GARDENING NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1935, Page 12

GARDENING NOTES

THE WEEK’S WORK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Plant anemones and ranunculi. The planting of narcissi, hyacinths, tulips, etc., should be pushed on. Layers of border carnations will be ready for lifting. Prepare the ground for the border carnation layers. Raised beds with a fair admixture of lime rubble and no leaf mould are the chief soil requirements of the carnation. Plantings of iceland poppies and wallflowers can be made. Primroses and polyanthus are now making growth. The plants can be lifted and divided. Violets that have suffered with thrips and red spider van be cleaned and manured. A planting now will fldwer in spring. Dahlias must have attention to staking, tying, and disbudding. Chrysanthemums are now growing fast, and the buds are developing quickly. Disbudding, staking and tying must be attended to. Liquid manure for chrysanthemums and dahlias may be necessary in some cases, but do not over-feed. Spraying for caterpillars is still necessary. It has been one long, glorious season for caterpillars of all kinds. THE GREENHOUSE. With mOlster conditions, the damping of floor and benches must not be overdone. Make a sowing of mignonette in pots for winter. Ventilation must be ample. Do not attempt to force the plants. Remember that to carry plants through the winter a hardening of the tissues is necessary. Primulas, cyclamen, cinerarias, and schizanthus must all be potted as necessary. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Clean up any spare ground. Do not allow spent crops to remain and breed pests. If land is not required for a time dig it over and sow down in oats or other cover crop. Make further sowings of cabbages. Plantings of cauliflowers can also be made. Any crops of cabbage, etc., that have started making fresh growth should be sprayed against the cabbage moth. Lettuce, radish and endive can be sown for winter use. Runner beans are making a fresh start. ' Cut away some of the old vine and let the young growths get away. Thin out seedling crops. Remember that although many crops transplant readily, those left without transplanting will mature more quickly. Make a sowing of dwarf peas.. Prepare ground and sow onions for transplanting in spring. A planting of potatoes in a warm, welldrained soil should give a crop before winter. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Crops that are ripening should be gathered. For a fruit to keep, it must be fully Summer prime stone fruits after the crop is gathered. Prepare ground for planting new trees. Any trees that have failed to come up to expectations should be removed and replaced by better sorts. Collect and bum or bury any fallen fruits that show signs of disease. To grow clean fruit you must have a clean orchard. CHESHUNT COMPOUND. Cheshunt compound is a fungicide which is chiefly recommended for use under glass on tomatoes and cucumbers. It consists of two part (by weight) of copper sulphate and 11 parts ammonium carbonate, which must be fresh. Reduce the ammonium carbonate to a fine powder by crushing, and then thoroughly mix with the copper sulphate, and store for 24 hours in a tightly-corked glass or stone jar before using. Prepare the solution by dissolving loz of the mixture in a little hot water and adding cold water to make two gallons. Only just the amount required for immediate use should be prepared, and vessels of iron, tin or zinc should not be used, as it not only corrodes these, but the mixture loses its strength. PENTSTEMONS. These are hardy perennials, but give best results when treated as annuals, old plants becoming very ragged. The present day strains, with large gloxinia-like flowers varying from pure white, pink, rose, to scarlets and rich crimsdn, borne on spikes about thirty inches high, are fine plants for bedding purposes. They can be propagated by seed or cuttings, and where there are good sorts growing, cuttings are the best method. The cuttings made from yOung unflowered side growths about four inches long, root quite easily if planted in sandy soil and shaded and watered till rooted. The present is a good time to take cuttings, and these will root and be ready for planting out in autumn. In cold districts it is best to defer planting till spring. Seed gives good results, and the best time to sow is in autumn. The seed is small and should be sown in sandy soil in pots or boxes. As soon as large enough to handle the seedlings should be pricked out into boxes, and later on into beds of prepared soil. It is preferable to transplant into frames if possible, not so much to protect from cold as to protect from heavy rains. They require the ground well manured, as they are gross feeders. They are also good dry weather subjects, especially if the plants are i mulched in early summer. TO SECURE ORCHIDS IN POTS. This refers chiefly to freshly imported tall and awkward varieties of dendrobiums, laelias, cattleyas. Place the crocks, clean and fairly large pieces, edgewise, take a stick, sharpen it flat, and fit it between the crocks. Add some smaller crocks, then place the plant, with the lead in the centre of the pot, and tie it to the stick. When using the rooting compost start at the base and work to the rim of the pot. Some growers prefer to leave this operation till it is seen that the plants are on the move, and pushing out roots from the recently-made bulb, simply watering through the pots. One of the easiest varieties to grow is cattleya labiata autumnalis. Imported plants procured in spring will be almost sure to flower in autumn. DAHLIAS AND MANURE. In regard to liquid manure go very slowly. Watering, unless in a poor soil, will give the roots all the necessary nourishment. Liquid manure given to strong growers that only carry coarse petalled flowers only accentuates the faults, and often spoils the blooms altogether; far rather have smaller flowers that are shapely and pleasing than grow those which are coarse and ugly. You can give liquid manure to advantage in light volcanic or sandy soil that leaches out quickly. Cow manure and soot provide the ideal liquid; make it weak rather than strong, and give no oftener

than once a week. Where the growths are straight and strong, and the land rich loam, very little more than wateishould be necessary. A safe dahlia manure can be made by using 51b of fresh cow manure, lez of sulphate of ammonia and 20 gallons of water. Use the liquid three days after “brewing.” The plants producing specimen flowers can take about two or four gallons a week. Be sure that your plants require stimulating before giving the above. It Is quite an easy matter to overfeed. UNOCCUPIED BEDS. Beds and other plots recently occupied by narcissus and other early flowering bulbs, as well as early planted, hardy annuals, such as candytufts, scarlet linums, godetias, escholtzias, calendulas, and a few others that are past, should be manured and deeply dug or trenched, burying all refuse and adding any leaf rubbish that is available. After the digging apply a surface dressing of lime. Plots thus treated should be available and in excellent condition for replanting in hardy annuals and biennials for winter flowering, and for hardy winter and spring flowering bulbs. Barty in

—■—■■ March is the time to plant a selection of hardy flowering bulbs, notably narrissus, anemones, ranunculi, freezias and a few others. TRANSPLANTING VINES. A Thames correspondent writes:—l noticed you had an inquiry re transplanting passion fruit. A method which I have had great success with and which may be of some use to your readers is as follows: — Well water the plant to be moved, then remove top and bottom of a onepound jam tin and place over the plant. Press the tin well into the earth, then gently lift the tin, which will bring the plant , and soil with it without disturbing the roots. Then plant tin and all In new position. Tire roots will grow right through the tin. Small plants of five or six leaves move the best, but I have moved plants with vines three and four feet long. EARLY AUTUMN WEEDS. Weeds are difficult to control at any time, but particularly during, early autumn. Even if left on the ground after being cut they remain sufficiently alive

to develop and scatter their seeds. For this reason all weeds should be dug in, burnt, or placed in a heap with other refuse where it will ferment sufficiently to destroy the gei-minating power of the seeds. A sprinkling of superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia between the layers of weeds will hasten, decomposition and greatly increase the manurial value of the compost.