THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

By

D. Tannock.

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Growth is becoming more satisfaetorj’ under glass now, and the first seedling bedding plants will soon be ready to be pricked out into boxes of richer soil. Asters, stocks, marigolds and other half hardy annuals can now be sown to follow on the hardier kinds, when they are ready to be put out in the cold frames. It is a mistake to force the annuals too quickly. If the beds are filled with spring flowering plants, it will be some time about the beginning of November before they can be planted out, and, if left in the boxes too long, they become starved and stunted and never produce such satisfactory results.as those which are grown on steadily from the time the seeds germinate until the plants are put put. Seedlings of herbaceous and alpine plants can also be pricked out as soon M they are large enough to handle, and if there are no vacant spaces in the herbaceous borders or the rock garden the plants can be lined out in a border in the nursery or reserve garden where they will grow into good specimens ready for autumn planting. The geraniums will now be well established in their boxes or pots and it will be quite safe to put them out into the cold frames, provided the sashes are put on early in the afternoons to shut in some sun heat and the glass is covered with scrim or sacks on frosty nights. In a small establishment, room under glass is at a premium in the spring, and it is neecssary to make full use of the ,cold frames or a temporary shelter suitable for hardening off. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Continue to prune the roses. Manure and dig or fork the beds and borders. It is. not yet too late to plant roses, and if any weak and unsatisfactory bushes are discovered when pruning, it is advisable to root them out and put in new plants. Continue to fork or hoe the soil among the spring flowering plants such as nai> cissi, primrose polyanthus, anemones, wallflowers, etc., and fix strands of black cotton over the primrose polyanthus to frighten away the birds. It is also necessary to take the same precautions with the newly planted carnations.

.The planting out of herbaceous perennials such as delphiniums, phlox, michaelmas daisies, aquilegias, oriental poppies, etc., should be carried out, and the digging should be completed as -soon as. possible. To get the best results with michaelmas daisies it is necessary to replant them every year and, if possible, to give them a new position in the flower garden. They require plenty of manure, and in addition to a liberal dressing of stable manure dug in before planting, .they like a mulch of cow manure durin" the summer. Lift the old stools, cut off a few small pieces round the ed"e and replant these. It is not necessary to have more than five shoots to each piece, but it is often better to retain more, and to reduce them to five of equal strength later on. Perennial phloxes are also making growths now, and if a few of these are taken off with a heel, put into boxes or pots of sandy soil and stand in a cool, shady place, they will root and form good plants for putting out next autumn. Now- that the -weather is warmer the grass, has started to grow strongly, and suitable time to repair lawns which have become mossy, or have been eaten out with grass grubs. Unfortunately the grubs do not appear to like daisies, and these have been prolific, when there was no grass to compete with them. If the lawn is in bad condition it may be desirable to dig it lip, expose it to the weather for a little, and then to lime it and sow down again. If if i s patchy the daisies can be skimmed off with a sharp spade, and the surface soil loosened up with a fork or a rake. Give a good -pressing of lime, and then make the surface fine and level in preparation for resowing.

Sow the seed and then cover it with a thin topdressing of fine, sifted soil as free of weeds as ,is possible. It is not advisable to apply any manure until the seed germinates, when a light dusting with sulphate of ammonia, and later a dressing of blood and bone manure will stimulate growth. The sulphate of ammonia should be mixed with an equal amount of beach sand to secure even distribution.

When moss is the trouble the need for drainage is shown, but shade will also encourage its growth. Rake the surface well with a steel rake, removing as much of the moss as possible, give a good dress-, ing of lime, sow some' fresh seed, and then give a light topdressing with fine, light, sandy soil. If the soil is heavy and inclined to become sticky, give it a good dressing of sea sand, which is useful for filling up inequalities, while it gives a clean and dry surface in wet weather. When the surface of a lawn has become hard and close through constant rolling it is an advantage to open it up with a spiked roller or an ordinary digging fork before applying the topdressing. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a native of Europe, and is found growing wild on the south coast of England. It is a perennial, and once established will

continue to provide crops for years if it receives reasonable treatment. It has numerous fleshy roots, and from these shoots four feet and over are sent up every year. It is the young succulent shoots which provide this much esteemed vegetable. I am afraid that many are inclined to think asparagus a luxury, but though fairly expensive to buy, it is not at all difficult or expensive to grow, and a well-established bed will yield supplies of stems at a time when fresh vegetables are scarce.

