IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1931, Page 15 (Supplement)

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Hoe between the violet plants and, give them a little sulphate of ammonia. If red spider appears on the; foliage of the violets spray with lime-sulphur 1-125. Rhizomateous iris can be lifted, divided and replanted. Plantings of African and French marigolds can be made. Salvias, petunias, phlox drummondii are amongst the varieties that can be planted now. Sowings of cornflowers, mignonette, statice, coreopsis can be made. Sow hollyhocks, Canterbury bells, sweet Williams, .Iceland poppies, Marguerite carnations. Thin out the growths of rambler roses, tying in the young growths which are coming from the base. Lift spring-flowering bulbs. After cleaning and dividing, sort into sizes and replant. Prepare the ground for planting bulbs. The season for bulb planting is now here and the sooner the bulbs are in the soil the better. Now is the time for lifting and replanting amaryllis belladonna bulbs. Keep the spent, blooms off dahlias. The plants that are flowering freely will need some liquid manure. THE .VEGETABLE GARDEN. As soon as a crop is finished clear away all weeds and rubbish, fork over the surface and either replant or sow a • crop for digging in later on. Thin early seedling rows of carrot, beet, parsnips, etc. Make a sowing of yellow-fleshed turnips. As soon as the potato haulm shows' signs of maturity the crop should be lifted. If saving seed, pick them out at lifting time. Lift and harvest onions as soon as the tope turn yellow'. Make a sowing of swedes for winter use. Celery must have the soil stirred round the plants. Pick off all bad leaves and any side growths that may appear. A sbwing of cabbage seed can be made. Shade the seed rows to check the fly attacking the plants. 1 Tomatoes need attention to spraying and disbudding. Keep the plants tied to their supports. Keep dwarf and runner beans closely picked so as to ensure continuous cropping. Cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, etc., should have the tips of the growths pinched to encourage tjie production of lateral growths. SEEDS OF HARDY PRIMULAS. The introduction of new varieties and the popularity of hardy primulas has led many to sow seeds of these beautiful hardy subjects. Many of the sorts germinate fairly quickly, but it is a well-known fact tg those who have had much dealing with this genus that the seeds are slow in germinating, and with many sorts it is no uncommon thing for the seeds to lie dormant for two or even three years. The essential details in dealing with seeds of slow or doubtful germination and of unknown character are to sow in sterilised soil, so that no weed seeds or moss spores cannot reach the surface, and never to water overhead, but to apply the necessary water by standing the seed pot in a. dish of water, so that the soil is soaked by capillary actioon. If the seed pot is heavily shaded, almost to complete darkness, watering is reduced to a minimum. If this is done, close watch must be kept for the appearance of seedlings, as the'pot must be gradually accustomed to light. Seed of primulas should be sown as soon as procured, no matter what time of the year it is. . FEIJOA SELLOWIANA. Tins is a member of the myrtle family, and is very nearly related to the guava (psidium). The fruit is eggshaped, and of a delicious, aromatic, spicy flavour, and so far has not proved of any value in this country as an edible fruit. ! It is, however, well worth growing for the sake of its flowers, which are each about two inches across and composed of four fleshy petals of a curious hooded shape. These petals are purplish inside, and almost white on the exterior, but owing to their hooded shape the interior is almost hidden by the incurving of the edges, thus exposing the paler tinted outside. Like many other . members of the myrtle family, the long, slender filaments in the centre of the flower form a notable feature pi the inflorescence. In the case' of this Feijoa they are bright .red tipped with vellow. A native of Brazil and Uruguay, Feijoa Sellowiana was introduced by M. Edouard Andre in ISOS, and although it would, not' prove hardy throughout the North Island, would do outdoors wherever the guava or the bougainvillea is hardy. PLANTING WINTER GREENS. The plan of inter-cropping potatoes is one that of necessity prevails in practically every garden. When the rows of potatoes are set at a reasonable distance apart, say two and a half to three feet, the results obtained are all that can be desired. Where potatoes are more closely set it is futile to endeavour to obtain a crop of greens, since the space between is not enough to allow sufficient light and air to reach the plants. 'When the rows are only two feet apart and inter-cropping is desired, it is far better to plant alternate rows, bending the potato tops over on either side so that they meet. In this way plenty of light and air are obtainable. A stake inserted at each end of the row, and one or more strands of string stretched right round, is an advantage, and secures the haulm in position away from the plants. Old pea sticks serve equally well for this purpose. A PEA WRINKLE. The following hint may prove of value to exhibitors of culinary peas. Three weeks or so before the date of the show make a careful examination of all the largest and straightest though as yet unfilled pods. Hold each in turn up to the light, handling only the etalk, in order not to remove the bloom. The number of embryo peas in each pod can then be counted, and those with eleven or more, without any misses, can be marked by a strand of red wool tied lightly round the stem. The haulms containing these ultimate prize-winners may then be stripped of the small fry, and if special attention be given . to feeding and watering, a final selection , of the best may be made on show morning, w'ith the certainty that no gaps will be apparent when the judge opeas the podsr I

