THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 20616, 15 October 1928, Page 9

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR, THE WEEK.

(By J. A. McPherson.) The Greenhouse. During boisterous weather much good work can be undertaken in the greenhouse, thereby leaving all good days to be spent in the flower garden. Continue sowing all classes of annuals pricking them ott into plant trays when large enough to handle. Make a sowing a Primula obconica seed to provide plants for blooming through the winter. Stake Schizanthus and give them as much light as possible. Cyclamen whicn have finished flowering can be moved into a corner or placed on a shelf for drying off. It is a mistake to dry them off suddenly, since the corms become shrivelled instead of remaining plump and solid. Sow Gloxinia and Begonia seed in very fine sandy soil and place the pots in the warmest part of the house. Celery and leek seeds which were sown some weeks ago will now have produced strong sturdy plants. Prick off several boxes and leave them inside until the roots have a firm hold of the soil. They can then be placed outside to harden off before planting time. Should it be necessary to increase the dock of any varieties of Dahlias, now is a good time to carry out the work. Sturdy' shoots are springing away from tubers which have been boxed up. These shoots, which are three to four inches in length, root readily in pots of sandy soil with the addition of a little bottom heat. Cut off each shoot as near to the old tuber as possible, placing four cuttings or shoots around the edge of a four inch pot. Rooting is very rapid under good conditions and the cuttings will be ready to plant out in the garden at the same time as the old tubers themselves. Young soft cuttings of Fuchsias are easily rooted at this time of the year if given the advantage of bottom heat. The Flower Garden. The last few weeks of bad weather and heavy winds has retarded growth in many gardens. Narcissi have gone over very quickly and the winds have battered many tulips just coming into bloom. Finish the planting of all herbaceous plants and plant cut Sweet Peas into well prepared trenches. Sweet Peas arc not over keen on too much farmyard manure near their roots, it is better placed well down in the trenches and the surface soil dusted with superphosphate and sulphate of potash. They manufacture their own nitrogen, so it is a waste and detrimental to the plants to manure with nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. Wallflower and Forgetmenots are at present in full bloom, and will continue blooming till the summer bedding plants are ready. A good bed of these plants lasts much longer than narcissi when in | flower, and for this reason, coupled with; the introduction of improved varieties is l gradually bringing them back into favour for spring'display. The Reserve Garden. The reserve garden comes in very' useful at this period of the year for holding narcissi bulbs which have been lifted from the flower garden in order to make room for other plants. Many people are still under the impression that narcissi bulbs must not be lifted until the foliage has died down. No harm will come to any of the bulbs if lifted and lined in immediately into the reserve garden. The foliage will then naturally die down after the nourishment has returned to the bulbs. In many cases this is a good time to remove these bulbs, since their exact position in some gardens cannot be ascertained later on. Care must be taken to see that each lot of bulbs is correctly labelled. In the middle of summer the bulbs can be lifted, cleaned and stored in a cool shed. Prepare beds for sowing Wallflower, Canterbury Bells, and Sweet William. Fork lightly round all young seedlings keeping a sharp lookout for slugs. Flowering Cherries. The Japanese Cherries have long been favourities in our gardens and where space will permit no garden should be without a few of these spring flowering small trees. Though for ages grown and cultivated by the Japanese to such an extent that the blossom time is made the occasion for a national festival, the home of the true; flowering cherry, Prunus serrulata, Is sup-| posed to be Northern China. In Japanese I nurseries are to be found many varieties I but these differ so slightly from one an-1 other that it Is very hard to separate them. ' In our English gardens there are four varieties which have long been looked upon as the pick of all those listed by the Japan- j ese. Variety flore pleno, has very double I flowers of a pale rose and 1J to 2 inches across. Variety dore pleno hiteo, Is a distinct, and rather interesting form with flowers the same size as the former; but the colour is greenish yellow. Variety pendula is most attractive with its drooping branches covered in large double flowers of a pink shade often 2 inches across. “Benifuzen” and “Hisakura” are Japanese names given to the two best forms of this variety, while “Osaka” is the name of the white flowering form. This last form is a magnificent tree in bloom, the main stalk from which the flowers hang is often six inches in length. Variety Veitchiana Is considered the best of the Japanese cherries and was found in a nursery at Tokio in 1892 by the late Mr Janies H. Veitch. When young the leaves are bronze coloured. The flowers measure over two inches across and their colour is a deep rose-pink. All the above flowering cherries are easy of cultivation requiring only a good loamy soil in which to grow. In spring they never fail to delight us with blossom and in the autumn their coloured foliage is again in evidence. Kerria Japonica, This Japanese shrub is at present in bloom in many gardens, its bright green pithy stems carrying comparatively few leaves; but loaded with double yellow flowers about one inch across. For several years it went out of favour and was to be seen only in old established gardens. It may be increased by division of the rootstock. A varegated leaved form has made its appearance and has single flowers; but not so handsome in appearance as the original variety. Deutzia gracilis. Another pretty and hardy shrub at present coming into bloom is Deutzia gracilis, and like Kerria is also hails from Japan. Commonly known as the “Bride’s Blossom” this dainty shrub grows four feet in height and is covered every spring with racemes of white flowers. Should readers require early blooms, several plants can be lifted in the late winter, roughly potted up and placed in the greenhouse. The extra warmth soon sends it into bloom at a time when flowers are scarce. After flowering, the plants can be carefully planted outside again. Vegetables. Rough weather has kept work in the vegetable garden at a standstill. Cabbages, cauliflowers and lettuce plants may be assisted against the wind by hoeing the soil up slightly around their Erases. Early peas will also benefit if the soil is drawn around them before the work of staking commences. It is always advisable to plant all the above vegetables in shallow trenches so that the soil is easily available to steady them during the early spring. The young plants also have the advantage when first planted, of being sheltered to some extent from winds if this method is adopted. Early cabbage and lettuce will benefit by the application of one ounce of nitrate of soda to the square yard. This manure

