THE BUSY MAN’S CORNER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 750, 24 August 1929, Page 32

THE BUSY MAN’S CORNER

AMONG THE FLOWERS SPRING BULBS. —Many bulbs are showing bloom now and, where there are clumps of daffodils and hyacinths, it will be advisable to surround these with a ring of tobacco stems to protect the blooms from slugs and snails, as these pests attack the flowers almost as soon as they show colour. Give anemones and ranunculus a watering of liquid manure just as they are coming into flower. ROSE TIPS. —AII pruning of roses should not be delayed. See that you have not neglected the climbing varieties. While the bush roses receive the attention they require, very often the climbers are neglected. The pruner’s work on these consists of cutting out all dead and exhausted wood and slightly shortening the long climbing growths which produce the blooms. From now on roses will require constant attention. As soon as are young buds being to swell and break they become a prey to the aphis and other pests. These, if not checked, will quickly cover every young shoot and so should be sprayed with Black Leaf 40 to prevent damage. SEEDLINGS. —If you have any seedlings on hand in boxes, or the nursery bed, these should be transplanted to their flowering positions at once, and they will quickly take hold as by this time all roots are active. Select the strongest and discard the weaklings. * This month is an excellent time to plant out bouvardias. They can be had from the nurserymen in a good range of shades, both single and double. They like rich soil, sheltered from strong westr erly winds. PLANT GLADlOLl. —■’Gladioli are now ready to go into the ground; see that the ground is rich, but without being freshly manured. Freshly-manured ground produces on glads what is known as “scab,” and often quite destroys the bulbs. A good selection of colours can be had at quite a reasonable price. DIVIDE GERBERAS. —Gerberas will now be livening up, and old clumps should be divided and set out or new plants purchased. Don’t bury the crown from which the leaves spring; just keep this at soil level. While gerberas like a rich soil, they can be spoilt with too much kindness. Don’t overfeed. SEEDS AND PLANTS TO SET NOW. —Phlox, pansy, cineraria, poppy, stock, scabiosa, marigolds, calendulas, nemesia, gaillardia, calliopsis, primulas, violas, lobelia, polyanthus. AMONG THE VEGETABLES PLANTING TlME. —During August the gardener will be able to make good use of all available ground that has been manured and left standing, for early spring crops. If the soil has been turned over within the last couple of months it will only require forking over before seed is sown. POTATO CROPS. —Potato-planting operations should now be in full swing. The first essential toward success in potato culture is deep and thorough digging. If this has been done some time ago, and the soil left in a rough state, the action of the atmosphere will have helped to render it friable. A good, deep soil of a crumbly or friable nature will be found an ideal one for potatoes. If the soil is at all poor, it should have liberal quantities of well-decayed stable manure thoroughly incorporated with it. If this is not available, a liberal dressing of superphosphate will be beneficial. ROOT CROPS. —If the soil is not too wet, sowings of practically all root crops may be made. Begin with red beet, then carrots, and from the end of the month onward sow parsnips. Turnips may be left alone until next month as, unless the soil is warm, this vegetable will not make any headway. PARSLEY AND HERBS, —Divide up the herb clumps right away and set out again. Allow about eight inches between thyme, marjoram and sage plants. Mint requires a separate bed, as it is a rapid grower and will run all over the place. If it is not kept in restraint it becomes a pest. Mint needs a good deal of water and should be grown where there is a tap close handy. Parsley needs about 18 inches between the plants, and it is a good idea to sow parsley seed where the plants are to grow, and thin out to the strongest. PLANTS AND ROOTS TO SET. —Cabbage, cauliflower, onion, silver beet and lettuce plants may be planted at once. Hoots of summer rhubarb and asparagus may be planted now. Set the potato tubers at once. Choko vines, loganberries and passion-fruit may be planted for covering old fences and tree stumps. THE QUESTION BOX Any inquiries by our readers on the subject of gardening will be answered in our “Question Box” column in the following Saturday's issue. All letters must be addressed to the Garden Editor and forwarded to i HE SUN office on or before every Wednesday. Any specimen to be named must be packed securely in a strong box to prevent crushing in transit.