GARDENING NOTES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 97, 25 May 1938, Page 4

GARDENING NOTES.

THE WORK OF THE WEEK. VEGETABLES. The main work now is preparatory to future planting. Clear away all übbisfi and dig' over vacant plots. li the surface is left rough it is less liable to cake and further a larger area is exposed to the sweetening influences of the weather. Burn up any rubbish not suitable for burying. Perennial weeds, prunings, hedge clippings, etc., must be burnt, while potato haulms and tomato tops are better destroyed in this way, as they often contain the germs of disease. Cut down the tops of asparagus, being careful that the berries do not fall on the bed. Manure rhubarb beds. This crop will stand any quantity of manure, either horse, cow, sheep, or poultry manure being good. Plant out small fruit bushes, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, loganberries, etc. THE FLO A ER GARDEN. Finish the planting of spring-flow-ering bulbs. No further delay should be allowed as the bulbs do not flower •well if left unplanted till they commence to grow. Lift gladioli where the foliage shows signs of dying off. It is not necessary or advisable to wait till the tops have died off completely. Rose planting may be commenced this month. Shrubs, ornamental and flowering, hedge plants, and trees may be planted. Seeds of hardy annuals may be sown for preference in boxes or on 'raised beds. Plant out seedlings of hardy plants. Divide and transplant perennial plants. Well dig and manure the soil. PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS. Even when space is very limited a few shrubs will enhance the interest of the garden and if a wise selection is made in the first place the subjects planted will give interest and pleasure for many years without any great expenditure of labor. Orders for shrubs or trees should be sent to the nurseries early to ensure that the varieties desired are not sold out and also that good plants may be supplied. Towards the end of the season the best of the plants have been sold and those left are generally of inferior quality—perhaps small or misshapen specimens. If the ground is not ready for planting, or conditions of soil or weather prohibit the work being done when the plants arrive from the nursery, the bundles should be undone, the straw or other covering removed from the roots, and the plants be heeled in. This is quite a simple process, merely necessitating the digging of a trench in some out. of-the-way part of the. garden, laying the roots of the plants in and covering the roots with soil. To allow the roots to be exposed to sun and wind till they are dried up will surely affect the plants adversely. Usually any torn or broken roots are removed when the plants are sent out, but a careful inspection of the roots should be made and any which are damaged should be cut away with a sharp tool. Abnormally long roots 'may be shortened without damage to the plant and, indeed, this is a wise precaution against doubling the root into a hole which is too small to allow of it being spread out to its full extent. Some shrubs, such as rhododendrons, heaths, and boronias have a ball of fibrous roots, very dense. All plants of this class are better planted without attempting to break the ball—they may even be planted with the scrim left on, as it soon rots in the moist soil. The soil should have been loosened to a good depth but it is important that the -soil beneath the plants should be firm at planting time. If too loose it is bound to sink and the plant with it. The depth to plant can be gauged by the soil mark on the stem—keep to the same depth. Tall plants which are planted in exposed positions will be better if staked—the stakes being placed as close to the main stem as possible, before the roots are covered. The soil for covering the roots should he fine and friable so that it may be worked in among the roots, and should be made quite firm by tramping, a final covering of a couple of inches being left loose. Autumn or early winter planting is best for most, subjects as, although there may be no apparent growth until the spring, the roots will be active. Exception must be made with potgrown plants which have generally been raised under glass and are usually somewh'at frost tender. These are best planted in the spring when the danger of frost is past. CARE OF POT FERNS IN WINTER. Many ferns may be kept going right through the winter. Maidenhairs (Adiantums) require proper ventilation and moisture with slight shade rather than heat in the summer, and all that is required during winter is to keep them just a little above freezing point. All dead or dying fronds should be carefully cut away; don’t pull them off as there is a danger in this of pulling them away with roots attached. There is no necessity for cutting the plants right dowm. If there is any space at the top of

WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT. *

the pot a top-dressing of leaf mould or good potting soil should be given the plants; a mixture of leaf mould or peat and good loam with some sharp sand makes a good top dressing. A little “Clay’s Fertiliser” may be mixed with the top-dressing soil with advantage. Don’t allow the soil to get dry but it must be realised that less water is required in the winter than ill summer. Always use water with the chill taken off when watering. Ferns may be repotted during autumn as weil as in the spring, the main factor being to use a pot only one size larger than the one in which the plot was growing and to ram the soil very firm round the roots, using a small garden label for the purpose. LILIUMS. The present is a good time for planting most liliums. They prefer soil rich, in humus and one which, while well drained, will not dry out too quickly. The presence of the humus will do much to ensure these, conditions, but it must not be forgotten that very thorough drainage is most important. Avoid animal manures, but if they are used at all they should be thoroughly rotted and mixed with the soil below the bulbs in such a way that the bulbs do not come in direct contact with the manure. It is quite a. good plan to surround the bulbs with coarse sand before filling in the soil. As to the depth to plant. This will vary according to the size of the bulb to some extent, but for general purposes six inches from the base of the bulb to the surface will be found satisfactory. When purchasing bulbs be sure that the basal roots are intact and quite plump—not dry or shrivelled. Unlike narcissi, tulips, etc., liliums are never really dormant, the roots being active throughout the year. It is not advisable to lift liliums too frequently; as long as they are healthy and doing well—that is, producing a reasonable number of flower spikes of good quality—they may be left undisturbed. As soon, however, as they seem unhealthy or fail to bloom satisfactorily, they should be lifted carefully and replanted as advised above. When replanting, any damaged scales should be cut cleanly away, as should any scales which appear diseased. In the event of disease, after removing affected scales, sulphur should be dusted in among the remaining scales. It is well to mark plainly where liliums are planted, as otherwise the bulbs will be damaged when digging is proceeding.