ANTIRRHINUMS. Few plants make such a fine display in the garden as antirrhinums, and no others are more easily grown. To have them in flower in the early summer the best results are obtained by sowing now and planting out in autumn. The seed can be sown in pots or boxes, using a clean sandy eoil. Once the seedlings appear and have made two leaves they should be pricked off into other boxes. Early transplanting so as to ensure a sturdy plant is essential to success. A little shade for a day or so after transplanting is all right, but it should not be overdone. The antirrhinum is a lover of lime and sunshine. It is to be found growing .wild on the tops of old walls, getting its sustenance from the moss and old mortar. Well drained soil, with plenty of old mortar mixed into it suits the plants. Too fat a living produces a kind of plant gout, and the result is a gross overgrown plant which cither breaks down by its own weight, or collapse by disease. In any case the best flowers are produced by healthy, normal specimens. There are many beautiful shades of colour, and they come fairly true from seed, but if the plants are required absolutely true to type, they can be propagated by cuttings which can be taken nojv. HINTS FOR ROSE-BUDDERS. Always do your work as quickly and cleanly as possible, so long as you secure your object. Never use a dull knife, nor muddle your work by rough lifting of the stock’s bark.

Never let the buds dry up. Any after moisture that is supplied cannot replace the natural sap that grew there. To aid against this drying up, remove all foliage down to the short shank left for the better handling of the bud, directly you have cut the shoot from the tree. If the stick of buds is then put into water you save drying, and retain the sap. If your stocks do not lift well, give a good watering and try again in three or four days. Never cut off growth from the stock just previous to inserting the bud, to make the operation more easy to get at. This checks the flow of the sap for a time, just when the free flow is essential. Do the necessary cutting at least a week previous to budding. Tie firmly, and be sure the “scat” of ‘'heel” of the rose bud rests plumb down upon the wood of the stock. It is around this that the tie should be secure without undue constriction. Always work the bud as near as you can upon the crown of roots with all dwarf stocks.

Don’t let the point of your knife go into the wood beneath the bark when making a cut towards lifting the bark to receive the bud. So many are too heavy-handed here .and cause much injury to the wood. Nor should the glutinous sap betw'een wood and bark be disturbed" or bruised any more than is absolutely necessary. Do not haste, but be sure that both bud and stock are in the best condition for the operation. This is of far more importance than the gain or loss of a week or so.

Remember that the “survival of the fittest” may be applied here; also the benefits of selection when propagating, and take a little more care to help in this direction by always using the best buds from the best plants only. SPINACH BEET. To those with a limited garden accommodation, and who require a vegetable to come in when other sorts are “off’’ or not ready, there is nothing that can equgl spinach •' beet or perpetual spinach, both of which are one and the same thing. Spinach beet will yield pickings over a long 'period —in fact, it can be considered valuable all the year round. Seeds sown 1 will produce plants that will give a picking towards the end of summer and will continue throughout the autumn and winter. The ground should be well prepared by being deeply 1 dug and well manured. The seed should be sown in drills, although in most cases one row would be sufficient. The plants, when up, should be thinned to a foot apart. This plant is a native of the sea coast, and if a light dressing of common salt is applied to the ground it can either be dug in before the seed is sown or put on after the plants are a fair size, or at both periods, it will cause the plants to be much more vigorous and to give larger and more tender leaves. One ounce of salt to a yard of drill will be sufficient at each application. •