THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 19480, 1 April 1922, Page 7

THE GARDEN

(By “Horticola.”) WORK FOR APRIL, A sowing of dwarf early peas may be made now, to stand the winter and come in early, but only one or perhaps two rows should be planted, as peas planted at this time of the year are not always a success. Those that are through the soil now may be partially earthed up. Cut down the tops of asparagus before the seeds ripen and fall on the beds. Continue March sowing o£ pther vegetable seeds in warm sheltered positions. Tomatoes not ripe cut with a good steam and place on a sunny shelf. Strawberries should be planted now. Plant carnations, also hyacinths, narcissi crocuses and other bulbs as no advantage will be gained by delaying the planting of these any longer. This is the time’ for striking pansy cuttings of all kinds for bedding out in spring. They can also be grown from seed in boxes. Nearly all perennial border plants as well as shrubs may be transplanted now. This is the beat time to transplant primroses, polyanthus, Japanese and German iris, etc. Ranunculus may be planted now for early flowering, also the seed of the latter may be sown—the sooner the better. Th£y like a rich soil in a cool and pertly shaded position. The following is a list of good hardy annuals suitable for autumn sowing:—Candytuft, collinsia clarkia, godetia. malope, nemopila. shirley poppy, and sweet peas of selected varieties. Cinerarias—These beautiful greenhouse spring flowering plants should have the seed sown about November for« winter and spring display. As soon as they are fit to handle, that is as soon as they have made about two pair of leaves, they should be pricked out into boxes, and planted four inches apart. The soil for this should be composed of about three parts good rotted turf, and one part of rotted cow manure, and a little leaf mould, if procurable. The leaf mould and cow manure to be sterilised before being mixed with the soil, so» that all vermin and weeds will be killed. The plants are grown here until large enough to be transferred into six-inch pots, and when these become full of roots, transferred again into nine or ten-inch pots, where the soil should be rather richer than that in the previous potting. The soil should be well rammed round the plants, so that moisture will be retained, and they will be kept from flagging in sunny weather. When the plants begin to show blooms, they should be fed twice a week with weak liquid manure, made from cow or horse droppings. A good soot watering twice a week assists to bring out the blossoms. If the plants are inclined to droop ' over, a stake in the centre may be necessary, and the removal of dead flowers should also be attended to. They should continue in bloom for about three months.

Primula sinensis is sown about September for winter and spring display. The soil and general treatment is similar to that for cinerarias, only for the final potting seven or eight inch pots are quite large enough. This also applies fb primula obcinicu and primula kewensis and malicodioi. Cyclamens are winter and spring flowers too, and those who have bulbs outside to harden, should take them inside now, but previous to doing so should see there is no vermin about the foliage. If they were potted about two months ago, as should have been done, they will require no extra attention as far as manuring is concerned until they start to bloom, when soot water, as advised for cinerarias, will be very beneficial. During the winter months they should be fumigated once a fortnight with I McDougal’s fumigator to prevent greenfly j and thripe getting a hold. Seeds of cyclamens sown now will flower next year. It is now time to bring chrysanthemums with permanent buds under shelter, but previous to doing so all decayed leaves should be taken away, and the plants syringed with liver of sulphur and wafer, a quarter of an ounce to the gallon, with the addition of a little soft soap to make it- adhesive, as a preventative against mildew and rust.

After begonias have gone off flower, store them in a dry shed, laying the pots on the sides, then later on taking the bulbs and hanging them up to dry. Although any good garden soil will grow strawberries, they deserve to be well ciilti vated. The ground should be trenched or dug two spades deep, with a good dressing of manure between the top and bottom spits, or at least nine inches from the surface. The soil must be made fine by treading regularly all over, and if the surface. The soil must be made firm bybroken up. The best sorts for culture are Madame Melba, Laxton’s Noble, Fillbasket, Royal Sovereign and Marguerite, though the first two seem to be the best for our climate. Plants are raised easily by pegging the runners into pots with good soil early in the summer, and if they are transplanted into rich soil about now, they will yield fruit the first year. Also turfs may be cut four or five inches square, and

placed with the grass downward near the plants, and the runner pegged onto them in the summer, then in the autumn the turfs should be put into rich land, and the plants will produce a satisfactory amount of fruit the following summer. Onions are a necessity everywhere, and they require some care in their cultivation if they are to grow to any size, but generally speaking it pays only to grow spring onions, as the winter ones are not useful proportionately. Rich and deeply worked soil is very necessary to produce good onions and the position should be an open one. A good surface dressing of wood ashes lightly forked in is a good dressing for this crop, in addition to plenty of sound decayed manure. Onions are generally sown in drills, but in this way they will have at least an eighth to a quarter of an inch of soil above them, which is too much for such small seed. A good way to sow is to first tread 1 the ground firm, and then sow the seeds i broadcast over the surface, and cover with t a light sprinkling of soil, and tread firm again.

