GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17964, 8 March 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES.

SEASONABLE WORK. fßy “Nikau.”) Vegetables and Fruit. —There is little sowing of vegetables to be done in the Waikato, as the winter frosts check gmvth, but the following may be sown:— Winter spinach, lettuce, silver beet, yellow turnip, and onion. In light soils carrots may be sown. Burn diseased tomatoes, both plants and fruit. Cut off tips of marrows and pumpkins, so that fruit already formed may develop well. Plant leeks and any kind of cabbage •that is fairly free from caterpillars. Prepare covers (scrim and sacking) in case of frost. Bud fruit trees before the middle of the month. Cut off unwanted runners of strawberries. Use scrim or flne-mesh netting to protect grapes from birds.

Flowers. —Stir the soil round bedding plants, as this will helpto keep them healthy and vigorous. Plant bulbs. Sow winterflowering sweet peas. Destroy weeds in lawns. Sow new lawns after middle of the month, but only if the soil lias been prepared and stirred frequently. Cut hedges, except coniferous kinds, such as C. macrocarpa, C. lawsoniana, pine, etc.; these are best cut in winter. Sovu in open garden, seeds of all viardy plants. Disbud chrysanthemums. NOTES. Turnips —With a little care and judgment it is possible to have a constant supply ol' turnips from autumn until mid-summer. A few weeks ago swedes should, have been sown, to be ready from May onwards. Ordinary soft turnips should also have been sown to be ready in April and May. For present sowing the most suitable turnips are yellow-fleshed, as they stand the winter better than other kinds. The best is the variety sold as Orange Jelly or Golden Ball. The soil should he moderately rich; super-phosphate is an excellent manure for turnips, but other artificial manures may also be used. The two chief points are to grow the turnips in an open parL of the garden and to allow them plenty of room. This means having the rows spaced at least eighteen inches and' thinning plants to several inches apart—six is a fair distance. Swedes may be sown still, but they will not make much' growth unless they are well cultivated. It should be noted that old turnips, like old cabbages, harbour grubs and aphis, and should be dug in or destroyed. As a precaution against club root (or “anbury”), lime should be dusted over the soil in which cabbages, cauliflowers and turnips are to be sown or planted.

Spare Ground. —By March there arc usually several parts of the vegetable garden that are empty or else tilled with spent crops. The latter should he promptly dealt with as soon as they have passed their prime, for nearly every vegetable nowadays is apt to harbour pests, either fungal diseases or insects. There is another reason for dealing with old crops: they continue to take food from the soil. Perhaps cabbages and cauliflowers are the worst offenders in this respect, but the remark applies to turnips, lettuce, spinach, radish, silver beet, and other crops that are allowed to stand too long. Generally it is true garden economy to dig in old crops that have plenty of foliage, as this makes green manure, but if fungal disease has been rampant the crop should be burnt. Thus tornaloes and potatoes should never be dug in, as disease-free plants of these are almost unknown now, in this province at least. Onion lops should also be burnt, since mildew is becoming too common. Then w-hat is to be done with the spare ground? As stated above, the amount of solving and planting to be done in March is limited. For most plants the time is too late, and for peas and broad beans it is too early. One thing that should certainly be done is to dig the soil deeply. Unless the soil is light, a form of trenching should be employed every three or four years. If one part of the garden is taken one year, and another the next, the work docs not prove veryarduous in the case of an ordinary town section. Farmers have not the same need for trenching, as they can enrich the soil every year with some form of natural manure. Even this is not perfectly satisfactory, however, as {lie -soil seems to get

“manure sick.” It will be found that thorough digging and fallowing will do a great deal to make the garden as healthy as it was in its first few years. If (he soil is light a green crop should be sown now to turn in later as green manure. This will supply humus, itself a food and also a maker of food. Besides, it improves the texture of the soil, enabling it. to hold moisture better. The hardiest crop is oats, hut it takes almost as much out of the soil as it puts back. From the point of view of food value, lupins are a better crop, for they take great quantities of nitrogen from the air in the soil, and “fix” it in the form of nitrates. Other crops arc then able to draw on tbs “fixed” nitrogen. Other leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, vetches, and clover, have this power, but they are not as suitable in other ways as the lupins. The latter should be sowm now, so that they will make a fair amount of growth before frost comes. They should be dug in any time between June and August, so that they will have decayed' sufficiently to provide food for crops sown or planted in September or October.

