IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1928, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN

THE WEEK’S WORK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Prepare the beds for chrysanthemums so that all is ready for planting about the middle of October. Chrysanthemums in pots should have the tops pinched out when the plants are about three inches high. Boxed plants are best put out in a nursery bed; allow about six inches between the plants. Such plants will lift with a mass of fibrous roots when planted out in October. The weather has prevented much outside work this last week, and tiie soil will need stirring with the hoe after the heavy rains. The weather has been against small seedlings, and in many cases they have disappeared entirely, and it will be a ease of replanting. When the vacancies are very numerous the best way is to lift the whole lot and replant. Border carnations will need staking before the flower spikes begin to run up. Dust the plants with a mixture of equal parts powder lime and flowers of sulphur to keep down rust. Roses that were pruned early are making good growth. Watch for aphis, and on the first signs spray with a nicotine solution. A planting of gladioli can be made. The bulbs should flower about January. Evergreens and such things as lucullias, poinsettias, hibiscus, can be planted now. Pot-grown plants can be put out at any time. Now is a good time to plant out potgrown clematis. Plant where the lower part of the stem can be ehaded. Clematis need a good soil with their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun. Cuttings of dahlias can be taken off. If only a few plants are required the best way is to divide the tubers; be sure, however, that there is a bud left to each tuber. Old plants of chrysanthemums can be lifted and divided up. If the offsets are planted in a bed of good soil till they have made new roots they ean be lifted and planted out in their permanent quarters quite safely. If the storms have caused trees or shrubs to sway so as to form a cavity close to the stem, fill it in with soil and ram it firm. If left it fills with water, and is often the cause of tender subjects going off. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Prepare ground for any further crops of peas. From now on these will need deeply worked soil, as they may have to stand dry weather before they mature. Earth up and stake peas already up. The tall varieties produce the largest crops, and w-irenetting can be used for supporting them. Potato planting can be continued. If the soil has got consolidated fork it over to loosen it up. Potatoes like a loose, friable soil. Rhubarb planting can be done. No stalk?. should be pulled the first year of planting. . Established beds of rhubarb should have a good dressing of manure applied. Any animal manure is good. The following mixture of artificial has proved excellent:—4oz superphosphate, loz sulphate of potash, 4oz nitrate of soda, per three yard run of row. Make a sowing of leeks for plants for summer planting. These should be ready for planting about December, and ready for use late autumn. Asparagus can be planted now. Established beds can be mulched with decayed manure. Give the beds a dressing of kainit and nitrate of soda; use about an ounce of each to the square yard. Make a serving of runner beans so soon as the weather settles down. Runner beans require a deeply worked soil, trenching three feet deep and burying plenty of manure or decaying vegetable refuse in the bottom of the trench. Seedling crops should be kept free of weeds. Make further’ sowings of lettuce, radish, etc. Onion planting can be continued, also sowings can be made. Make a sowing of parsnips, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. TO UTILISE SPACE. Parsley is a good edging plant where there are grass paths. Winter greens, broccoli, etc., may find a place between the rows of late potatoes, being planted in the ftfrrows after the potatoes have been earthed up. • The green crop is earthed up when the potatoes are lifted. In dealing with such crops as celery, peas, etc., it is necessary to allow a distance of six feet between the rows, and the intervening spaces offer suitable sites _ for spinach, lettuce, radish, etc. It will be found that spinach, lettuce and turnips are best grown between taller crops which offer a certain amount of shade; they are much happier in such position. Prickly or winter spinach may ba sown at the proper time between the rows of winter greens. PLANTS IN WRONG PLACE. In most gardens there are some plants in the wrong place. Very frequently they are trees or shrubs. It may be that they are incongruous with their surroundings, or it may be that they shut out or spoil the view, but whatever the cause, the fact that they should not be where they are is fairly obvious. The conifers, for instance, are most difficult trees to find a suitable position for, yet they can be seen in a tiny garden almost touching a window of the house. In such case the tree is planted while it is quite small, without any thought of what will happen when it is bigger. Or its owner may say he can take it out later. But he never does take it out. This is sometimes due to indolence on his part, but more often the passage of time merely increases his reluctance to make the sacrifice. For this reason, when trees or shrub? are to be planted, it is generally advisable to choose positions where they may remain permanently. One rule should always be observed—-to keep the centre of the grounds open, and never I to plant in such a way as to shut in the * view. ’ 1 RHODODENDRONS, AZALEAS. Rhododendrons will not thrive if the soil is impregnated with lime. beat