The vast strides which have been made in recent years in the culture of the rose have rendered it more fitting than ever to take its place in the “decorative” effect of the gaurden; its time of blooming is not, as formerly, confined to a few week’s duration, but by a judicious selection of monthly roses, tea roses, hybrid perpetuate and climbers we may now have the rose in flower from early summer to late autumn. Nor are roses so imperious in the matter oof soil as to need their being relegated to one particular plot. It is true that a rich, heavy loom, with a sub-soil of clay, is considered the best, especially for hybrid perpetuate, but any good soil, such as will grow vegetables successfully, will be equally satisfactory for roses, while most tea roses will flourish in a light soil. Position, however, is all important; cleanliness, sunshine and plenty of air are essential. Probably many a young rose tree is spoilt in the mere planting; in both time and method there is, of course, a right and a wrong way. The autumn is the best season for planting, and it should be done in mild, moist weather, if possible, taking care that the 'roots are not previously exposed for any length of time and that they do not come into direct contact with any manure which may be used. Of the two ways of propagating roses which are suited for amateurs, making cuttings is the easier, budding the more satisfactory in results. Cuttings are easily made, and the beginner should certainly try his hand. About the end of April cut off the tops of strong shoots, a foot long; with the point of a knife pick out all the buds except the uppermost four or five; the lower leaves, if they have not yet fallen, should be removed. Cut the heel or bottom end slanting away from a bud, then in some half-shady corner of the garden drive a spade into the ground two-thirds of its blade, and work it to and fro in the soil so as to leave a nick in the soil into which the cuttings may be inserted, about six inches apart and with about four inches appearing above the ground. Be sure that the heels of the cuttings touch the bottom of the trench, and tread all firm and close about the shoots. Leave the cuttings alone for a twelvemonth, keeping clear of weeds, of course, nad then plant them out. Road scrapings are to be seized on whenever the chance offers. The mud scraped from the roads is absolutely virgin soil, and with the mineral grit and manurial matter it contains is most valuable, especially for ground that inclines to heaviness. It will be found tnat when the slab and pasty mud is made into a heap, it sometimes dries into a solid mass. If this happens, it may be dug down and spread in lumps for the frost to disintegrate, or it may be dried and pulverised as it is required with the back of a spade. Orchardists are now in the midst of their busiest season and thousands of cases of pears and apples are being sent away each week (writes the Napier Daily Telegraph’s Havelock correspondent). The copious rains of the past two months seem to have considerably benefited pip-fruits, particularly in those orchards situated on the lower slopes of the hills, where the fruit is this year larger than for some seasons past. The late peaches also developed very well indeed, 4 but the ravages of “ripe rot” are very severe in many cases. Fruit picked apparently sound will often develop the disease in a few hours. The question whether each clump, line, or bed of bulbs should be “mixed” or of one single colour must be taken on its merits in each case. Hyacinths harmonise particularly well in all shades, except perhaps the strong crimsons; few things are gayer than a bed of “mixed” tulips; gladiolus, anemones, ranunculus, and iris all agree in variety; but narcissi and crocuses are quite wasted when planted confusedly. The smallest unit allowable with these is the patch of four or five roots, which ultimately makes a strong clump. The effect of a medley of, say, pheasant’s eye, and Emperor narcissus is quite curiously poor and discordant. It need hardly be said that where mixed colours are admissable, extremely fine results may be had by massing single tints. In following either plan, remember to choose kinds which flower simultaneously; there may easily be a difference of a fortnight in the forwardness of different sorts, and the effect of a bed may be quite spoiled by its flowering in detachments. The depredations of small birds in the spring on rows of young peas or early lettuce have always been difficult to counter act. A sovereign remedy against these attacks (says the Ashburton Guardian) is employed by the gardener at the County Hospital. About twice a week he sprays the plants subject to the voracious attentions of the sparrow with a weak solution of Jeyes’ fluid, about one tablespoonful to 1 a kerosene tin, which makes the green leaf unpalatable to the birds without affecting the plants for human consumption. He states further, that the same remedy frequently sprayed on young cabbage and other members of the brassica family keeps the fly off; although once they are estab lished it is not sufficient to affect them.