IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1929, Page 19

IN THE GARDEN

THE WEEK’S WORK.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. The heavy rains have beaten down the soil, and it will be necessary to use the hoe freely. Go over the roses and cut off any damaged blooms; it will help the plants to make a fresh showing. With some light soils a light forking will be better than hoeing. Border carnations are beginning to bloom, and staking is necessary. Chrysanthemum planting should be pushed on. The soil is in good order, and the plants should get away quickly

If your collection of chrysanthemums is out of date, get a dozen or 'so new varieties. It is discouraging to cultivate a lot of second rate stuff. If the chrysanthemums last season were attacked with rust, it is advisable to spray the young plants. The rain will have done a certain amount of damage by washouts silting up plants, etc. Let • this damage be repaired at once, and, if possible, make provision for preventing a similar oc-

currence. .Make sufficient drains to- carry off the surplus water. See that all drains act freely. Dahlias can be planted any time during the next few weeks. Such advance has bben made with the dahlia,- and as' comparatively few plants are grown-in each garden, it is good advice to cut out all poor varieties and grow the best. The preparation of the ground for both dahlias and chrysanthemums should be undertaken at once. Both the dahlia and chrysanthemum respond to surface feeding, and where the ground has not been prepared, feeding after the plants are established can be substituted. Anemone and ranunculus bulbs can be lifted as soon as the tops have died down. Do not cut off the tops of the narcissi until they begin to turn yellow. Tulips and hyacinths are best lifted as soon as the foliage begins to turn yellow. As the iris blooms fade. pick them off so as to prevent seed forming. Where hoeing, etc., has caused the soil to cover the rhizomes, it is advisable to pull it away so that the rhizomes, are exposed to the sun. Complete ripening in full sun is necessary for the iris, and it depends on ( the nex't few weeks whether you have a good flowering next season or not.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. There is plenty of growth in the garden just now, and cultivation between the crops is necessary. Thin out seedling crops as they require it. Do not leave them too long, or a weak plant results. Plantings of cabage,. cauliflowers, broccoli, can bo made. Plant kumaras. The soil should be well broken, and they are best planted on ridges. /Xsparagus beds should be kept free of weeds and especially of seedling asparagus from seeds dropped last season.

Sow beans as required. A row once a week is better than a large sowing at one time. Now is the time to make a sowing of haricot beans. These are as easily grown as the ordinary dwarf beans. Sow beet, turnips, spinach, swedes. Make sowings of lettuce and radish. A rich soil, slight shade, and nontransplanting is the best method for summer supplies. Carrots can be sown. These arc a hot weather crop, and the best results are . obtained when there are a few days of dry weather immediately after sow-, ing. Sowings of pumpkins, melons and marrows can be made. Tomatoes can .be planted. The earlier planted, which are growing well, must be kept .disbudded to one stem. Plant cape gooseberries, peppers and egg plants. Make a sowing of sweet corn. Small sowings and frequent are the best means of keeping up a supply. Most crops, with exception of onions, are helped by having the soil drawn up to the plants; this is particularly so with cabbage and cauliflowers.

MULCHING. A mulch is a covering of light material spread on tho surface of the ground, over the area where plant and tree roots run. It has the effect of protecting against excessive cold in winter, and preventing loss of moisture, caused by heat and drought, in summer. The material may bo decayed leaves, stable manure, grass clippings, or even a layer of fine soil. Where manure is used as a mulch, it has the additional advantage that its, fertilising qualities are washed down by rain, and so feed the roots. RIGHT AND WRONG WAY TO MULCH Tho present is a good time to apply a mulch to fruit trees and bushes, roses, etc. It need not be spread thickly, but it should be spread fairly evenly. Do not pile it up against the stem of the plant, for here it will do more harm than good —the roots travel afield, and the mulch, to be useful, must be spread where they will get the benefit. Two inches or so is usually quite thick enough for a mulch. When manure is used as a mulch for rose trees its unsightliness may be- got over by skimming, say, an inch of the surface soil, spreading the manure, and covering it with the soil. THE'VALUE OF SOOT. Soot is valuable both as a fertiliser and an insect exterminator. It caries a good deal in its composition, but that from the domestic chimney is rich in ammonia compounds, and thus ranks as a nitrogen manure, like sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda. It allowed to stand in a dry place for three months it is excellent for dustuig over and around seedlings to keep away insects and slugs. A good way of applying it is in tho form of soot water, and this method gives a rich deep-green hue to foliage. In making soot water never put the soot in loosely. Place it in an old sack and let this soak in •>- iter. When tho liquid is the colour of sherry or weak coffee it is ready for use.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND DAHLIAS. Complete the planting of all varieties of chrysanthemums, nip the tops of those that were previously planted w hen about • a foot high and keep a good look out for black aphis and syringe immediately | after any have made their appearance, i Black leaf 40 is the best insecticide to i destroy this aphis. In hoeing do not hoe i deeply near the roots of the plants. Dahlias should be planted towards the I middle and end of this month. ! The ground dahlias should be deeply ! worked, or where each plant is to be ■ planted dig out a circular hole, well ' loosening up the subsoil to a depth of at least fifteen inches, replace the soil that has been taken out, mixing some stable I manure with it or some .bonedust. The proper preparati >n of the holes and ' manuring sustains the plant, which is a I coarse feeder, throughout its growing [and flowering season, and prevents the soil becoming hard and dry and enables [artificial .vaterings to penetrate. All ' dahlias require To be securely staked. ; This is best done at the time of planting, . as when left until the young plants' are ! a foot high driving the stakes often interferes with the new tubers.

