CARDEN NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22660, 13 July 1945, Page 6

CARDEN NOTES

(By “Nikau”)

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT When the ground Is dry enough plant the following: Cabbage (early varieties), cauliflower, broccoli, silver beet (Including perpetual spinach, spinach beet, and Swiss chard), herns, "winter” or "perpetual” rhubarb, shallot and potato onion. Sow In raised beds In a sheltered garden: Broad bean, pea, Early Milan turnip, lettuce. Place a teaspoonful of nitrate of soda beside every young cabbage and cauliflower plant, and lightly stir the surface. Pull diseased leaves off cabbage, cauliflower and silver beet and burn them. Lightly fork the surface of the asparagus bed, and topdress It now with farmyard manure; failing that, use compost. Use celery and artichokes before they spoil; each should be used fresh Trom the garden. Dig In as much gTeen stuff as possible; cut it up while It Is In the bottom of the trench. A little lime or sulphate of ammonia should be scattered over it to help It to decay quickly. Examine onion, marrow, pumpkin, squash and other vegetables in store. Press down again any strawberry plants that have been lifted by the frost. Plant all kinds of hardy frulttrees and bushes. -Finish the pruning of bush fruits (gooseberry, currant, raspberry, loganberry, etc.;, and continue with peach, nectarine, plum, apple and pear. FLOWERS Plant Iceland poppy, pansy, viola, antirrhinum, polyanthus, Primula malacoides, stock, calendula, dianthus, carnation, sweet pea. Stir the soil around bedding plants such as those already mentioned and bulbs, anemones, ranunculi, etc. Sow under glass: Nemesia and carnation. Put in cuttings of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and ornamental trees. Examples are forsythia, diervilla (welgela), euonymus, veronica (Hebe), various species of prunus (especially P. mosenii and P. pissardll), flowering gooseberry, flowering currant, tamarisk, native broadleaf (Grisellnla), abella, philadelphus, and most kinds of roses. There is still time to sow plenty of sweet peas. Plant all dormant lilies, such as speciosum, Henryl, regale, auratum, tlgrinum, philippinense, testaceum, sargentiae, Willmottiae, hansonll, and umbellatum. Plant hardy shrubs, ornamental trees and hedges. PRUNING DEMONSTRATIONS About 60 people attended Mr Whelan’s demonstration of fruit-tree pruning last week. Tomorrow, Saturday, at 2 o’clock, another demonstration is to be given by him; this time Clauaelands people especially will be catered for, as the scene will be Mr K. B. Scott's orchard, Tramway Road. Last week Mr Whelan emphasised and demonstrated most or the points given by "Nikau” last week in his- article on fruittree pruning. The "whip” (single stem) was cut at a height of about 18ins., and it was hoped that three leaders would come away from about tbut not exactly) the same level. If they are too near the same level they may split—most likely when the tree has begun to bear heavily. The next stage was taken—the tree in its second year, possessing three or four leaders over three feet long. These were cut back to within nine inches of their base, in the hope that each would send out two strong, well spaced shoots. For the first three years nearly all the pruning was aimed at securing a strong framework of well-spaced leaders. Some of the side-shoots were kept to yield fruit spurs. Tiie difference between apples and pears on the one hand, and peaches and nectarines on the other, was pointed out. Much of the new wood on the peaches and nectarines has to be kept, Tor it bears the fruit. A good way is to take out every second side-growth to within half an inch or its base, so that new wood will start from there and keep the leaders well furnished and not bare. The tops or the leaders were cut just above a lateral IT the strong growth was to be lessened greatly. Another way was to cut back into old wood, if excessive growth was to be checked. The renovation of an old apple tree and the planting of fruit trees were demonstrated. Theory was mingled with practice, so that the people present were able to learn a great deal. They were also appreciative of Mr A. E. Webb’s generously providing afternoon tea for them. ROSE PRUNING A demonstration of rose pruning is to be given all afternoon on Saturday, July 14, in Memorial Park, Hamilton, but if the weather is bad the demonstration will be on July 21. As there are hundreds of newly planted bushes as well as established ones, and the types are various, readers are advised to attend the demonstration. Questions will be freely answered. Next week’s notes will deal with rose pruning. The best time for this operation in the Waikato generally is between July 20 and August 10. SOME PECULIAR APPLEB The pruning of ordinary varieties of apples was described last week, but a Tew exceptions need mention now. The most noticeable is Irish Peach, because it bears nearly all its fruit on the tips of willowy growths. The pruning of this variety becomes thinning rather than shortening—we cut out a number of these growths Trom their base on the older wood, - and leave the others alone. If the snip-snip method were followed, we should have a neat tree but no fruit. Rome Beauty and Jonathan are similar, in bearing a good deal of fruit at the ends of shoots. A number of these should be left untrlmmed; they will then fill up with fruit spurs, and can be shortened as required in later years. PRUNING OF GRAPE VINES For the first two years the pruning of grape vines must be directed to securing at least two long and strong rods. These can be trained along wires or a fence, at an angle only a little above the horizontal. Another pair may be trained above these in the following years. Pruning after that will consist in shortening side growths to two buds (in the bottom three Inches of the shoots). After pruning, the vine will have the form of long rods, with short stubby growths at every 10 to 12 inches. From these will come one or two lateral growths, to flower in a rew weeks from their start. The weaker ones should be cut out, and the strong ones allowed to bear only two bunches of fruit each. An alternative system is to cut out one or two old rods every year and train voting ones in their place. Whatever system is followed, care must be taken lo see that all unhealthy wood is cut out, and that no crowding of rods or shoots takes place. With care, the one vine can bear well for a hundred years or more —longer than most of us require from any plant! CORRESPONDENCE A number of written and oral inquiries have been answered privately, owing to pressure on our column. Will any correspondents who have been overlooked please write again?