soil is a light, sandy peat, resting on a well-drained sub-soil. They will, however, succeed quite well in sandy loam or even a fairly heavy loam if it is free from lime or chalk and is well drained, for although a moisture loving plant, and needing copious supplies of water, good drainage is necessary. The plants naturally prefer a rather moist position, in partial shade and shelter from high winds. They are hardy enough to grow and flower in full sun and exposed positions, but the benefit of the shelter and shade is seen when the blooms are expanding. Be careful not to plant too deeply; just cover the balls with soil, making it firm around each when filling in. They must not suffer from the want of water. Therefore it is as well to mulch with cow manure in September. Weak liquid manure applied when the soil is moist is very beneficial. As soon as the flowers fade remove the seed pods, so as not to exhaust the plants. September is a good month for transplanting, providing there are means of giving the plants two or three good soakings of water. The above remarks apply equally in every respect to azaleas. HUMULUS JAPONICUS. Those who are looking for a quick climber of annual duration for covering some temporary structure cannot do better than try this. The variegated form is particularly decorative. It makes vigorous growth, and will reach a height of 12 feet in a season. The seeds may be sown at the present time outside where it is required to bloom. It likes a sunny open position. DAHLIAS. The -time for starting the tubers and overhauling the varieties is now at hand. Like every other flower varieties are superseded by better and consequently every year should see some sorts thrown out and a few new ones added. Some varieties seem to last much longer than others and will be standard varieties for years. The modern trend, however, to produce varieties that carry their flowers well above the foliage and on stiff stems has resulted in many of the older sorts falling out of favour. There are various sections, and every year there are new introductions in each section, with the consequence that taken as a whole the varieties of dahlias at present in commerce can truthfully be said to be legion. It is impossible in the smaft garden to grow many varieties and consequently only the best and most suitable sorts should be planted. The following list of 12 cactus varieties ean be recommended, they are not the cheapest probably, but they are really good. G. 11. Barlow, Mrs. Annie Clegg, Mary Segar, Trophy, Mary Murray, Octopus, Harry Strutt, Sliverhill Park, Mrs. Walter Jackson, Ring Auzel, John J. Thorpe, Exhibitor. SCHIZANTHUS. I This is a half-hardy annual, and should be treated as such from the seedling to the flowering stage. It is an easy plant to grow, and on this account, perhaps, its early culture was not attended with the success that the beauty of the plant deserved. j During recent years the strains have been greatly improved, and we now possess some very beautiful ones, the richness of the flowers fully warranting them being called butterfly flowers. The present is a suitable time for seed sowing. Sow the seed in a shallow pan well drained and filled with a compost of fibrous loam, leaf-soil and coarse sand or old mortar rubble reduced to a fine pow’der, then it can be evenly mixed with the soil. Level the soil in the pan, then water it and sow the seeds evenly about one hour afterwards. Simply place a square of glass and some brown paper on the pan, keeping the latter in a frame or on a shelf in a greenhouse until the seeds have germinated. Then gradually expose the seedlings to the full light and admit plenty of air. The first transplanting should be done into 1 small pots; one seedling in each pot, so that there will not be any disturbance of the roots when the plants are repotted. Use a similar compost throughout, only in a rougher condition at the final potting. One plant in a pot is sufficient, some in 6in, and the strongest specimens in 7in pots. Always pot firmly after the first potting. The right time to feed is when the pots are filling with roots and flower buds are forming. These plants like plenty of light and air. They do remarkably well during winter months on a sunny shelf in the greenhouse. A TASTY VEGETABLE. This vegetable was long cultivated near Brussels, the place from which it derives its name, and has now for many years been extensively grown in Great Britain and other countries. Brussels sprouts may be cultivated on any soil, the best being a heavy loam. An open situation should be selected and the soil will trenched, incorporating at th® same time a supply of welldecayed manure. The first sowing should be made about October, and from then onward sow the seed in boxes or thinly in drills, transplanting when about eight inches high. Tobacco dust or lime may be sprinkled along the rows to protect the seedlings from slugs and snails. Before transplanting thoroughly soak the ground, making it easier to shift the young plants without breaking the roots. Brussels sprouts require a good space of ground, especially when planted early. In the open, plants should be set 3ft between the rows and 2Jft between the plants. Use a trowel for planting and lift seedlings' with a good ball of earth. Plant firmly and, if weather is dry, puddle in. When side leaves are fading and beginning to. fall, remove them, but do not interfere with the tops. These, when properly formed, make a tender, flavoured dish. When cutting the sprouts use only a sharp knife, leaving a short stump behind, and on no account attempt to pull them off the stem, as you generally succeed in bruising the stem. POTATO BLIGHT. In the way of prevention the foilowing precautions should be observed: —

None but sound seed tubers should be used. Where tubers are taken from a diseased crop, even though these tubers show no sign of disease, the disease is almost certain to occur in the resulting crop. Choose a soil that is suitable for the crop. A dry locality is most important, and the land should be well drained. So far as practicable avoid growing potatoes year after year in the same ground. Spray the whole of the foliage of the potatoes every ten or twelve days from the time the foliago appears above the ground. Should rain occur within a few hours of spraying the operation must be repeated. LATHYRUS SPLENDENS. This scarlet pea, popularly known as the Pride of California, is one of the handsomest of all climbing plants, but is seldom seen, the reason probably being the difficulty of obtaining plants. The seed as a rule is of a very low germination, the result being that few plants are raised. It should have a warm sheltered position, and a well drained soil. The seed should be sown as soon as procured, whenever that is, and the best method is to sow them singly in small pots, as the plants do not like disturbance of their roota.