GARDEN NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19911, 13 June 1936, Page 18 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES

•SEASONABLE WORK.

IPECIALLY WRITTEN AND COMPILED TO SUIT WAIKATO CLIMATE

(By “ Nikau,")

VEGETABLE: AND FRUIT. Mould up early crops of Peas, Broad Beans, Cabbage and Cauliflower. as this reduces the harm done by wind, and, if properly done, it improves drainage. . Sow Broad Beans. If the garden is sheltered, sow Dwarf Peas, Lettuce, Silver Beet and Turnip. l‘ss Beetroot, Artichokes and Marrows while they are in good condition; it kept 1 long time they spoil. Save the best of the bean seeds before the vines are cleared away and burnt. It should he remembered that runner beans are perennials. and that most of the other kinds of climbing beans are annuals. Save seed of pumpkins with particularly deep flesh, if they were grow—ing by themselves. They cross readily with other pumpkins and probably with certain kinds of marrows. Continue with the digging and trenching. Scatter manure and compost over the surface and dig a certain amount into each trench. 'l‘he turning-in of green manure, oompoat or farmyard manureils the best means we have of keeping a soil fertile. it, however, an exoesa is turned in. the gasses formed from the decomposing material may poison plants put in within a few weeks or the digging. In any one it is well to leave the soil for a while, so that it may consolidato to some extent before sowing ior planting. Prune Currants. Goosborries, Grape-vines and Apple Trees. When these are done. Peaches and nectarines may be pruned. Plant hush fruits and all hardy kinds of fruit trees. Because of our heavy frosts it is advisable not to plant Lem-on and Orange trees before August. ’llhe same applies to Guava and Persimmon trees. FLOWERS. Dig the beds and borders and bury plenty of cow memo and. compost. The rose-bed especially needs this treatment. Trim badges for the last time before October or November. This Is a good time for the annual trimming needed by coniferous hedges (Cupressus Lawsoniana, C. .\iacrocarpa, Pine. Juniper. Totara. etc). Plant ornamental trees and shrubs, including native kinds suoh as Rimu. Kow‘hai, Lanoewood, Lace-bark, Ramarama, Red Manuka, etc. The Ron‘s Beak is rather tender, and should not be planted until August or September. Plant Lilies (all true lilnms, except L. Candidum, as this one has made too much growth already for it to be moved safely). Use Black Leaf 40 for aphis on Argentine Pea, Broad Beans and Roses in sheltered corners. With this and some other sprays. care must be taken to avoid blackening or otherwise spoiling paint-work. Cut down Chrysanthemums to within three inches of the soil. Dust the plants with lime, as this will check sings and snails. If the latter Z:'i’.1‘:;:;‘?"”é:::“‘;;.:2‘ii 33:15:: £3.22? m snails at least once a. week. 5917 0 mm for sings and See that dahiias taken up lately are safe from thnry by frost.

LAVIRING. Though some shrubs are by no means easy to propagate. It (being necessary to Insert cuttings or them ln names wlth bottom heat. or also graft them upon suitable stocks. there are numbers whlch can be Increased very esslly by ‘layerlng.’ A layer In a. shoot whlch. bolus bent down from the pa:ent plant and pound Into the aoll. wlll form new roots of Its own. The beginner has probably seen thls method followed only wlth osrnstlons. The tomowlng brlet llst or plants esslly layered wlll suggest others: Daphne (of varlous specles). azales, phlladel—phlus (mock omnge). lllsc (Syrlngs), enonymus. veronlua. rhododendron. rose, wlstsrla, clemstls (very lbrlttle shoots), aksrbls. Viburnum, Gydonla (so-called “Japonlua"), Rhus ootlnvu's ‘ (the ‘lmoke plant‘) and car-mu kinds 0! mm trees. In puslng. It may be polnted out that many kinds of plants layer themselves naturally. Examples; are rose, blackberry. sooselberry. our-i rant, hydrangea, val-lons vlbumums‘ ho \' I' l:' m 1 . l _> :fiMWWMvm:

that each is unique in some respects. and as a general rule the quality of uniqueness is most impressed in those areas which for a long time have been isolated, thus giving evolution the opportunity to proceed unhampered by intercroseing with adjacent flares. by intercrossins with adjacent floras. The peculiar ieatures ot a flora are consequently an expression of its past history, and so those regions such as South Africa, Western Australia. South America and New Zealand, which for considerable periods in their history have been out of! from the remainder of the world, developed Home with many characteristics of surpassing interest. New Zealand is far distant from any continental moss and has maintained such a relation for a long period, probably throughout the whole of the Tertiary Era. Briefly the peculiar features of the plants of New Zenland are a high de—gree or endamism; great development of genera such as the koromikos (Hebe), karamus (Coprocma), wild Spaniards (Aciphylia), daisy trees (Odom-la), mountain daisies (Celmisiu , and native brooms (Carmiclmelia) ; til.) absence or poor development or many 5‘ < thinnest genera of plants such a» ‘ Astriéaiué Assam, Egsairpius. EH- ‘ Dhorbia. Siesembryflntheml‘m! 581‘” gineLla, although some are 1118111 (101' \‘eloped in Australia ;the presence 0‘ l nu element known as an Antarctlc'l containing species related to those inl‘ 501 m) America. and the islands or the southern Ocean; certain peculiar lii’c— l forms such as the demo cushio'n‘ plants known as 'vcgetable sheep; “no the high preporticn 0‘ 59501“ with persistent juvenile stages con—eldembly diflex‘ent mm the adult forms.