If the soil is in good order now, some of the seeds and plants mentioned above may he put in. The lettuce should have a sunny position; indeed, the more open ihc plot is the better will all the vegetables do now.

Bulb Planting. —A glance at the seedsmen's windows will show that there are big stocks of bulbs and allied' plants available. Pages could be written about the many kinds for the names alone would fill, half a column. A few kinds will he dealt with from time to time, but at present -some general notes should lie of service. In tlic first place, it should be noted that many kinds of bulbs require a long season of growth. For this reason all daffodils or narcissi should be planted in February and - March. If any of these bulbs that were left in the ground arc taken up now, they will be found lo have new roo l s already. This supplies a hint as to the proper time of planting, in the case of bulbs left in the ground, no time should he lost before the soil is stirred and lightly

i manured with superphosphate, for in a few weeks the foliage will appear. Other bulbs requiring a long season of growth are hyacinths, tulips and jonquils. Another point to notice in the case of most bulbs is that the soil v must be well drained, in spite of the / fact that some kinds are grown in < water. It will be observed, however, that the bulbs themselves are out of the water, and only the roots are constantly submerged. With regard to aspect and situation, bulbs differ widely from one another. Most of them, such as narcissi, thrive in partial shade, as in an orchard or at the edge of shrubberies, but there are some which thrive best in the open. The South African “bulbs,” such as ixias, freesias, babianas, Lritonias, are examples of this class. Lilies as a class are characteristic of open woodland, and therefore revel in a cool soil which has plenty of leafmould or other humus. Most of them resent interference, whereas narcissi may be taken up every year. Anemones and ranunculi require similar soil, but they must not be planted deeply. They resent most forms of artificial manure, and prefer compost, leaf-mould, or well-rotted farm manure. Gladioli require a rich loam, but it must be well drained for most of the garden species. Another point to observe is that succcssional planting should be practised for most bulbs, but especially wilh gladioli and anemones. The early-flowering gladioli should be ! planted now, but the other kinds may wait until August, or as long as they do not shrivel badly.

Abelia. —This Is the shrub with shiny green leaves and pink-and-white flowers. It is beautiful as a specimen plant, but perhaps even more beautiful when planted in a hedge. There are many fine hedges of this about Hamilton, and the writer sees no reason for changing his belief that abelia is the best hedge plant for this district. There is a fence of this round the house in Memorial Park. Tecoma is perhaps better than Abelia in Auckland, but will not grow here in a hedge, for it is as much as one can do to grow Tecoma as a single plant in a sheltered corner. Even when the flower has fallen the bracts persist, and are themselves almost as beautiful as flowers. Hedges of abelia should not be cut for a few weeks yet, as the flowers will last a good while still. At Lhe end of April cuttings of firm young wood may be put in, with every prospect of becoming plants by September.

The Autumn Show. —The Hamilton Horticultural Society’s Autumn Show will be held next Tuesday in St. Peter’s Schoolroom- Entries close with the secretary, Aliss von Slurmer, on Monday at midday. Late entries will not be accepted, it is hoped that exhibitors will rally round the society and make tile show a success. It is safe to predict that the newest and best dahlias .will be exhibited, both in the competitive classes and in displays

“for exhibition.” There will be at least tvyo exhibition stands from nurserymen living in oilier parts. ' Then the cut flowers, decorative and vegetable classes will be as interesting as usual. If the show is similar to previous autumn shows, there will also be a beautiful exhibit of fruit. The show, indeed, will be there, but what of the public? Flowers, afternoon tea, and friend meeting friend in beautiful surroundings should result in a good attendance.

Hamilton’s Public Gardens.—Readers are advised to have a look at Lhe beautiful displays of flowers at the railway station, in the Memorial Park, and in the other places maintained by the Beautifying Society. The asters, zinnias, and -scarlet gum in the Memorial Park deserve special attention. An account of these various displays will appear in later notes.