GARDEN NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

THE WEEK’S WORK. THE FLOWER GARDEN,

The ground is ■ now in splendid condition for any planting operations. Chrysanthemums can be planted. Prepare the positions for plantingdahlias. Be sure that the plants of dahlias are xvell hardened on before setting them out. . . •Salvias, french marigolds, and zinnias can be planted. Celosias and portulaceas can be sown

now and planted out about the middle of this month. Asters, balsams, godetia, and clarkias can be sown outside. This is a good time to plant evergreen climbers such as bougainvilleas and passifloras. Lift and divide begonia semperflorens, iresine and lobelia for edgings, Make new plantations of violets. Rooted runners of the old plants can be lifted and divided. Spray roses with nicotine for aphis. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. The heavy rains will have consolidated the surface soil and it will be necessary to hoe between the crops.. .Tomatoes can be planted. It is still necessary to ensure having plants that have been well hardened off. Sow melons, pumpkins, marrows. Plants- ■ that have been raised under glass can be p!anted out. Frames that are empty can be utilised for growing cucumbers and melons. Sow dwarf, haricot, and runner beans. . Runner beans should be trained to their supports. If grown without sticks pinch out the tops when the plants are about a foot high. Sow' peas and beans for succession. Plant brussel sprouts and broccoli. Sow lettuce, radish, mustard and cress. •Spray and earth potatoes as theyrequire- it. \ • Prepare the trenches for celery. Spinachcan be grown on the ridges. If mildew" is shopping amongst the onions spray them with lime sulphur I—l-35. ' ■ ■ ' KUMERAS. A HOT WEATHER SUBJECT, From the middle of November to the, middle of December is the best time to plant kumera sets, which may usually be procured from the seedsman at that period. This crop is essentially a hot xveather subject, hence the need of delaying planting till the soil is thoroughly warmed up and the weather settled. Kumeras do. best in sandy soi! or soil which is fairly light, well enriched with manure or garden refuse. The young sets, which should be well hardened off before planting, should be inserted on top of a ridge drawn up with the hoe. See that the soil is well worked and all lumps broken up.- The sets should be spaced about 30 inches apart with three feet between the rows. After planting give a watering, to settle the soil round the roots. As the plants grow they may be earthed up as with potatoes. As the vines grow they are liable to root into the soil' from the joints. As this weakens the main plant the vines should be lifted occasionally to prevent the rooting. Keep free from weeds. A few days after planting give a dressing of, one part each sulphate of potash and nitrate of soda and two parts of superphosphate. A light dressing sprinkled over the ridges and well watered in will be sufficient until about

six weeks later, when it may be repeated. TO CONSERVE SPACE. IN SMALL GARDENS. In small gardens it is important to' make the most of all available ground... If potatoes are spaced rather wide between the rows—say three feet—the space between the drills, after earth-, ing up is done, may be used for planting cabbages, cauliflowers, and lettuces. Planted between the ridges in this way the plants benefit in the early stages by the shelter afforded and if occasional dressings of nitrate of soda are given both crops will benefit. Tall crops, such as runner beans or artichokes, should not be planted in such a way as to keep the sun off other crops; it is better to put them at the back of the beds unless they are wanted to act as ’breakwinds.

SUMMER AND WINTER CARROTS. Where the depth and quality of the soil is favourable to free growth,, it is doubtful if a more profitable crop than the intermediate or half-long carrot could be grown by the amateur who is anxious to get the best return for. his money in the quickest possible time. One does hot have to wait till the end of the season before making use of these carrots, for if seed is grown during the next few weeks it will not be long before some of the roots are large enough for use. Young carrots form one of the sweetest and most wholesome of spring and early summer vegetables... Nothing need be added to show the wisdom of sowing half an ounce of seed. This quantity if carefully sown and the surplus roots drawn from the rows before the plants get crowded, should ensure dozens of dishes of young carrots, and next autumn a lot for winter use. There is no waste when this type of carrot is well grown. Intermediate carrots give really grand results in soils not more than a foot deep, and wheie roots are required for home consumption only, nothing beyond ordinary digging or forking over will be needed before sowing. It is necessary to point out that good shapely roots cannot be expected to follow where seed is sown on very stony or badly broken up ground, and on no account must fresh stable manure be added just before, sowing, or the chances are the tops will be vigorous, but the roots have little culinary value.

