mistake to buy seeds simply because they are cheap—a good, carefully chosen variety takes up no more ; room than a common one, and the difference between the quantity and the quality of the crop is usually very marked. Do not obtain large quantities; - an ordinary packet contains more than enough for an y" ordinary garden, and it is better to sow early, mid-season, and late kinds so» as to secure a succession. ROSE -PRUNING. The bush roses, have started into growth, and pruning can be-done at any time now. Where blooms ’ are required for a late show, or in districts where there is danger of the young growths being cut back by late frosts, it is better to wait until the middle of next month at least, but for ordinary garden purposes any time about the beginning of the month v.dll be suitable. Rose prun-, jng is an interesting operation, and there is nothing to hinder anyone from attending to_ his own plants. - Before commencing it is advisable to - collect the necessary tools, and get them sharpened and in good order. A pair of strong secateurs is necessary, a small saw if the plants are old and have been neglected, a sharp knife to smooth any rough cuts made with the saw, a pad to kneel upon, a pair of stout gloves to protect the hands, and a spade will complete the equipment. When the plants have been neglected for some time it is .often necessary to give them drastic treatment, cutting out as much rf the old wood as is practicable.. The thin twiggy shoots should also be removed and room made for the young growths which will spring from near the base of the plants. This severe pruning will probably spoil-the first crop, and it may be considered wiser simply to thin out the old

growths and shorten back the young wood a little until" the plants flower, when it can be determined whether they are worth keeping or not. It is likely that old, neglected plants will be ancient varieties, which are not worth retaining when young plants of up-to-date kinds can be obtained from the nurserymen at a reasonable price. The severity of the pruning will depend on the purpose for which the roses are grown. ,If for exhibition it will have to be very severe, reducing the number of dormant buds, and consequently the number of shoots and blooms with the idea of getting larger and better specimens. When growing for ordinary garden decoration and for cutting Jor house decoration the pruning should be lighter, the object in this-case being to secure a reasonable number of flowers of medium size.

Having determined in a general way the number of flowers to be expected, the next consideration is the capacity of the individual plants, and it is here that a general rule which applies in the pruning of all kinds of plants must be considered. The rule is to prune weak growers hard, and strong growers lightly, and this, after all, is a very sensible method, for each plant is set a task which it can be expected to be able to carry out. The fact that a plant makes Weak wood indicates that it cannot produce many blooms, but it does not mean that these blooms will not be good. Often a few very fine blooms are obtained from weak growers, when they are cut well back and limited to a few buds. Strong growers have an abundance of energy, and are capable of developing many dormant buds into flowering shoots. If the strong growers are cut too hard back they produce more strong growths, and the blooms are liable to become deformed and have double centres.

An ordinary rose plant, which has been pruned with reasonable care for a number of years, consists of several branches of various ages, and it will be noted that those which have been pruned back for several years are gradually becoming weaker, and it is only a matter of time until the growths will be so weak that they will not flower at all. On the other hand, the young strong growths which have sprung from the base of the plant, and which secure most of the sap (water and mineral plant food), require room to develop buds which are sure to produce satisfactory flowers. The first operation should be* to cut away all dead and decaying wood and all shoots which are old and show signs of deterioration. An ideal plant would be one which could be renewed every year, but this is seldom possible, and it is usually necessary to retain shoots from two to three years old.

After the old and decay in" shoots have .been removed,'all the thin twiggy ones must be cut out, as. these have not sufficient energy to flower, and their foliage simply fills up the centre of the bushes, prevents free circulation- of air, and keeps the sunlight from the useful foliage. These weaks growths are usually the first to be attacked by .green fly ’and other blights, preventing satisfactory spraying. -When all that is useless has been cut out, the next consideration is to shorten back the strong young shoots which spring from the base, of the plant, leaving them 12 to 18 inches long, and cutting about a quarter of an inch above a good bud, pointing away from the centre of the plant. It should be mentioned here that young, soft, pithy, unripened shoots are of little or no value, and these should be cut out altogether. The young wood on the older stems should now be cut back to from three to six inches again to a bud pointing away from the centre of the plant. Though shape is not at all important in roses, it is desirable to maintain as good a shape as possible, and thus secure an even distribution of the sap. ' Another matter which requires consideration is the character of the individual flower. Single and semi-double varieties can produce a great many more satisfactory blooms than those which are usually known as full roses. Strong growing kinds such as George Dickson, Hugh Dickson, and Frau Karl Druschki, etc., are very satisfactory when the old shoots are cut right away and the strong young ones pegged down in a more or less horizontal position to secure an even distribution of sap among the buds. To get the best results, the varieties have to be treated as individuals, but by following the general rules satisfactory results can be obtained and perfection comes with experience. Prune your own plants, and watch the effects of your pruning. Roses are hard to kill, and the beginner seldom prunes tpo severely. Newly-planted roses also require pruning. They are shortened back by the nurserymen for the convenience of packing, but have again to be cut back to two or three buds at the proper pruning season. . ' After pruning, rake up the twigs and burn them, give a liberal dressing of-well-rotted manure, and dig it in lightly. If bulbs or other plants are grown among the roses, or if well-rotted manure is not available,' give a good dusting with bone meal, and fork it into the sufface soil; at the same time removing any weeds. • ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

S.M., Milton.—The name of the plant usually called the Scotch Creeper is Tropceolum specioSum. You can obtain plants now. It has tuberous roots, and likes a place where the roots are cool and the stems in the. sun. • . '

“ Draeunculus,” Taieri Mouth.—-There is.no Lilium Draeunculus, but there is an Arum -Draeunculus with divided

leaves and a spotted stem. It has a disagrcable odour.

J. H., Waimate.—A good spring manure for raspberries would be one part of sulphate of anunonia and three parts of superphosphate applied at the rate of six ounces to, the square yard. Ihis is scattered on the surface and worked in with the hoe or fork. If it is preferred the superphosphate could be applied now and the sulphate of ammonia later on when growth has commenced.

;E. M., Milton.—The best time to put in cuttings of willows and poplars is May or June, but they will root if put in now.