THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16737, 19 May 1922, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to sow—Cabbage, broad beans, spinach. What to plant—Cabbage, endive lettuce. Preparing plants and roots for forcing should receive attention, also the materials for forcing, where this has to be done with hot beds. Too often the collection of the quantity of fermenting material is left until the time for forcing is at hand, and then one is apt to find what a shortage there is of leaves and manure. A quantity of leaves would be collected during March and. April and thrown into a heap. They will not ferment much, but at the end of the winter they will prove invaluable for mixing with fresh stable manure in making hot beds. They steady the heat, prolong the useful life of the bed and improve tbe quality of the manure for garden use. Roots of sea-kale should be taken up for forcing. This delicious vegetable is easily forced and easily propagated, and will grow in any ordinary soil. Pack tbe roots in pots or boxes and put these in any room, cellar or shed where a temperature of 45 degrees to 60 degrees Fall, can l>e maintained anu a fine sample can be grown. *As a rule sea-kale is spoilt in the forcing by giving it too much beat. 45 degrees to 60 degrees Fah. is quite high enough. GREENHOUSE. The long spell of fine weather is broken and we may expect some variable conditions from this on, and it is not likely to he a.ll cold and wet North-west winds are not unknown at the end of May, tut it is well to be prepared for winter. It has to be remembered that most plants are more or less at rest, and although some are in glass houses they require rather different conditions during the short, dull days from those necessaiy during spring and summer. The inside temperature should he kept as low as possible, consistent with the health of the plants the house contains. A low temperature is better for the health of the plants during the winter, because it is leas stimulating, and should a very cold spell of weather occur, the plants suffer lose therefrom, and when the days begin to lengthen and the sun have more power. tbe plants respond with greater vigour to these more genial conditions. Most plants need less moisture during tbe winter, because there is less evaporation and less growth. Remember this and be sparing with water. Keep a constant watch on all hardwooded plant*. The soft-wooded plants will soon show signs of distress if they get too dry, hut the Ericas and | Azeleas, etc., are much slower in show ing signs of distress, and many a plant is all but dead before the top growth shows that anything is amiss. The only safe method of ascertaining if these need water is by giving each pot a sharp rap with the knuckles and if the sound is dull, the roots are moist enough, but if the sound is j hollow, or like a bell, the ball of earth is dry and shrunk, hence the hollow sound. A plant in this condition ; needs water. How shall it be given j the quantity it needs to thoroughly j soak the hard, dry bail of soil and j roots? There is but one effective j method, and that is to immerse the j pot in water and leave it there until it ceases to bubble. It is almost use- I less to attempt to soak the hall by j pouring water on the surface, because , tbe soil has shrunk, leaving a small j space between the soil and the flower pot. and the water runs down this, j without wetting much of the soil j Many fine specimens of Azaleas and , other hard-wooded plants have perish- . ed from over dryness at the roots. . Pedargoniums.—Old plants that were j shaken out and repotted in the early | autumn, nre now ready for their flowering pots. Prepare a good compost, not over rich, but lasting. Pot firmly. Bear in mind that the habit of the plant is largely determined by loose, or firm potting. After potting damp the plants over head, but don't give much water at the roots. The extra bulk of fresh soil will supply enough moisture at the roots for a time. If the plants need more, they will soon make their want known, Inflagging. Tf you give too much water immediately after repotting the. plants will be slow to take to it Freesias. The earliest batch of these fragrant plants should have a little higher temperature to bring Iho flower spikes well above the foliage Keep them quite near the glass ami put small stakes to the growths In Uo«<p them erect. If they full on one ««id ' they lose much of their decorative value, both as pot plant*. and l<». cut flowers. Manure water twice a week will strengthen tho flower steins. Salvia Bonfire and il.h varieties. During the last two aojieon*. needs of these brilliant flowering plants have been vtvry poor, often nob more than five per cent of the seeds sown gor ininating. This has given gardeners much trouble \<> provide the number of plants required to complete the scheme of bedding out. The shortage can be avoided, hv lifting a number of plants, and potting thorn. Take them up carefully and cut them hack, removing about half of the season’s growth. Put them in a cool house, wau/ sparingly :y.»d give plenty of air, and early in August put tho plants in a warm pit, or house and thev wil, soon send out a lot of cuttings. These

strike readily in light sandy soil, and make fine plants for bedding, qr growing in pots. Sfctoro pots and boxes of bedding plants need careful attention during the next six weeks. All decaying leaves should be removed every week. Tf any are left for several days among the plants they will cause a “ mould ” that will set up decomposition with every plant it touches, resulting in the loss of many plants. Keep, all bedding plants on the dry side. Overmuch water will cause damping especially in dull weather. Specimen Fuchsias are often troublesome plants to house during the winter when they are leafless, and all available space is wanted for growing plants. Tt- is not necessary, however, to keep them in a glass house during May, June and part of July. They can be stored in any shed that is frost proof. The risk is, that they may get broken in a shed unless care is taken, when working there. ANSWER. TO CORESPONDENT. E.G.W.- -Tt depends on what condition the trees are in. If they have green branches below twenty feet, they will suffer no harm from being lopped.