GARDEN NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146000, 5 December 1917, Page 8

GARDEN NOTES.

FLOWER. GARDEN. It is sot at all necessary to lift daffodil bulbs every year. Even the larger, stronger-growing varieties will not require lifting and dividing more often than every third year, while the jonquils and the hoop-petticoat varieties should be left undisturbed as Icing as they ilower freely. The best time to lift the bulbs is as soon as the foliage turns yellow. Do not leave the bulbs Iviug in the sun after lifting, hut put them in a cool, airy place to dry for a few’ days; they can then he cleaned of the old roots and foliage and stored in a cool shed where plenty of air is admitted. Spread the bulbs out thinly,,and do not cover them over, or they "may be replanted at once. Tulips’ and hyacinths arc better fot lifting annually, that is the florists’ tulip, the species of tulip known as T. elegans and its varieties alba and lutea- T. clusii, T. silrcstris, and T. Kaufmannii are batter loft undisturbed until the bulbs become overcrowded. They should then he lifted, divided, and replanted. Rose" bushes should he gone over as often as opportunity offers, and the old and spent blooms cut off. When doing this it is as well to,cut the flowering stems back as far as. the first plump bud, but do not cut off too much foliage at any one time. A weekly application of weak manure water will assist in maintaining a free and continuous flowering growth. HOSE OR HOE. The drv. windy weather of the past month is beginning to tell on the garden. Where there is a plentiful supply of water it may bo used carefully, but where it is wanting the push hoe should he used continuously to maintain a mulch of fine soil on the surface among growing plants to conserve the soil moisture, and every endeavour should bo made to keep plants growing vigorously, and to maintain a succession of vegetables. Plant out dahlias and chrysanthemums.

Stake delphininmc or any tall subjects roe air me it.

-Sweet ncas will need manuring, and the flowers must be kept cut as fast as they open.

Spray sweet pens for mildew with lime sulphur, 1 to .75 parts water, adding an ounce or so of soap to the gallon.

Hoses should bo sprayed if aphis appears. Dead blooms should also be removed.

Plant out asters, phlox drummondi, vitmias, salvias, salpiglosis, etc. .Semis of most of these hardy annuals sown outdoors now will do well. Sow cyclamen, primroses, polyanthus, and almost any hardy herbaceous subjects. Spring flowering trees and shrubs that have done flowerihg should receive any pruning required. Cuttings of pelargoniums put in the open ground now strike rapidly. Alake up fresh plantations of violets, iising thc young offshoots. KITCHEN GARDEN. The summer weather has now set in. and sowing and planting out should be pushed on. Choose a dull day, after rain, for this work. Sow lettuce, radish, dwarf beans, marrows, pumpkins, melons. Pat out any plants available of Brussels sprouts., 'broccoli, etc. Prepare celery trenches and put out the plants as soon as ready. Plant leeks either in trenches or between tho potato drills. Spray and earth potatoes, and if any more planting is to be done no time should bo lost. Runner beans mav still be sown, and any that are up should be supported and trained. Finish cutting asparagus as soon as possible now r . Too long a season of cutting is. detrimental. The hoc sh'oulfT bo kept going, and all spare time can he employed using it. Growth won't bo too rapid now, and it is bettor to get all vegetables well on before tho aphis, cabbage lly, etc., make their appearance.

The principal point in growing good vegetables is to well prepare the ground and hurry on growth. Good, healthy plants resist the attacks from these! pests, and have a good chance of recovery. whereas a stunted and dwarfed plant is soon done. ■December is a busy mouth. Much planting is necessary if a full supply of garden produce is to be maintained for the winter. The main planting of broccoli. canlMower, brusselcspronts. curley kale, and savoy cabbages should take place. PLANTING OUT VEGETABLES. If the planting has to be done in dry weather, well water the ground anil tread it fairly firm and plant out in the evening, after the sun is down. The young plants root more freely when the soil is firm, and there is not such a tendency for club root to form. The plants should be placed in water with a thick sediment of adhesive sod for an hour before planting. Put them in with a dibber; at the same time put a little water in the hole; close the nolo at once so as to convert the soil about the hole into a. puddle. This is the correct way to plant during the hot dry weather. The moisture will bo retained long enough to establish the plants without frequent watering. The earth should bo removed rcnncT about the. plant to make a small hole for water to go to the roots when watering.