Though-a light, well-drained, deep soil is the best for asparagus culture, any soil except a heavy clay can be easily modified by trenching, cultivation, and manuring to suit the requirements of this plant. Where the soil is not at all suitable, it is better to take it out and make up a special bed with soil of the right texture and. composition. The ground intended for the asparagus bed should be deeply trenched in the autumn and left rough and exposed to the weather during the winter. If there is any doubt about the drainage, lay an agricultural pipe with a suitable outlet along the bottom of the trenched ground, oi put.in brickbats or.stones to assist in getting rid of the water quickly. Though asparagus must have an abundant supply of water during the growing season, it can’t stand wet, stagnant conditions round its roots during the resting season. If the soil is at all inclined to be heavy it is better to raise the beds up a little above the level of the alleyways, and to mix in a liberal dressing of sea sand, compost, heap, and well-rotted manures. Where the soil is entirely unsuitable, it should be excavated to a depth of 18 inches to two feet, and a layer of broken bricks or ashes put in to ensure good drainage. Fill in the bed with good loam, turfy if possible, and add a liberal dressing of stable manure, sea sand and compost heap or old potting soil. Mix thoroughly and allow to settle a little before planting. When making up raised beds it may be an advantage to fix hardwood boards along each side to hold up the soil, and prevent it from bejng washed down on to the alleyways by heavy rain, or watering. The two most common ways of growing asparagus are on a flat bed when the soil is suitable, and on a raised bed when it has to be made up. In any case a width of four feet with alleyways of two feet will be found most convenient. This is the handiest width for weeding, cultivating and cutting the crop, and it allows sufficient room for two rows. In the French market gardens the plants are ’ placed about four feet apart each way, „ and when adopting field cultivation on the flat this method could be followed; but in bed cultivation in an ordinary garden from two to two and a-half feet apart each way will be found a suitable distance. When planting on four feet beds mark out the two rows one foot from each side, which will leave a space of two feet between the rows. With the spade take out the soil to a depth of four inches, forming flat drills, and mark these with sticks at a distance of two feet apart. Mix up a heap of rich soil, composed of old potting soil or good light loam to which is added well-rotted manure, sea sand and leafmould, and place a mound of this round every stick. When pressed down, these mounds will be about two inches high, and a plant is placed on each and gently pressed into the soil until the outer roots are four inches below the surface, and the top of the crowns two inches. The original soil is then returned to the trench, and the sticks left in position to mark the place of the crowns until growth commences. One or two year old plants are usually chosen for planting, and these should be handled carefully and prevented from drying up during the process of transplanting. Newly planted beds should not be cut for two years, to allow them to become properly established, and during the third year the cuttings should be taken only at the beginning of the season. • " Asparagus beds can also be established by direct sowing, and when this is done the ..beds are -prepared in the usual way, two or three seeds being planted at sticks at the desired distance apart. If they all germinate they are thinned out to one, which goes on developing until ready to cut. Those who wish to raise their own plants can do so easily by sowing seeds: in drills about two inches deep and -18 inches to two feet apart. The soil ■ should be light and rich, - and when the seedlings are large Enough to

be handled they should be thinned out to two or three inches apart. They must be kept weeded and cultivated throughout the summer for the plants to be ready to put out in the following spring. The planting should be done before growth commences either during August or September. °

Asparagus is really a surface rooting plant, and the roots should be. encouraged to keep near the surface by frequent topdressings and by a liberal dressing of well-rotted manure in the winter. The beds must be kept free of weeds, and watering will be required during very dry -weather. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT.

“Aster,” Timaru. —It is very difficult to deal with the wilt disease in asters, and the most satisfactory results are obtained by planting them on new ground which has not grown asters for several years. Trench a piece of ground, manure it well, dust lime on the surface, and you should succeed.