WORK IN THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 24684, 4 March 1942, Page 6

WORK IN THE GARDEN

PROGRAMME FOR MARCH By RIWHI GLASSHOUSE AND FRAME Begonias will be making the main display; give them careful attention to prolong their blooming, but do not exhaust the plants entirely, leaving the tubers in poor condition for the winter. As flowering declines the plants should be allowed less water. Chryanthemums, which later will play their part in the glasshouse display, should be carefully tended. Any lateral growths should be removed and buds should be taken according to type and flowering period. The plants will remain out-of-doors for another six weeks. Primulas, cinerarias and syclamen will need potting on and this should be done to schedule without the delays which so easily check growth. Cuttings of hydrangeas, fuchsias and geraniums that have taken root should be potted on individually using a good turfy compost. All bulbs for indoors forcing should be potted up as soon as possible and placed in the dark in an even cool temperature to root. They are best buried in a cinder bed. Pests and diseases will need to be kept under careful control and general hygiene must always be maintained at a high level. Shading can be removed by the end of the month to admit more direct light. Ventilation must receive due attention even though the season is on the wane. Indoor foliage plants and ferns can be overhauled, fading fronds being removed, pots cleansed and a topdressing of fresh compost added. THE FLOWER GARDEN It is now in early March that distinctions can be drawn between the more ephemeral of the annuals such as Shirley poppies, veldt daisies, stocks and nemesias and the varieties which bloom right through to the frosts such as phlox, verbena, French marigolds, petunias, sabias and salphiglossis. These latter are by far the more valuable section and the others should be used to fill temporary gaps but not to furnish whole beds or borders unless these are interplanted. As the season matures it is more and more important to remove all spent blooms not only on annuals but also, on such subjects as dahlias, and other perennials. Even with gladioli all spent spikes should be removed so that the corms do not spend all their energy on seed formation.

Asters are coming into bloom and the taller varieties with heavy heads may need tying in exposed positions. Michaelmas daisies and decorative chrysanthemums will need the same attention.

Thought should be given to plans for the spring display even though the beds may be occupied for the next six weeks. Any unoccupied areas should be thoroughly prepared. All biennials should be making rapid growth and should now be well advanced. At any time after mid-March they can be transferred to their permanent quarters as these become available. In the meantime hoeing, wrenching and stopping back should be done as necessary.

The best time for the planting of bulbs is rapidly passing. Get the bulbs into well prepared soil at correct depths as soon as possible. There is time enough for tulips till the end of the month but with other varieties planting becomes a matter of urgency as the month advances.

The present is a good time for dividing and replanting irises. Well drained deep loams rich in lime and on open sites suit these subjects best. The only important sowing to be made is that of sweetpeas. Sow them on permanent sites if protection can be given in winter. Successful wintering is the key to an early summer display. Although the display may not be so effective bush roses in March and April often produce blooms of the highest quality especially as to colour. Remove all dead blooms, disbud as necessary and apply a light dressing of mixed garden fertilizer to maintain vigour. Preparations for the sowing of lawns should be well advanced. The soil must be thoroughly and evenly consolidated. Only the best of seed should be used a mixture of Chewings fescue and brown top in the proportion of 3:1 being recommended. Sow by mid-month if possible. As mentioned previously good quality seed should be carefully harvested from annuals and other plants and stored away for use in the spring. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Cultivation among all growing crops continues to be most important. It will increase growth at a time of year when growth is apt to lag behind our requirements. Sowings of lettuce, onion, silver beet and spinach should be thinned and hoed up. If the plants are given ample space from the beginning they will make much more rapid growth. Keep careful watch over broccoli, kale, savoys and sprouts, destroying all white butterfly caterpillars that put in an appearance. Derris dust should be used to protect the centres of all of the cabbage varieties from damage by caterpillars. Continue to remove all I lower leaves as they tend to yellow off. A sowing of winter spinach and possibly one of lettuce could be made. Sowings of peas and broad beans should be put in at the end of the month. The harvesting of crops such as onions and potatoes can be proceeded with once those have ripened off. The stems of onions should be bent over and the bulbs can later be loosened in the ground. Proper drying off is most necessary if the onions are to be kept for any length of time. Potatoes can be dug once the tops have died down and the skins have become quite firm. Continue to clear away all spent crops and to build up the compost heap. The turning of heaps completed earlier in

the season is essential for the production of good quality compost. In the fruit garden work follows along the lines of that set out for February, including the efficient control of fungoid diseases, the careful harvesting of all fruits, the pruning of black currants and raspberries, the overhaul of strawberry beds and the suppression of weeds.