THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 12

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK (By J. A. McPherson). SEASONAL NOTES. A busy time in all sections of the garden will soon commence so it is as well to have all routine work well forward this week. Take cuttings of geraniums and pelagoniums and insert them in boxes of sandy soil. Take cuttings of all low growing perennials especially rock plants and insert them in frames or boxes of sandy soil. They must not, however, be put in the glasshouse. Cuttings of petunias and pentstemons will root readily at this time of the year. Some years ago it was the general rule to propagate antirrhiniunis from cuttings; hut seeds of all varieties germinate and grow so readily that it is a waste of time putting in cuttings. Cinerarias should be in five inch pots and growing rapidly in the shelter of a cool frame. Schizanthus for spring blooming in the greenhouse will require potting into threeinch pots. LAWNS. With the heavy morning dews at present it will be found that many lawns are difficult to cut. The lawn-mower does not seen to be able to get down on to a proper sole, consequently, a mossy or spongy sward is the result. Where such conditions exist it will be necessary to closely scythe the lawn. This* takes off the spongy sward, gives a hard surface again and is verybeneficial in helping the finer grasses to come away with renewed vigor. The above points must be taken into consideration before the autumn top-dressing can be carried out with the maximum amount of success.

Readers desirous of improving the street frontages bordering tl.eir property will find the present time ideal to closely scythe .any rough area prior to putting it under the mowing machine next spring. When top-dressing poorly grassed areas, lightly point over the bare patches with a small digging fork, scatter fresh seed and then topdress the whole area lightly with good garden soil to which has been added blood and bone meal at the rate of two ounces to the square yard. This manure is lasting and puts sturdy growth into the grass. LABELLING. Much trouble will be saved during the next few months if growers desirous of shifting many varieties of herbaceous plants ■ and to throw out weedy ones, will take the trouble to label them before all sign of flowers are gone and the plants have died down. This applies particularly to phlox, delphinium, dahlias and poppies for it is useless keeping old varieties when so many better ones are obtainable at a reasonable price. GARDEN CLEANLINESS. Much can be done this month to prevent the carry over of many diseases from this season to next. All diseased potato tops as well as diseased tubers must be gathered up and burnt. Diseased Asters and Stocks should be removed from the beds and also burnt. Any old variety of rose that is specially susceptable to mildew and not -worthy of a place should be dug out and destroyed before winter or resting spores are formed. In the orchard it will be necessary to collect and burn all diseased fruits instead of leaving them lying around to form a harbour for diseases that will rapidly attack next season’s crop. Never place on the compost heap anything that has disease of a nature capable of carrying itself over the winter and causing more trouble in the spring, such rubbish is better burnt. Bulbs in Bowls.

Very charming effects can be obtained by planting bulbs in peat or moss fibre in bowls. Gaudy bowls that will not harmonize with the colour of the flowers to be grown should be avoided. On purchasing the fibre it will be found to be dry and lumpy. The whole mixture should be rubbed through the hands, breaking up the lumps and while doing so gradually adding water until it is well wetted; but not sodden that it will exude water when squeezed in the hand. Place a few crocks in the bottom of the bowl and over this an inch of the fibre. Next pick out good sound bulbs, small ones are useless, and place them fairly close together in an upright position. Cover over with more fibre until the tops of the bulbs are about one inch below the surface and sufficient space left on top for watering later on. Place the bowl in a cool corner. Not a dark warm cupboard otherwise it will send the bulbs into top growth before roots are properly formed. Attend to the watering occasionally and after each watering tip out carefully any surplus water. When the bulbs show above the fibre bring the bowl into the light of a window or porch, turning it occasionally lest the growth grows all to one side. With plenty of top light the bulbs will flower early and form a charming centre for an alcove or drawing room table. Do not shake the blooms when in flower, as this will distribute the pollen very early and the blooms will not last so long. Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi), Snowdops and Crocuses can all be successfully treated in bowls if care is taken to chose large bulbs, watch the 'watering, avoid coddling, and avoid stagnant water at the bottom of the bowls. The Blue Poppy. Meconopsis Baileyii can be planted out now into well drained but not dry situations. To protect them from severe frosts place a few twigs of scrubby manuka in the ground round each plant. In the spring watch for slugs and no difficulty should be experienced in growing this beautiful flower. I saw several borders full of sturdy plants in flower during this summer and they were very fine indeed. Grow More Vegetables. No apology is necessary for again stressing the necessity to provide more vegetables for next season. The question is brought up at the present moment in order that everyone may have ample time to prepare ground during the autumn and winter months. Autumn rains will soon have new areas in a fit condition to work and

