FOR THE HOME GARDENER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 305, 24 December 1938, Page 15 (Supplement)

FOR THE HOME GARDENER

THE GLORIES OF MID-SUMER This is the period when the gardener reaps the full reward of his labours —tne flower beds and borders progress to their fullest splendour. Carnations are at their best, lilies and roses are in bloom, poppies, galardia, sweet peas and other brilliant flowers furnish groups of colour in the herbaceous border. The roses need our special attention. Faded blooms should be cut off with long stalks to force development of tresh shoots for later blossoming. An increased stock of border carnations is obtained by layering. Dead blooms should be taken off all flowering sh-übs. Dahlia, chrysanthemum and other late flowering plants must be staked securely and the growths thinned out if at all crowded. This is also the time to layer border carnation, loganberry, clematis, and other hardy shrubs. Bulbs of daffodils and autumnflowering crceus should be planted. ARTIFICIAL MANURES Phosphate of potash is the best chemical manure tor plants intended lor exhibition. Dissolve Joz. m one gallon of watei. A good stimulant often used is a mixture of equal parts ot nitrate oi ammonia and phospnate of potash. For colour to fouage and nowers of pianos, use sulphate ot iron (Joz. in one gallon of water) occasionally. Fisn guano is the powcer ground from the dried flsh heads, tans and other discarded parts ot the cod and herring. Fish guano is effective as a fertiliser, containing as it does 9 per cent, to 12 per cent, nitrogen. It is very much slower in action than sulphate of amomnia or nitrate ot soda. Nitrate of soda will give all leafproducing plants a flying start. Use a teaspoomui to one gallon of water. Do not give to plants until they are established. Kerosene Emulsion.—How to mix it. Add a wineglassful of kerosene to a small quantity of milk and, after stirring well, pour into a bucket of water. The milk, being heavier than water, carries it through the water thoroughly. Syringe your attacked plants with this in the evening, and the next day with clear water. Very effective for green fly. Pot Chrysanthemums.—Keep ’plants well washed with a weak solution of permanganate of potash, using a can with a brie rose. Carnation Rust.—Dust with air slaked lime. Completely cover the plants with lime dust preferably in early mornings. Primula Rash.—Dissolve a handful of washing soda in an earthenware jar in the oven, remove the scum, add a teaspoonful of the liquor to a pint of warm water, and dot on the affected parts. Copper sulphate of bluestone is a good chemical dressing for the destruction of slugs. A watering with a 2 to 3 per cent, solution of copper sulphate in the evenings or early mornings when slugs are active is very effective. Another remedy is to dust over the ground in the evening a mixture of finely-powdered Kainit (one of the potash manures) made by mixing one part by weight of copper sulphate to twenty parts by weight of Kainit. » Napthalene. Using napthalene, finely powdered, at the rate of 2oz. per square yard, will also keep slugs away from your favourite plants.

