IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1930, Page 30 (Supplement)

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Avoid treading on dug ground as much as possible while it in saturated. Planting of trees and shrubs can be done. Be careful to choree the right variety for the position, and in small gardens avoid large, coarse growing or rampant rooting varieties. Hedges can be planted. Here, again, it is necessary to choose the right sort. When dealing with exposed positions it may be necessary to use some quick growing plant as a “nurse” plant for a better hedge. No doubt the common tea-tree is one of the best “nurse” plants and once the permanent plants have got away the tea-tree can be cut out. Planting of small or tender plants should be held over for a few weeks. It is now the middle of winter and until the weather gives a turn anything small or tender is best left where it is. Any alterations that need doing, such as cutting . out. old shrubs or trees, making new lawns or paths, can be done now. Hedges can be cut, and a job often omitted is clearing out the base. This should be done now; it will get rid of hundreds of slugs, etc. Chrysanthemum cuttings can be put in as they become available. Keep the stools of chrysanthemum.'- free of weeds so as to reduce the harbours for slugs. , THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Growing crops will benefit now with a little nitrate of soda. Keep the soil around lettuces, etc., loose and free of weeds. Sowings of cabbage and caulitlowe?’ can be made. ; . This is a good time to make new beds of rhubarb. Deep trenching is essential. , A good rich soil is also required and plenty., of stable manure should be added to the soil. If stable manure is not pbtaimible. add plenty of bonedust a'nd some sulphate of potash to the soil warm trenching. Later on, when the plants are growing, applications of superphosphate 4oz to the square yard, and nitrate of soda loz to the square yard should be applied two or three times a year. Make new asparagus beds. Deep trenching and manure is necessary. Clean off the old tops and weeds on cxisting beds and give a dressing of salt and stable manure. Failing stable manure, use bonedv.st, superphosphate and sulphate of potash. Nitrate of soda is also good for asparagus and should be applied in spring, after growth has commenced, and again in mid-summer. The value of salt as a manure for asparagus-is often questioned. As a manure it may be. of little use, but asparagus is a seaside plant and grows naturally in a salt-laden soil. Salt is of a certain value as a soil cleaner, and on cabbages, beet and asparagus it has a good result. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Work among the fruit trees is more or less hindered by wet weather. However, no chance should be missed to get such work as pruning completed. This can be done when other work ia impossible. Peaches, nectarines and the plums, followed by apples and.pears, should.be the order in which the work should be done. Clear up and burn all primings, old leaves and decaying fruit. Were more cleaning up done less spraying would be required. The weeds * under. the trees should also be dim in or cleared off and buried. The question of the’ value of ■ winter spraying is still debatable, but without doubt the caustic soda winter .wash is. a splendid cleanser and is worth while. The caustic-nitrate soda wash is made ' with caustic soda 11b. water 10 gallongs, and if to. this is added 101 b of nitrate of soda it will be found to have a wonderful cleaning effect. Care must be taken to choose a calm day for spraying, and also to protect the hands, eyes and bare skin. Tree planting can be done, but do not plant when the soil is saturated and puggles or plasters. Heel the trees in for a few days if conditions are unfavourable. What .is and what is not a favourable soil for planting can only be decided on the spot, but a good rule is not to plant if the soil becomes like putty when trodden on. Choose the right varieties for your purpose. There are good varieties for the home garden that are quite unsuitable commercially. Bush fruits such as gooseberries, red, white or black currants, should be planted at' once. Prune bush fruits and give an application of manure. Light forking only about the roots should be done and weeds should be kept down bv hoeing and raking. GARDEN. A JOB FOR THE HYBRIDIST. At the public dinner of the Wisbech and District Fruitgrowers' Association, held at Wisbech, England, one of the speakers said that they should not rest in research work until they had found a strawberry that they could profitably produce in the country. They could grow strawberries in Holland at £2O to £3o’ a ton, and they should be equally able • to do so in England. They had a time of depression owing to their stocks being exhausted, and it was a difficult thing to obtain fresh stocks to grow profitable crops. They must find strawberries to produce three or four tons an acre. The canning trade was developing not only in Wisbech but all over the country, and if they could not be supplied with English strawberries, they would get them from abroad. EXPORT OF BRITISH BULBS. The number of bulbs exported from England to Holland last year was nearly five and a half times greater than the exports of 1928. and the'value was more than eleven times. It may be taken for granted that, with the increasing demand for Dutch bulbs all over the world, the Netherlands will buy in greater quantities every year from Great Britain.

