DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 11

DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

CULTIVATION OF TULIPS The Dunedin Gardening Club’s fortnightly meeting was held on Tuesday evening, when there was a good attendance. Mr F. H. Hollingworth presided. The subject for the evening was “ Tulips and their Cultivation," and was in the hands of Mr F. S. Perrett, who dealt with the tulip in Holland, Sicily, the Homeland, and New Zealand. Holland, he eaid, held first place in the world for two of the most popular of bulbs—namely, hyacinths and tulips. For many years she shipped immense quantities of cut blooms to the English market, but that had given way to the dry bulb trade, and the bulk of her immense trade was now the exporting of dry bulbs to England and America and elsewhere. With years of experience on the part of enthusiasts and specialists, she had learned the very best methods of growing and marketing bulbs. At one time she had practically all the trade, but of late years growers in England had been producing large quantities of bulbs of firstclass quality, and this was turning out a payable proposition. At one time Sicily was famous for the vegetables it produced, but that had given way to a great extent to cut-flower growing. The climate was some three weeks earlier than that of Southern England. The islanders were, therefore, enabled to catch the early market. They had a steamer of their own, costing £25,000, and their flowers and produce reached the English market in 24 hours.

Mr Perrett stated that when he came to New Zealand tin 1921 there were few tulips grown, and he was advised not to touch them, as they would not flourish in this climate. But, having had considerable experience in the Homeland in tulip-growing, he decided to give them a trial, and forwarded an order to Holland, the bulbs arriving in good order. These he planted, and he had grown them ever since for the trade, and they showed no signs of deterioration in either colour or vigour, proving that they could be successfully grown in New Zealand. Their cultivation was simple, but there were a few points that had to be observed if success was to be obtained. Any good soil would grow them provided it was well drained and cultivated, but like others of the bulb family, they disliked animal manure or manure of any sort containing ammonia. Superphosphate and bonemeal could be used, care being taken not to give too much. Green manuring was very good, and in Holland lucerne and other clovers were grown for the purpose. Tulips should be planted like other bulbs, sand around the bulbs not being necessary. The soil about them should be kept in good cultivation during the growing season. After flowering, the leaves should be allowed to die down, and on no account should the leaves be removed before they had ripened off. When the leaves had ripened the bulbs should be lifted, the bulblets removed, and the mother bulbs dried and stored away in a fairly dry and airy place till planting time. If they are not lifted and the bulblets removed, the bulblets draw sustenance from the mother bulb, and impoverish it, causing deterioration. If properly cultivated tulips would not go back or deteriorate. The proper time to plant was when the bulb at the base showed signs of.swelling. This was an indication of root action commencing.

Under proper cultivation, continued Mr Perrett, there was not much cause for worry in the matter of diseases. Animal manures, especially cow manure, were to be avoided. They were the forerunner in many cases of disease, especially eelworm. The eelworm that attacked narcissi would not attack tulips. In regard to narcissi and eelworm, Mr Perrett was strongly of the opinion that a central sterilising depot should be available where growers could have their bulbs sterilised by an expert. This had been adopted