THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 21607, 20 January 1932, Page 10

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK

(By

J. A. McPherson.)

The Greenhouse.

Keep a sharp lookout for earwigs among all plants in flower. I find they are exceedingly fond of nestling in the flowers of late Cyclamen. Spray their haunts with Clensel, an insecticide that is sure death to them.

Gloxinias in heated houses will now be sending up their flowers. Feed with liquid manure once a week. These plants arc really gorgeous when in full bloom and should be grown by every one with heated houses. The plants have tubers very like Begonias and their general treatment is the same, except that heat is required to keep them moving during the early stages of their growth. Layering Carnations.

As soon as the main lot of blooms are over it will be necessary to layer the best varieties in order to increase the stock and also to replace any worn out plants. Round the base of each plant a number of strong shoots develop during spring and summer and it is these that are treated for layering. Remove a little soil from round the plants, thus leaving a basin about two to three inches deep. Take every strong shoot, remove some of the lower leaves, usually about half the total, and make a slanting upward cut of about two inches in length on the bared stem, starting from the lower side and gradually cutting further in until the top side is almost reached. The little piece that is left uncut serves to feed the layer until it is rooted. Finally turn the tip of the layer in an upright position, this makes the newly cut tongue stand at right angles to the soil, and press it into the soil. Place a wire peg shaped like a large hairpin in such a position that it will keep the cut surface secure in the soil and replace the soil originally taken out. If the soil is on the hard side a preparation of sweet soil and sand in equal parts had better replace it. Sea sand gives the best results. A dozen good layers can quickly be put down round a strong plant. By the end of February the layers should be ready to sever from the parent plant and set out in positions prepared for them. Budding Rose:.

Budding rose stocks is quite a simple operation and when once witnessed is never forgotten. Good clean stocks (usually the dog-rose' stock) are necessary and fat plump buds from this year’s wood not too far advanced furnish the main item.

Stocks are prepared two years beforehand, that is to say cuttings of the dog rose twelve inches long are made say in the autumn of 1930 by taking cuttings twelve inches long and removing all but the top three eyes (exactly as you would prepare a gooseberry cutting). These are inserted for two-third their length and allowed to root. In the autumn of 1931 they are lifted and lined out a foot apart, but this time only buried for one-third their length. They will grow away rapidly (the tops having to be cut back if growth is too rapid) and by January of 1932 budding can be undertaken. It is best to have several batches of cuttings coming on each year so that no time is lost between the preparing of the stock cutting and the actual budding. Next we must look for "buds” on the rose we intend to increase. These are found on the stems of the blooms just passed. In the axils of the leaves will be found dormant growth buds that have not pushed forth into growth. These are the true “buds” and may be cut out by inserting a sharp' knife half an inch below each and entering the stem sufficient only to remove the leafstalk and the bud without damage. The completely removed “bud” will then consist of a layer of bark and exceedingly little wood in length half an inch below the “bud” and half an inch above it; leafstalk with leaves removed will also be attached.

In preparing a stock to insert a "bud” a cut an inch long is made longitudinally in the bark at soil level. At the top of this cut another is made at right angles thus forming a T. Open up the bark, slip the "bud” in and tie fairly firmly both below and above with raffia. In some cases the “bud” will soon shoot away while in others it will not shoot till next spring. In the autumn the whole of the top of the original stock may be cut off at a distance of one inch above the union of the “bud” to the stock. It is quite a simple operation; but must be done quickly to prevent damage by air to the tender surfaces to be united. Ask any large rose grower and he will show you the whole operation in five minutes. The Flower Garden. Soon the garden will be a wealth of Gladioli blooms. The recent rains have helped them wonderfully, and feeding with liquid manure will be amply repaid in the increased size of the flowers and stems. Sweet Peas too, are making good growth and judicious feeding will help them further. Excessive feeding has a tendency to make the flower buds turn yellow and drop off. Remember to lift all bulbs that require this treatment before it is too late. When storing do not forget to turn them over occasionally to prevent any sweating. Keep up with all routine work and bear in mind that Wallflower for next spring, Sweet William for next Christmas and Canterbury Bells for next December must be set out as seedlings this month in order to build up (’trong, healthy and well branched plants by autumn. Damping off Disease.

Several readers have written in this week asking for further information regarding the above disease. Pythium de Baryanum is the cause of this disease and belongs to one of the lower group of fungi. Plants are attacked at ground level causing them to wilt and die off. Cruciferae (includes Stocks) are very susceptible and it also attacks Asters, Maize, Cucumbers, Antirrhiniums and Tomatoes etc. The fungus has nonBeptate mycelium, bores through the tissues and secretes an “enzime” which destroys the tissues. It eventually forms spores on the end of five filaments. These “spores” are really sporangia which burst open when ripe liberating masses of motile minute spores (zoospores). Resting spores are formed inside the tissues by the union of the protoplasm of the antheridia and oogonia, both of which in this fungus are borne on the same hypae. These resting spores carry the disease over from season to season and are capable of withstanding very dry weather. The disease spreads rapidly in spring and forms resting spores towards the autumn. #

Turning now’ to the control of the disease we find quite a lot to help, but it is most disappointing to find say a bed of asters go in a few days and the season too far acvanced to replace them with other plants. Soil sterilization by steam or by baking will get rid of all spores; soil sterilization by using a 2 per cent, solution of Formaldehyde is also good. Shade, excessive moisture and high temperatures help to spread the disease and should be avoided’ in greenhouses. An open porous soil is better than a rich close one.

The great control is to water the soil with a fungicide known as Cheshunt Compound. This is easily made up and kept in glass bottles. It consists of one part by weight of copper sulphate to eleven parts by weight of ammonium carbonate, both finely powdered. Dissolve one ounce of the compound in warm water and make up to two gallons. It kills all living mycelium and their walled spores. Seed boxes and young plants in pots may be watered as the solution causes no injury

to the plants. It must however be borne in mind that this will not cure plants that are affected. The only safe way to grow asters nowadays is to raise them in sterilized soil and plant out into entirely new ground. Phytophthora cryptogea is a “damping off” disease that is confined to Tomatoes. It attacks in two places, either above the ground or just below the ground. Use Cheshunt Compound.