THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 21 December 1928, Page 16

THE GARDEN

NOTES FOR THE AMATEUR

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D. COMBRIDGE

The heavy soaking rain of the middle of last week will do much good to the new potatoes and rows of peas that are filling out for Christmas week. It will also rejuvenate the lawns, and revive many of the early planted bed-ding-out plants. Late sowings of annual seeds will be likely to be washed out of the soil, and a little attention in recovering them with soil or sand before the sun or the birds destroy them often turns what might be failure into success. So frequently, circumstances like last week’s heavy rain act detrimentally on seeds that have been sown, and the fact is lost sight of, and when no seedlings appear the seed is thought to be at fault. As soon as possible get over the garden with the hoe after this rain and thus conserve as much moisture as is possible in the ground against the summer’s heat. This is the period of the year when attention must be given to the raising of the many perennial, and biennial plants that go to make up our garden collection of plants. The essential feature is to have the young plants large enough to go through the winter successfully. It is no doubt better to sow some of the seeds in September and early October, but frequently the work in hand at that season is so imperative that something has to be postponed and this section may well be attended to later. The preparation of a seed bed is just as important in December as at an earlier period. Special features may have to be observed at each .sowing period, but correct treatment ensures better success. In the first place the construction of a seed whether large or small shows some very interesting features and incidentally indicates what is needed to ensure a hope of success. A seed has an outer coat, or spermoderm as it is called, which is in two layers. The first one is called the teota and is on the outside, the second, and inner one is the tegmen. Within this lies the embryo plant with its primary root, known as the radicle, and also its primary stem or plumule, and its seed leaves, known as cotyledons, the whole being surrounded by a substance consisting of starch, gluten or legumin, and mineral matter. As soon as the seed is put into the ground and conditions amenable to growth, as warmth, moisture and air are present, the seed absorbs the moisture through its spermoderm and this moisture mixing with oxygen from the air, causes a chemical change to take place in the inner contents. This change generates heat and this manufactures a substance called diatase, which is able to alter the starch content into sugar and renders the gluten or legumin soluble. As soon as the embryo can make use of this soluble food it commences to grow by first pushing its radicle or primary root through a tiny hole in the testa called the microphyle. Next it pushes its primary stem or plumule through the same opening, but this causes the seed to burst open. As the radicle descends the plumule ascends, and when it reaches the surface of the soil bringing the cotyledon or pair of seed leaves with it, these expand and soon the seedling grows its first true leaf. Until this point is reached the seedling has been living entirely on the soluble food stored in the seed, and in the cotyledons, but as this supply gets drawn upon, the radicle, or primary root, sends out root hairs, through -which it collects foods for supporting future growth. Since this is the process that takes place every time seeds germinate, it will be realised that a certain amount of warmth is necessary, as also a moderate amount of moisture, while air is needed to supply the oxygen. In outdoor sowing a well-drained position must be selected. Any position that is likely to become waterlogged must not be used, since the soil will be too cold and there will be a lack of air in the interstices, these two conditions conducing to the rotting of the seed, as moisture would enter the seed, but there would not be enough heat generated to do the converting of the food into an available form for the use of the embryo plant. One important point in seed sowing is the preparation of the bed. It should be, if possible, in partial shade, since full exposure to the sun would roast the seed and quickly kill *the vitality of the finer seeds. The soil should l>e of fine texture, that is, loose and friable, and with a percentage of fibre in it; that is to say it should not be either too heavy or too light. If it is at all heavy it should have the top few |

Answers to Correspondents.

inches removed and suitably prepared soil put in its place. If the texture is medium add some good leaf movfid, well rotted manure and grit, and lightV fork it in. Level it as it is forked in, and in raking over afterwards get it as fine as possible. In the case of fine seeds it is well to have a mixture of equal parts of leaf-mould, loam and sand well mixed and passed through an &in mesh sieve for covering the seed. Seed beds may be 3ft wide with a path Ift wide dividing them, and if seeds are sown broadcast the bed may be divided by lathes. Fine seeds are better sown broadcast, but large seed may be sown in drills made by pressing a stick Ain w’ide firmly into the ground to the depth of iin. These rows may be made 6in apart, and the seed sown thinly, filling the drills up'with soil passed through an 4in mesh sieve. In broadcasting, which is usually done with fine seed, cover them with soil, after passing it through the iin sieve, not more than l-16in deep, after which give the bed a watering with a fine rose can. This question of a fine rose is essential, as if a coarse one is used the seed will be washed up on top, to its own detriment. During the day cover the bed with sacks or fairly heavy scrim, the object being to prevent evaporation; remove them at sunset, but leave them on if a heavy rain is falling. As soon as the seeds germinate remove the sacks, etc. The application of water must be done judiciously, for preference in the evening after the sacks come off. It is a good plan to give the soil a good soaking before sowing, in the hope that it will be moist enough to carry through until the seeds germinate. The other method of growing is ip pots or boxes, but my experience with many who use this method is that most unsuitable soil is used; too large a box is also used in proportion with the quantity and nature of the seed sown, and, further, the box is kept either too dry or too wet. The same care in soil preparation is needed as for the open ground bed, the proportions of loam, leaf mould and sand are to be the same. The boxes should be placed in a shady place on a layer of ashes to prevent worms penetrating. A frame is a suitable place to put the box, but it must be shaded in the daytime or a failure to germinate will most certainly be the result because of the continual drying out process after every watering. A pane df glass is placed over the box, not for the object of warmth as for the purpose of retaining moisture, but it must be remembered that the air beneath the glass will get very stagnant and for an hour or so every evening the glass must be removed. In the mornings it will be found that moisture has formed on the glass. This must be wiped off regularly, as it is detrimental to plant life, especially so where cuttings are being grown. The question of watering is important. The soil should be wet enough prior to sowing to germinate the seed without further waterings, but this rule does not always hold, since some seedlings take so much longer to germinate. If subsequent waterings have to be given use a very fine rose watering can or wet a piece of blotting paper, lay it on the box, and water the box through the further wetting of the blotting paper. The appended list is only a few of the most well known items. Many could be added, but these should be sown at once for next summer’s display: Antirrhinums in various colours: Aquilegias (Columbine), some times known as Granny’s Bonnet; Canterbury Bells. in variety; Coreopsis. Aubretia, Chieranthus, Delphinium, Gaillardia, Gypsophilla, Penstemons. Pyret.hreum, Scabiosa Blus, Stock in variety and of sorts as Nice Giant. Brompton and East Lothian, each of which flower at different periods, making a succession of bloom; Sweet William, Viola, Pansy and Wallflower of sorts.

‘Macrocarpa.”—lt is quite correct to trim a hedge at this season. When it is the practice of one clip per annum December is the month, but to obtain that close, compact finish two clips are necessary—one in early November, the other in February.

‘L.C.”—Plant your bulbs at once in the open ground. Do not allow them to flower. Leave them undisturbed until January, 1930. They will most likely split up and give very little bloom the next season, but that is to be expected. Plant the bulbs in a little sharp sand as a protection against insects and disease.