A fill-1y Inns: lnohlon ls made 111 an upward can-mm} through a jolnt on one 01 no muchoo or the subject to be gropegabod. The growth should not 0 entirely severed, the knlre pass—ing only about half—way through it. A fairly thin and supple branch should be chosen. and one whlch can be read—ny bent down to ground level. It the 9011 is helvy, or inclined to be lumpy. I llttle should be removed into a con—vonlent place. and should have he plloe taken by a compost of fibrous loam. leaf-mould and sand. The out portion or stem ls then bent down and hurled in thls prepared soil, the ln«Mon bolus opened widely. A wooden ’8 (perhaps a natural fork) or a. fuse:- pln made by bendlng a 12—lnuh place or Mrs into the form or a U. Ihould be used to hold this pomon of the shoot beneath the «round, and the and o: the shoot may be made secure ‘ to a slum stake.

In the following account a select number of species are mentioned for their interest in one way or another. Among the many important discoveries oi” the late Dr. L. Gookayne, however, was the fact that many or the individual plants in the vegetation are in reality hybrids between the ordinary “species" or the taxonomlst. The prevalence of hybrids is. in fact. much more general than is apparent to the untrained eye. In a list recently pub—lished, Cockayne and ii. 11. Allan record nearly five hundred native hybrids. Some such as the crosses among the beeches (Nothoi‘ngus) and lutus) (coriarin), lake, in places. a prominent part in the vegetation .-o\'m‘lng.

After a tow months roots will be fanned from the cut portion oi’ atom. particularly around the divided Joint. Meanwhile the leaves at the shoot continue to draw nourishment from the parent plant. and there is no need for constant attention (in watering and shadingl, as there is with cuttings. Several layers may be bent down around each shrub, if desired. Layering may he practised at almost any time of the year. but spring. when new growth is being made, is the most suitable time. Some plants are very Now in rooting, and must be left for a “hole your. .\ituznoliaa. azaleas—rhododendrons should he left a year. In such cases it is well to do the layering in autumn. so that the new plants will he ready for removal ‘hy the end oi’ the next planting season. in some cases the shoot to he layered is nicked or ringed. instead at being slit. and another way is to twist the shoot. Many kinds of shrubs} need only the partial burying of the‘ shoot. without any cutting or twistlugt at the time. When strong roots are formed (as we may discover by Judicious use of a fork), the layer may be severed from the parent. One advantage of layering is that it is possible to get. in this way a larger plant ilian by ordinary cuttings, and it is a much more certain process with many plants. Lay- ‘ ering will serve well with many of] our native plants which do not propagate easily by other means. 1 NEW ZEALAND FLORA. YEAR BOOK 193.1. The {ollmflng rxii'ari from ilw New Zeulanxl \‘nntr Hunk i'nr lint-2 S'lwllllll ha of interest in 'iiv m'm} [it'ullult‘ “Inn: are laid": mm".- .auxi 111-‘l'n‘ "mm-.- m‘ our nuihn pianist it \\:i~ \wtiinn l») “Ht'llr1|lll'l".llllllh’ \i‘i"llli~l~, ili'. \\V ii. [3, ulin‘r, liilt'uiuz‘ nl‘ i|.v- I'lllllill-Hlt MHSI‘IHH, \\‘t-:i:n;i..n. - 1 Tlxmiz‘li i’tt‘ llllitllil‘ i‘n‘v‘ tl'n“ ”r NW} flvi‘zi. oi" ,\<‘\\' X-‘alnnil ‘tl'v‘ [li‘nilln'iifif j emphasise-xi, it should hut in} 'liough' ‘ that, tlitz‘v ir'n ht! v'irti‘ iluz‘its \\i, i'h‘ might in i14‘~1'.1.1i.l Ir hum; v;';ifii' ‘ pnx‘uf' I" "‘l‘ ‘fu, div» 'l.il\'!:; lei pgntis x' 'l n «\.l“ n‘ 1' ’!‘.l 11.11“ n' wt Linton has lrit'V‘EC‘lel in all areas “I

’l‘akag the vascular plants—that Is, llawm‘lng plant's', conifers, ferns and |_\'coprods—.ns a whole. by far the

I.xl‘gt‘r portion shows. affinities directly up Indirectly with the plums of [he Malayan region. Coming under this

hcad are most of Hm conifers, especixlly the [mini ".\gulhin] and mo, twc In'ilu‘iwl gvnvl'n ut‘ poducurps {hurrywlium l’odocul‘push and practically al‘ lhc mnlomic g‘nnvm fur wlllch Hr:

Horn. 15 mt ju.~lly I‘umvd‘ It Is neceswu’y to mvnlinn only sllL‘h lmpm'luut vxumplos as (I.\rmivhnolia, Anisolonc. .\ciphylla Ilaasiiu. nuoulia. Sllllocm‘pu, lintoloa, and .\lmsotidlum. The pres—vncc of this vlcmcnt is justification for stating that the basis of the New

Xvaland Horn 15 .\lnluyun, and that It came to the counlry by way of an unch‘nt land connection. Supporting (‘\i(ll‘ll\‘(‘ nl‘ suvh a land bridge ls found In Hm [n'uscm‘c in New Zenland at some liightlcss species of birds and the tuntax'u lizard: also, In former tlmcs. of the large wingICSS moas. ——