SHASTA DAISY. t Among the many bright flowers that make the garden gay throughout the year, white ones are always attractive. When one comes to think of it, how few in numbers white flowers are! Among these Shasta daisies stand out as some of the best, not only for garden decoration, but also for picking, and can be relied upon to produce cut flowers for nine months in the year. Two types are procurable, the large flowering type with flowers up to four inches across on three feet stems. The other type has small flowers about the size of a shilling. Shastas will grow in aiiy soil and a little shade suits them very well. A rich soil is necessary if they are to produce the largest flowers. Divide up the old plants after flowering in the spring. Small pieces should be inserted and will quickly make large plants. Watering is important and must never be neglected. Divide up the plants every other year. GREEN MANURES. You must have the garden soil rich with constant applications of manures and fertilisers. Green refuse is really invaluable for soil that is inclined to be dry and sandy, as it supplies the necessary humus. Lawn cuttings, soft green, such as cabbage leaves, vegetable tops or vine leaves should be collected and put into a hole made for the purpose and mixed with stable or cow manure. Very soon it assimilates with the manure, then it will prove a very great help in the garden. Even without the manure the soft green stuff is good, but naturally it is better as a mixture. Soine weeds can be added to the pit. but not these that are hard to kill. A noxious weed which has joints that refuse, to stop sprouting should be burnt. MAIDENHAIR FERNS. Maidenhair ferns which have been in the greenhouse all the season will now be looking rather shabby, and should be removed from the greenhouse to a cool frame, so as to encourage the whole of the fronds to mature, after which they may be cut over. This treatment will encourage the forination later on of nice young fronds, provided the plants have not been overwatered. The fernery itself should he kept cobl and the plants only watered when the soil becomes dry. Ferns at this season aye very sensitive to extreme wetness or dryness at their roots. They should be kept moderately moist and nothing more. AMERICAN BLIGHT. To destroy American blight on fruit trees, apply 'methylated, spirits once or twice on the affected parts, rubbing it on with a brush. BULBS IN THE GREENHOUSE. Hyacinths, narcissi, including daffodils, and tulips, vary so much in growth, that it is difficult to give exact directions with regard to handling the pots of bulbs. Some may have the pots full of roots and have made several inches of growth in five or six weeks, while others will take ten or even twelve weeks. One thing is certain. Until the bulbs are well rooted it is useless to attempt to force the plants into flower with any hope of success. The top growth of the bulbs is usually an indication of free rooting, but to make doubly sure, knock out the bulbs of soil carefully from one or two pots. Roman hyacinths and paper white narcissi are the first to start, growth, followed by the golden spurs, other daffodils, and Due van Thol-tulips. A. cold frame should be used as a supply store, or half way house, between the [dunging bed of ashes and the greenhouse. The growths must be shaded for the first few days after removal from the ashes. Although quite yellow at first, they soon attain the normal green colour. With tulips, especially the early ones, which have such short stalks, it 'is worth while keeping these covered longer to try and draw up the stems. Though the soil in the pots must not be water logged, it should bo kept fairly moist, as the thick fleshy roots of bulbs absorb plenty of water. Daffodils do not benefit by the excessive forcing, the leaves usually growing to far in advance of the flowers. A temperature of at least 50 degrees I', at night is desirable, raising 5 to 10 degrees during the day. Maintain a warm, moist atmesphere by damping the floors and stages. Even with only one. greenhouse, there may be several batches of bulbs in different stages of growth. MISTAKES IN STAKING. In staking trees which require this kind of support the manner of fixing the stakes often receives no careful attention. Consideration as to the direction of the wind is necessary. If the stakes are place so that when heavy winds prevail the trees jnill at the stakes, the correct method has been followed, but when they are placed so that the tree ii? driven on to the stake, injury is often caused at the point, where the tree and stake touch. Another mistake is to have stakes so long that they extend above the branches,. with the’ result that the branches are injured. The correct height for a stake, whethei for fruit trees, rose trees or other trees is just immediately below the head. Whilst it is good practice to fix.stakes before .planting, it is bad policy to secure the tree firm to them beioie the trees have time to settle down. SELECTING SEED POTATOES. The selection of “sets” or tubers for planting should not be delayed, as they require to be set up in shallow boxes or trays for the purpose of sprouting. They must be fully, exposed to the light, and protected only from frest. In selecting seed be careful to see that the tubers are “clean” and free from scab or small holes, indicating the presence of potato worm or moth. RENOVATING THE VINE BORDER. Many failures with vines are attributable ‘to faulty borders; the drainage may be defective or the roots have gone tea deep, or the soil has become exhausted. Now that the vines are dormant is a good time to overhaul the border and rectify anything that is wrong. First remove the soil down to the roots, lift these carefully and tie with soft material in a bundle. Should it be impossible to get the vine replanted the same day it would be wise to cover the roots well with sacks to keep them from drying. Remove the re-

