GARDENING NOTES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 67, 23 February 1938, Page 4

GARDENING NOTES.

J WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT.

SEASONABLE WORK. Sowings.—lf not already done, sow seeds of pangjes, Beauty of Nice stock, Iceland poppies, wallflowers, and early-flowering sweet peas. Plant out stocks, Iceland poppies, calendulas, antirrhinums, and any other seedlings which are available. No better time could be chosen than the present for transplanting selfsown seedlings or those which are ready from previous sowings. The season has been ideal for planting, the comparative absence of damaging winds and the very timely rains tending to keep the ground in a fertile condition. It is best to choose a showery period if possible for planting out, and in any case plant out in the evenings as far as possible, and should the weather be very bright and hot shade the plants for the first week or so to give them a chance to get over the move. Water well before lifting from the seed bed and lift with as much soil as possible. Anemones and ranunculi should be planted as soon as possible. Those which were left in the ground are already showing through. Small bulbs usuhlly give the best results. Spring - flowering bulbous plants should be got in as soon as possible. This gives them a chance to make good roots before they start to grow from the top. For bulbous plants avoid animal manures, using for preference bone dust or blood and bone or a complete garden manure, mixing it into the soil where the bulbs are to be planted. Cuttings.—Pansies, violas, verbenas, and many other border and bedding plants may be increased by cuttings put in now. MADONNA LILIES. Many failures with this popular lily—Lilium candidum—are due to transplanting the bulbs at the wrong season. This species should be lifted and re-planted as soon as possible after the stems have died down. If, however, the plants are flourishing and giving good blooms leave the clumps alone unless an increase is desired when sufficient for the purpose should be lifted. The present month is very suitable for transplanting. Unlike most bulbs, those of Liliums which are composed of loose scales, should never be dried off. When the bulbs are lifted they should be covered with a damp sack or some wet moss until they can be re-planted. This applies to all Liliums. Another point equally appreciable to lilies of all kinds is that the basal roots should be damaged as little as possible when lifting as they are never really dormant. Lilies like a soil very rich in humus —leaf-mould for preference—and are not partial to lime. Many varieties are what is known as stem-rooting, that is, they throw out roots from the base of the skins above the bulbs, hence the need of planting to a good depth. There should be at least six inches of soil above the bulb when planted. Lilies require well-drained soil but at the same time must have ample moisture during the growing period. If there is any sign of disease when the bulbs are lifted give a dusting with flowers of sulphur, shaking it well among the scales. Any broken or damaged scales should be cut off. Avoid animal manures and if such is used at all, it should be put well down below the bulbs so that the roots may work down into it. After digging the holes for planting make the bottom fairly firm by tramping and place a layer of coarse sand beneath the bulbs and also surround them with the same material, afterwards filling up with the ordinary soil and making firm. A good mulch several inches thick, of good rotted horse manure spread over the clumps during the summer will help to feed the plants and at the same time keep the roots moist and cool.

SPRAYING STILL NECESSARY. Spraying is still a very necessary operation, not only for protecting fruit from the late broods of codlin moth and other fruit-eating pests, but in keeping trees free from leech, beetles and other destructive insects that play such havoc with the foliage if spraying is neglected. Even after the fruit is gathered spraying should be continued as long as these pests are active, especially such varieties as plum, pear, quince and others subject to the attacks of leech or other destructive insects. To grow fruit successfully is. no longer a simple occupation, hut is a laborious and costly undertaking, as the numerous insects and diseases that fruitgrowers have now to combat

’before sound fruit is secured necessitates almost persistent spraying throughout the whole growing season. In addition to this, winter and spring dressing is equally essential in trying to destroy fungoid diseases. Some fungoids are even more destructive and more difficult to deal with than insect pests, especially the disease usually termed black or brown rot that is so destructive to the fruit of nectarines, peaches, and plums. This season, especially, fruit has suffered severely from this disease. In many instances, nearly every fruit has been attacked. The condition under which this disease thrives best seems difficult to define. In seasons when frequent and heavy rains have been experienced, the spread of this disease has been attributed to excess of moisture. Moist, humid conditions and heavy dews, no doubt, assist the minute spores to germinate and spread quickly when once they have fallen on the fruit, which in a short time penetrates through the skin and spreads rapidly through the pulp. SUMMER PRUNING. By doing some summer pruning you will be giving your trees valuable assistance. Most trees get choked with long, strong shoots—shoots which never can make good fruiting wood, and which in any case have to be cut off in winter. By pruning them off now you will be saving nourishment and moisture supplies and direct the sap to the parts where it is most needed, that is, to the fruit buds now in the making. Furthermore, you will be exposing the present crops to full sunshine and warding off many of the summer diseases and pests. Whatever sort of tree or bush you are dealing with you must never shorten leader shoots in summer. Shorten only the new side or lateral shoots, and leave the long shoot at the end of each branch alone. Should late growth develop from the tops of the pruned shoots pinch it off immediately; if this is allowed to grow it will starve the basal buds and the previous pruning will be in vain. Soft young shoots can be pinched back with finger and thumb, but hard, woody shoots should be pruned with secateurs or a knife, or fruit spurs may be broken off. The different kinds of fruits should be dealt with as follow: Apples, Pears.—Shorten the long side shoots that have sprouted out along the branches, taking back each to within four or five leaves of their base. Aim to open out the centre of the tree and expose, the fruit to full sunlight. Gooseberries. —Shorten to five leaves all the crowded and awkwardly placed laterals, especially those crowding the centre of the bush, but leave one or two short stocky shoots on each branch full length; these will be lightly topped in February. If there are , any strong suckers or growths from the base these should be cut clean out, otherwise the bush will become a thicket. Plums, Peaches, Apricots.—Shorten to five leaves lateral shoots, also shoots that are unduly crowded. Leave all leading shoots untouched until late in February, when the tip of these can be cut away. Although not generally practised, the large branches can be cut away as soon as fruit is gathered. When cutting of large branches is done at this time of the year there is less chance of silver blight entering. At the same time it is advisable at all times and with all trees to paint over all large wounds with white lead paint or coal tar.