HERBACEOUS BORDERS. The growths on the clumps of phlox and Michaelmas daisies, etc., should be reduced by pulling away some of the weakest. Although it does not appear to be necessary, the result is marvellous, and even one half the shoots can be pulled away with advantage. The result is a much finer and more lasting head of bloom. '

RUNNER BEANS, .?7 J A tall rdw- runner beans, well staked and heavily cropped undoubtedly forms an imposing and, interesting object, and all who are able to procure stakes should grow the plants in this way. In some districts it is easy to obtain, stakes. Heavy crops of beans may be grown, however, without the aid of stakes. I dare say many readers have seen the plants grown by market gardeners, without any staking being done. The seeds should be sown about

15 inches apart, the rows being three feet apart. If sown in clumps three seeds should be sown one foot apart to form a triangle, and the clumps must be three feet apart each way. When the plants possess, about eight rough leaves beyond the seed leaves, pinch oft the tip; a number of side-shoots will grow immediately, and in due course these also must be stopped. Thus each seed grown results in ‘a bush-shaped plant, the branches of which will, of course, trail on the ground to a certain extent, but this will not mean, that the Sowers, and eventually pods, will not form. Not only will the pods grow freely, but, owing to the system adopted of pinching off the ends of the shoots, they will swell up to a large size rapidly. SOWING SMALL SEEDS. Small seeds are really no more difficult to manage successfully than larger ones, if care is taken to observe these few ’simple rules. Perfectly clean pots or boxes must be crocked to about half their depth, one large piece being put over the drainage hole. A layer ofmoss or flakey leaf mould goes next to prevent the soil washing into the crocks. A compost consisting of three parts loam and one part finely-crumpled leaf mould, with the addition of sand, must be well mixed together and run through a sieve. ' SHOWY BEDDING PLANTS. DIANTHUS. AND PHLOX. *Dianthuses,. or. Indian Pinks, are among the most showy of hardy annuals for summer flowering. The colours are very brilliant and the plants very prolific. If they are. cut back after the first flowering they will produce a second crop of blooms, thus keeping the bed gay for several, months. Seed may be, sown either in autumn or spring, the autumn sown generally giving the best .results. Any ordinary, garden soil suits them provided the drainage is right and there is no shortage of lime.The plants only grow from six to nine inches high, so are admirable for edging if- desired. . , r ■ Phlox Drummondi is one of the very best annuals for the dry season, the plants flowering for the most part throughout the ,summer. To get good results the soil must be fairly rich. Seed may be sown at intervals till January, thus ensuring a succession of voting, plants throughout the season. Sowing may be done in the open ground and the seedlings thinned when large

enough or boxes may be used. The seeds, which are fairly large, may be sown singly an inch or so apart and thinned out into other boxes. Puddle the young plants in when planting out to obviate any check. SWEET SCABIOUS. Sweet scabious are very charming garden plants, the flowers being eminently suitable for picking, being produced on long wiry stems and lasting well in water. Some of the newer sorts of the annual varieties are a great improvement, including “Gorgeous,” which produces quantities of beautiful flowers of various shades of pink. “Azure Fairy” is the well-known mauve variety, always popular. They may also be had in white, various shades of red, and cream. To get them to perfection the soil should be rich and well drained, and the plants be supported by stakes. They grow to a height of about two feet “Scabiosa Caucasica” is the perennial variety, the colours being white and various shades of blue or violet. A good firm soil and plenty of lime suits these. Slugs are liable to cause damage to the young growths in the early spring. Sprinklings of lime, soot, or alum over the crowns will keep the pests away.

FRENCH AND AFRICAN MARIGOLDS Marigolds are amongst the most satisfactory of .the dry weather plants, thriving and giving abundance of bloom in positions and at times when other plants are dying for lack of moisture. The tree form of the French mangolds is invaluable, continuing in bloom well on into the winter. The colours range through yellow to orange and brown. These are easy plants to manage, requiring no particular soil or attention, although the tree marigolds are better staked up. BLUE HYDRANGEAS. Hyrangeas. planted in • light loam may be made to produce blue flowers by the application of iron, if it does not exist in the soil. Iron may be applied m the form of sulphate of iron, or filings may be obtained from a smith’s shop and lightly forked around the roots of the plants, but a much easier method is to collect bits of rusty iron and old nails, and keep them in a barrel of water, using the water for watering the plants I as needed. I