NEXT WEEK’S GUIDE THE FLOWER GARDEN. Remove spent blooms from Roses, Gaillardias, Coreoposis, etc. Give a partial pruning to Roses to encourage late blooms. Tie up Dahlias. Pinch out the centre growth to encourage the plants to break low down. Primroses and Polyanthus can be divided. Watering will be necessary if dry weather prevails. Sow Hollyhocks, Canterbury Bells, Aquilegias and hardy perennials. Prune early flowering shrubs as they go out of flower. Remove seed pods of Rhododendrons and Azaleas. If red spider or th rips are present spray with white oil. Tie up the flowering stems of Carnations. Disbudding is also necessary. Prune Rambler Roses as they go out of flower and tie in the young growths. Spray Roses for mildew. If bronze betties are present add arsenate of lead to the spray fluid. Stake and tie Chrysanthemums. Plants for cut flower purposes should be stopped when about nine inches high. Spray Chrysanthemums for rust. Use lime sulphur 1.120. Salvias, Cosmos, Zinnias and Salphiglossis can be planted. Sow Portulacca. It does well on hot, dry soils. THE GREENHOUSE. The floor and stages should be damped twice a day. Give sufficient shading to prevent plants drying out too quickly. Ferns in full growth will benefit by applications of weak liquid manure. Begonias and Gloxinias which are in full flower should have liquid manure. Fumigate regularly to prevent insect pests from getting a foothold. Watering should be attended to every evening, and if the weather is very dry plants should be looked over at mid-day. 'THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Late sown Peas will need watering. Spray and earth Potatoes as they need it. Plant Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Savoys and other winter greens. Thin out seedling crops as soon as they need it. Do not let the plants get too large or the permanent plants are disturbed when the others are pulled out. If Carrots disappear when small, suspect aphis and spray the seedings as soon as they are up with a nicotine spray. Treating the soil before sowing with napthalene is advisable. Growing crops will benefit from a mulch of half-decayed manure or old compost heap. Almost every crop will benefit by mulching. It is most important to keep the surface soil loose, and to achieve this constant hoeing is necessary. Sow Silver Beet and Perpetual Spinach. Sow Lettuces. Slight shading, well-manured soil and water are necessary. Prepare the Celery trenches. The planting can be done after the New Year. Sow Dwarf Beans for succession. Runner Beans should be kept picked close. Spraying will be necessary if red spider appears. Vegetable Marrow, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, etc., should be stopped to give plenty of lateral flowering shoots. Sow Beet, Shorthorn Carrots, Swedes and White Turnips. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Heavy crops of fruits should be thinned. Spray for eodlin moth, bronze beetle, or plum leach, using arsenate of lead. Spray for brown rot and black spot, using wettable er colloidal sulphur. Currants and Gooseb.tries should be sprayed as soon as the fruit is off. Some of the inside wood of Peaches should be removed and any extra strong growths should be stopped. I or spraying to be effective the pest or disease should be anticipated.

KEEP DOWN PESTS ISE OF SPRAY. Spraying is now quite a part ot garden work; that is if pests and fungi are not to take charge entirely. The . difficulty is to know just what to use. | For caterpillars, brown bet tie, and | tomato grubs, there is only one cure, I and that is arsenate of lead. This ; can be purchased in two forms—paste jor powder. Both are of equal value ■ and it is just a matter of preference , which to use. There are |wo ways in : which arsenate can be applied—as a I dust or as a wet spray. The simplest I method is as a dust, and although this may require more material the cost is I balanced by the ease and handiness of "dusting" over "wet spraying.” For a generally combined dust the following is god and can be easily applied at almost any time without anybothering preparation: Flowers of sulphur, ten parts; arsenate of lead, one part. Mix it thoroughly and place in an oatmeal bag suspended from a stick tw-o or three feet long; hold over the plants and give the bag two or three taps with a stick and you will produce an arsenate-sulphur dust w-hich will settle on every leaf and flower in sufficient quantity to destroy any caterpillar or grub. Early morning is the best time to undertake the job, when the air is comparatively still. A heavy coating is not required, a dusting that can hardly be seen being quite sufficient. The sulphur should be flowers of sulphur, as the finer the particles the better the result. Thrips are another pest that damage dahlia, gladioli, zinnia and other blooms; they are also carriers of bacterial disease. They puncture the skin of the leaf, extract the juices of the leaf or petal, causing it to curl and dry up. The best spray to use for this is nocitide sulphate. Timely spraying is most essential, for if the trouble is allowed to continue the plant is nearly killed. As it is impossible to catch all the insects with the first application, it is always wise to give a second or third application at intervals of ten days or so. SOWING VEGETABLE SEEDS For the kitchen garden the planting of winter greens should be finished as soon as possible. Shallots should be lifted as soon as the weather clears. Celery and leeks must be earthed up. Seeds of carrot, lettuce, turnip, peas, cabbage. French beans, butter beans, globe beetroot, endive and parsley can still be sown.