• ROSES. I The flower of the season is umloubtedi ly the rose. Most of th.e varieties are in . the full zenith’of their glory. ThQ'present spring has been most favourable to [the growth of the plants; . their strong vigorous shoots are clothed with luxuriant foliage. The flowers are of remark)lably good form, substance and lasting qualities. The cool moist weather has brought out the true shades of colour and greatly prolonged the lasting qualities of the flowers. So far the plants have been remarkably free from mild’.v and other fungoid troubles. Green fly, has been more prevalent than usual, but this is easily controlled by an occasionri spraying with one or other of '.he most approved insecticides. Both for appearance and prolonging the flowering period all spent blooms should be picked ofi; every morning. This is only practicable, to a limited extent with the stronggrowing climbers that produce such a profusion of blooms. The success of the rose garden in a measure depends upon the manner in which the bushes have been pi n and. Inexperienced primers are tco prone to cut all varieties hard back irrespective of their individual requirements. As a iule the varieties belonging to the true tea section, notably Lady Hillingdon, Marie van Houtte, Comtesse Festeties Hamilcuii, need but little trimming, and many of the hybrid teas such as General Macarthur, Margaret Dickson Hamill, Red Letter Day and other equally vigorous growers need spare pruning, the object being to produce large-sized bushes that will carry an abundance of blossoms. Frau Karl Druschki is another kind that should be sparsely trimmed,'

Provided that the bedt> .ve been proper? treated in the autumn and in the case of new plantations where the land has been deeply trenched and has received a liberal application of basic slag and stable manure, the soil is sufficiently enriched not to require any further stimulants during the flowering period excepting perhaps a surface mulch of short manure or a dusting with one or other of the artificial around each plant. The rains or artificial waterings soon convey the manurial properties to the roots, having an appreciable effect upon thei.- health and vigour in a very few days. The old system of watering the bushes with liquid manure, every week is liable to make the ground, too sodden and sour and is not practised to any extent.

THINNING AND WEEDING. Attention must be given to thinning out and weeding of seedling crops before tlie plants become too large the thinning in every case being regulated by the size the roots or tops attain. With n t crops such as onions, carrots, beet, turnips and others, sufficient space should always be allowed for the roots to fully develop. To keep up a succession sowing should be made at reasonable intervals according to requirements, especially of such crops as are always in demand during the summer months, such as peas, dwarf and runner beans, spinach, lettuce and others that last only a few weeks when ready for use.

SPINACH. GROW CONTINUOUS CROPS. Where large, regular gatherings of this valuable vegetable are required it is I 'tter to make frequent sowings at regular intervals rather than one or two big rowings. It is a crop that always pays for a well-worked soil, and appears to appreciate a fairly liberal supply of soot in the soil. As a little- shade is beneficial in the hot weather, unless tov.’ngs can be arranged for between rows of peas, seeds should be sown where they get a little relief from the midday sun. Where there is a difficulty in maintaining supplies of the summer spinach, it is advisable to have a bed of the New Zealand variety to rely upon, and seeds of this may either be sown out of doors in drills 2ft 6in apart or the plants may be raised in boxes and transplanted. This variety also appreciates well-worked ground, but will stand full sunshine.

CUT BACK RAMBLER ROSES. Most of the strong-growing, clusterflowered climbers, like American Pillar, Crimson Rambler, Blugh Rambler and Dorothy Perkins, are best thinned when the flowering season is over. If plenty of young growth has risen from tho base, cut clean away all the old flowering wood. Great care must be exercised in doing this operation, as the tips of the young, vigorous shoots are very tender and are easily broken. Ago plan is to tether the young shoots to one side, away from the been cut away it is easy to tie in the old wood and when the latter has young shoots. Use fairly stout string for tying, as it will have to last 12 months. Raffia is useless as a permanent tie.

Having summer-pruned climbing roses in this way, a stimulant is advisable. A few ounces of one of the prepared fertilisers, that are frequently advertised, should be sprinkled on the soil round the base of the plant, and hoed in, taking care not to damage the roots.