is quick acting and must never be used in excess. When weather conditions become favourable sow peas, beans, radish, carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips on ground that has been manured previous season with heavy "dressings of farmyard mainure and from where crops of potatoes, cabbage, sprouts and celery were obtained. Too much fresh manure has the tendency to make root crops “fork” badly. If manures are required dust to each square yard one ounce of blood and bone and one ounce of sulphate of potash; or one ounce of superphosphate and one ounce of sulphate of potash. Do not neglect to sow seeds of brusgel sprouts, and broccoli for planting out in mid-summer. Keep a succession of cabbages and cauliflowers by planting a few dozen plants at intervals of two to three weeks. BOSE GROWING IN SAND PRUNING, MANURING AND CULTIVATING. A WEST AUSTRALIAN ROSE GROWER’S EXPERIENCE. In a lecture delivered recently before one of the West Australian horticultural societies, Mr. H. Bishop, a well known grower, assured his hearers that the rose grower who is only able to supply sand for his plants can produce blooms equal to the best if a fair quantity of well-decayed cow manure is added to the ground. So writes “Helpall,” in the Perth Daily News. The article continues: — Manuring. Cow manure is an excellent article to incorporate with the sand, he maintained, and is better and does more good than the introduction of all the heavy red soils, which only have a tendency to keep the roots in a heap instead of allowing them to spread naturally. This treatment, with the addition of a handful of blood and bone manure worked in around each plant, and a weak concoction of liquid manure during the flowering period, should be sufficent to satisfy the most fastidious grower. Pruning Generally. In demonstrating the pruning of a bush rose, the speaker gave expression to the well-known theory: “Prune all vigorous growers lightly, cut back weak growers hard,” and showed how weak, spindly growths should be removed in order to promote strong wood only. Regarding central leaf buds, showing at the union subsequent to pruning, growers were advised to remove these by rubbing them away w’ith the fingers. Summer Treatment. During December and January, Mr. Bishop advised growers to rest their plants by only giving sufficient water to enable ordinary maintenance, and supported this statement by remarking that after their final burst of flowering during the spring months plants needed a rest, and would flower according to their vigour, even if not watered continuously. In any case, the watering of plants during the daytime was condemned in preference to waterings after sundown. Potash. The lecturer referred to the value of potash to the rose grower, and stated that many people did not realize the value of ordinary ashes from wood fires, which they wasted through not possibly knowing of their potash contents. These he advised all growers to spread around their rose bushes as a part preventive against mildew, and, failing their use, a sprinkling of sulphate or muriate of potash, not more than a teaspoonful, around each plant was advisable. Sulphate of Iron. Mr. Bishop made references to the value of sulphate of iron to roses, which reminds the writer that it is a pity so few amateur gardeners know of the value of this commodity. As a manure it ensures beautiful, clear coloured blooms and a deep-green foliage, while its value as a good reliable insecticide and fungicide is little dreamt of by those who have not had the good fortune to use it. Sweet pea growers who have used sulphate of iron regularly have told me that they consider it a safe preventive and a cure for the yellow, sickly plants that usually appear every season. Quantities To Use. As regards the quantities to use, this, of course, to a certain degree can be judged by the discretionary judgment of the various users, but for those who have had little or nothing to do with it, it would be best to adopt the “safety first” scheme and use not more than a quarter of an ounce to the square yard to begin with; that is, if it is to be used in a dry state, but if dissolved in water, a teaspoonful to the gallon will give first-hand satisfaction. A STANDARD HYDRANGEA A different method of growth can almost transform a plant beyond recognition. Certainly few gardeners will have seen Hydrangers paniculata grandiflora, the plumed hydrangea, grown as a standard, familiar as they may be with the ordinary type of border shrub or the pot-grown plant. In Japan it grows as a forest tree, and as in that country winter is severe, it can survive our climate better than may be supposed. In cultivation its requirements are few; for preference, it enjoys a site sheltered on the north and east (south and west in New Zealand), and a well-drained situation. For fine flower display, mulch the ground in early spring and prune back the last vear’s growth severely in February or early March (August and September in New Zealand). This encourages the large panicles of creamy white blossom to form at the terminal of each shoot and keeps the round dome-shaned tree in form. In point of flowering period there are few shrubs that remain in blossom so long. Commencing to flower at the end of July (January), it tints gradually to rose colour and finally russet, until leaf and blossom fall with the first frosts. It should certainly be grown in the standard form more commonly, and used as the specimen shrub, not included as an ordinary member of the shrubbery, where it would not be seen to advantage, and would be likely to lose its shape from overcrowding.—"M.B.,” in the “Garden.” DANDELION IN LAWN The dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has a large, thick fleshy root, which it drives deep into the soil, sometimes as deep as 20in. This makes it extremely difficult to eradicate. The usual method of destroying it is by the persistent use of the knife, cutting below the surface of the ground. The plants sprout again, and have to be cut again, but if this is done persistently, the weed soon dies. Its destruction is hastened by the application of salt after each cutting. Another method is to use a weed exI tractor, consisting of a hollow steel cylinder. ! This is placed over the crown of the weed ; and forced deeply into the soil, then withdrawn, and the entire root and a little soil removed with it. A pinch of salt is put in the hole, which is then filled in with new soil. Professor Bolley recommends iron sulphate spray for killing dendelions on lawns —1 lb iron sulphate to one gallon of water, and this spray applied on a bright, hot day.