mainder of the soil, also the drainage if faulty; renew the latter and cover with turve<s. While the old soil can be replaced, new is preferable. In replanting spread out the roots evenly, shorteninn- very long ones and removing any that are bruised or- broken. Cover with fine soil, finishing off with a covering of short decayed manure. REPLACING FRUIT TREES. Trees that are beyond recovery should be rrrubbed out and some more profitable kind planted in their places. If, on the other hand, any of the inferior kindn are healthy the tree can be regrafted with. more approved varieties that are known to succeed in the locality where grown. In preparing the soil dig large, wide holes at least two feet in depth, and carefullv remove all the old roots as they are always liable to generate fungus' ir left in the soil. Where the.trees have bdten in the ground for many years it is always advisable to remove much of the old soil and to replace with the best material obtainable. ■ In every instance the best .and more profitable returns are taken from orchards that receive the best treatment. It is, however, essential that whatever the nature of the soil, thorough drainage is necessary to successful fruit culture. If the soil is naturally of an open, porous nature, it may meet all requirements; if, on the other band, the land is of stiff clay provision must be made to drain away surplus water or the trees cannot succeed for any length of time. ■ • CINERARIAS. Cinerarias in pots should never be given a too rich rooting material. Coarse foliage is the result of overfeeding. Three-quarters nice friable loam, onequarter leaf mould, and a goodly sprinkling of silver sand will see the plants through the final potting stage, when a short ration of rotted manure might be added. Most of the feeding can be done liquidly. But be very careful even with that, as cinerarias that are kept over-wet do not thrive. A particularly, good strain of cineraria should be well looked after, for it is quite an easy matter to raise plants from short basal cuttings, taken early in the summer, after the plants have done flowering. Cut

awav the top of any specimens you wish to propagate from. This will throw a certain amount of vigour into the lower stem. Short, stubby growths will not be long in appearing. These you take off for striking. Care should be exercised in the selection of the cuttings, as anything that shows a tendency to (lower must be left alone. Prepare the short pieces by taking away the lower

leaves, and paring off the base to a joint, much as you would a geranium cutting you intend “to strike.’’. Pot the cineraria bits in small 'pots that carry quite half of .their fill in drainage material, and use only light, sweet compost fot the rooting process,. These few cineraria hints may' be of emm service to those who make a speciality of haying hicequality Howers.