GARDENING NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 71, Issue 6138, 19 September 1945, Page 6

GARDENING NOTES

WORK FOR THE WEEK The Flower Garden The main batch of gladioli should now be planted. Few summer plants are so . accommodating in their demands or respond so brightly with their display. Roses are now making growth. Watch for signs of mildew and spray Bordeaux powder or collodial sulphur. the soil fine in readiness for putting out bedding plants. There is no hurry about this job, and preparations count a lot towards later success. {lceland poppy, polyanthus, pansy, ten weeks’ stock, and aubretia, are among the first for planting out. Sow flower seeds—asters, stocks, mignonette, clarkia, nemesia, salvia, schizanthus, godetia, calendula, larkspur, sweet peas. Gerberas can be planted, also kniphofia, cannas, perennial phlox, rudbeckias, new daronicum, and Michaelmas daisy. Lawns can be sown or old ones topdressed. Marigolds, azaleas, arbutus unedo, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, camelias, and other flowering shrubs can still be planted. The Vegetable Garden Sow all the required vegetables. When the first early peas are through the ground, sow a second early, such as Onward, Greenfeast or Carter’s Daisy. All available ground should be filled with the essentials: carrots, beet parsnip, onion, spinach, turnips, lettuce, cabbage, parsley, leeks and radish. In sheltered positions French beans can be sewn. Dig and manure where tomatoes will be planted. Plant potatoes: King Edward, Arran Banner, Sutton’s Supreme. Top dress asparagus bed with fish manure, and water it in. , Fruit Garden Continue spring spraying programme, but not when trees are in bloom. Apply reduced strength lime sulphur of three tablespoonfuls to gallon of water. Loganberries and boysenberries should be tied up to supports and ends reduced. Clean strawy matter around the strawberry plants, which acts as a worth-while mulch. The planting of fruit trees should be pushed on. Make free use of available compost in the planting. The Asparagus Bed If the asparagus bed has been properly treated during the winter, it will be in order to apply a mulch of coarse salt or nitrate of soda at the rate of two ounces to the square yard, or the salt can be dissolved in water, and watered on. Failing these, fish manure can be used. Cutting the asparagus should be done carefully, so as not to injure adjoining shoots. The cut should be made about an inch below the surface. Brown Rot This disease is even more of a calamity than leaf curl as it destroys the rfruits just when the ripening .process is beginning. It is not easy to control, but doing nothing about it is fatal, because the spores Carry over

on the buds to come to life with springgrowth. That is why a dormant season spraying with lime sulphur is so important, because then the full winter strength emulsion can be applied. It is necessary to repeat the spraying two or three times after flowering, finishing about January, when the fruits are about full size. This latter spraying should be done with atomic or colloidal sulphur. A most important part is the winter removal of mummied fruits .and dead twigs, and digging over the ground under the trees. Forsythia One of the showiest spring flowering shrubs has been at its best during the last two weeks. This is the Forsythia, or golden bell tree. For decorative purposes the Forsythia is invaluable for its long shoots are thickly-clustered with the beautiful bells and it is a good lasting flower in water.