the sooner the land is thrown up to the weather the better. The maximum result can only be obtained by the thorough work- , ing of the soil, that is either by trenching or double digging (bastard, trenching) and allowing the frosts to assist as much as possible. Too much stress Is often laid on. the necessity to grow potatoes; but for a family where numbers of growing children have to be provided for there is often a great lack of sufficient green vegetables and such root crops as carrots and parsnips. These provide essentials for health that are not found in potatoes, a point that is overlooked by many. A further essential is rotation and providing root crops and greens that will carry a family over the following winter. How often does one find a garden providing a glut of vegetables in summer and little provision made for winter greens and root crops. Vegetable soups are most nourishing and warming and a big saving in the household accounts where large families are concerned. It should be the endeavour of everyone with land available to turn it to good use this coming season. Even if one has a surplus of crops there will be many channels through which to make good use of them and where they will be genuinely appreciated. Mother Earth. In horticulture we use a number of technical terms in our endeavours to differentiate between various kinds of soil. In vaguest manner we speak of light and heavy soils, or, more concisely, of loam, peat, clay, and silt, and of fertile, rich, or hungry soil. All these may be found in a state of Nature, and sometimes not widely separated, but, whilst some patches of Mother Earth are good from the gardening standpoint, it is often necessary to adopt some measures of improvement to convert infertile ground into productive gardens. A point to be recognized is that much of our gardening is far removed from Nature’s own plans. The only way in which Nature could be adhered to in horticulture would be to confine ourselves to wild gardens, in which only the plants indigent to the neighbourhood and natural soil would be planted. That would not be very satisfactory to the majority of amateur gardeners, and so it becomes necessary to study the question of soil improvement in order that plants may grow in gardens where they would otherwise languish and die. At one time the idea was very prevalent that the only need was to bury plenty of manure to make any kind of soil fertile, but study, experiment, and test have brought to light the fact that very often alterations in the texture of the earth are necessary, and can be better effected by other means than adding dung ad lib. Clay, sand, and decomposed vegetable matter should be combined in wellbalanced proportions to make a serviceable garden soil. Where one or other of these components is deficient the aim should be to add what is lacking. Additions of this nature, however, should not be in masses or patches, for it is very bad for the rqpts of plants to have to penetrate alternately masses of first one kind of earth and then another; the whole root run should be. an evenly mixed compost of all the various ingredients.

It should be apparent from these remarks that the rough-and-ready plan of filling manure, grit, or leaves in trenches mid simply covering them with soil is not the best way of performing the task; it is far better to first spread the dressing evenly over the whole area of ground, and then dig it in. Furthermore, it is of great advantage to dig ground dressed in this manner a second time before attempting to begin planting or seed sowing. About the most difficult thing to do properlv is to incorporate heavy clay soil with that which is naturally loose, dry sand. It is of very little use to bury solid lumps of clay, notwithstanding the fact that roses and various other plants require something heavier and more substantial than sand. The best mode of procedure is to spread a coating of clay over the land in autumn, and leave it there until hard frosts have pulverized it. Then, when dry, dig it in. It would be fatal to dig when the clay is wet because the only result would be to trample it into cakes that will set like cement. Probably two or three dressings will be necessary before the texture of the soil is appreciably changed, because it minimizes the effect of frost to spread the clay in a thick layer. Gardeners have to cultivate patience as well as plants, for the transformation of gravel and sand into good loam cannot be effected in one season; constant effort will, however, achieve much by gradual and progressive improvement.

Effects of Manuring. Fermenting manure will help to break down stubborn clay soil if dug in while at a high temperature; and straw, although almost destitute of plant food, will greatly improve porosity of stubborn soil. The dung of cattle and pigs is too retentive of moisture for heavy land, but that of sheep, poultry’, or pigeons will provide growing crops with readily available plant food without materially affecting the texture or character of the soil. These manures should be dried, pulverized, and mixed with sand, burnt earth, or the ashes from a rubbish fire; the mixture may then be broadcast over the surface and hoed in, after the manner adopted with concentrated fertilizers.

It will always be noticed that very fertile soil is darker in colour than that which is poor and hungry. Another significant point is that dark soil is warmer than that which is very light coloured, and warmth is a very important factor. Root activity is largely dependent upon soil temperature; in fact, it is brought practically to a standstill when the earth is colder than the atmosphere above it. For that reason, it is an advantage to use black leaf mould, soot, dark, rotted manure, and peat moss fitter on chalky' soils or light yellow sands. It often puzzles beginners to be told that the soil of the garden is unsuitable for the cultivation of plants in pots. They see, for instance, a bed of geraniums, carnations, or chrysanthemums flourishing in the garden, and want to know why the same soil will not do for the same kinds of plants in pots. The main reason is that garden soil is seldom full of fibre as good potting loam is, and there are usually large stones that would occupy too much space in pots, and would have to be removed. The result is that frequent, ■ necessary waterings would soon reduce a potful of garden soil to a close, muddy mass from which air is almost completely excluded. Another vital point is that the small body of soil in a flower pot must be of very substantial quality to sustain a growing plant; yet fresh manure would be of little service because it would turn the soil very sour before the roots could utilize its richness. That is the reason why, when stacking turf for conversion into potting loam, manure should be added in alternate layers with the turves. The study of soils is of absorbing interest, and the final word can never be written concerning it, but Mother Earth is generous and faithful to the diligent who dig deep and endeavour to improve the mechanical condition as well as the richness of whatever soil is cultivated. —■ Amateur Gardening.