Bulbs for Early Planting in the Flower Garden

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 84, Issue 1, 15 January 1952, Page 69

Bulbs for Early Planting in the Flower Garden

TULIPS, hyacinths, and narcissi normally are not planted until March, April, or May in New Zealand, but most other spring-flowering subjects benefit from earlier planting. Many of these subjects flower later than tulips and other late-planted bulbs because they need a considerably longer growing season to achieve their maximum development. Should any of these bulbs be kept out of the ground for longer than their normal dormancy, their vitality is reduced greatly. For best results, therefore, they should be planted not later than February in most parts of New Zealand. In this month's article for the flower gardener C. K. Ellis, Horticulturist, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, discusses the bulbs which require this treatment.

ANEMONES: Most varieties of Anemone coronaria needed for early flowering should be planted as early in February as possible in a warm, sheltered, well-drained site in which the soil has been well worked. Freesias may be grown successfully outdoors in almost any part of New Zealand except where winters are extremely cold. They may be grown in pots or boxes for early flowering if the climate is considered unsuitable for their outdoor culture. An ordinary seed tray can be filled to within |in. of the top with a good potting compost, which should be firmed and the surface made level. The bulbs are planted about 2in. apart each way and about lin. deep. The box is stood in a sheltered position and kept moist until the foliage appears, and from this stage onward they should be watered more frequently and be given the protection of a greenhouse or cold frame if possible. An alternative is to support a sheet of glass over the top of the box. Protection from cold winds and frosts should be given until May, when the boxes or pots can be transferred to a warmer atmosphere with plenty of light. Freesia burtoni is the best of the species and varieties available to the home gardener. Many new and highly coloured hybrids are now being grown in the cut-flower trade, including mauves, pinks, yellows, oranges, and lavenders. These varieties can be obtained from nurserymen and seedsmen, but they are not generally as satisfactory for the home gardener as F. burtoni.

Frittilarias: The crown imperial (Frittilaria imperialis) dislikes wet or. cold soils, but grows to perfection in those which are deep and fertile. It appreciates heavy dressings of . wellrotted animal manures dug in fairly deeply. Fresh animal manures should never be used, for burning and other damage is likely if the bulbs or their roots come in contact with them. Bulbs such as the crown imperial are often planted with a layer of sharp sand under and around them to prevent their touching any materials which may have a burning effect. Such burning is usually a starting point of serious fungal or bacterial rots. The bulbs of frittilarias deteriorate with extreme rapidity if left out of the ground for longer than a few days. Frittilaria meleagris is a most desirable plant for the garden, especially if it can be given a cool, open space in which it may grow to perfection.' It grows only about a foot high and bears pendulous, bell-like flowers on extremely slender stalks. There is a purple, speckly type and one or two varieties, the best known of which is a white form. These bulbs may be left undisturbed in the ground for many years once they have become established. Grape hyacinths (Muscari) succeed almost anywhere and multiply rapidly. They are extremely common, but are seldom used to best effect, which is undoubtedly as a mass or as a naturalised subject beneath deciduous trees. Irises: Most bulbous irises benefit greatly from early planting. Dutch irises are very useful both for the flower border and as cut flowers, for they bloom when most other spring flowers, such as the tulips, have finished and they ' fill the gap before the roses begin to appear. , They do not mind being planted only a few inches apart in small groups provided they are given a reasonably fertile soil in a well-drained position. They will succeed comparatively well for several years without being disturbed if they receive a considerable intensity of sunlight during late summer and autumn. The most popular varieties are Wedgwood, Yellow Queen, Imperator, and Rembrandt. English irises are slightly hardier than the Dutch irises and require a cooler soil, open in texture and free draining. They ,do not like dry and hot conditions. They begin flowering in most parts of New Zealand in. late November and December and the flowers are considerably larger than those of the Dutch type. King of the Blues,. probably the most popular variety, has flowers of violet blue, but many other varieties in soft blues, mauves, and whites are available.

Spanish irises are similar in most ways to the Dutch types, but they have longer and more slender stems and produce their flowers slightly later. They prefer warm, well-drained soils.

Iris pavonia (peacock iris) is a South African native with slender upright foliage and large blue and purple flowers. It requires a good soil and perfect drainage and is probably best suited to the rock garden. Its flowers are produced during October, and once established it need not be lifted for several years.

Iris reticulata is one of the earliest of the bulbous irises to flower and in a good season will produce blooms at the end of winter. It succeeds reasonably well in most garden soils, though a well-drained situation is probably preferable. It is an excellent subject for the rock garden, where its rich purple flowers with their gold markings can be seen to best advantage. Iris tingitana, one of the most beautiful of all irises, is.not. difficult to grow and flower, contrary to the opinion of many gardeners, provided the soil is warm and well drained. The best method to induce this iris, to flower profusely has been the subject of much argument and discussion. Many growers lift the bulbs annually after the foliage has died down completely and allow them to be baked in the sun for some time before replanting them. Undoubtedly the principle underlying this method is correct, because the treatment most nearly simulates the climatic conditions in the natural habitat of the plant, which is Tangier. It is an admirable cut flower both because of its appearance and because it flowers during late winter. Lachenalias on the whole are treated in much the same way as are freesias, the only essential difference being that they require a slightly more open compost. They are admirably suited to culture in pots or hanging baskets..

Annuals of many kinds can be sown in February in the cooler districts to winter as small plants and make a worthwhile display in spring. Ashes accumulate rapidly in most households. Wood ashes are a valuable source of plant foods, especially , potash, and where wood is the main fuel used for domestic heating the ashes should never be wasted. They should be stored in a dry place and applied to the soil whenever it is dug over; put day by day on some part of the garden not carrying a crop and allowed to wash into the soil; or, best of all, put on the compost heap each day. The lime in the ashes will benefit the compost and the plant foods ultimately will be returned to the soil when dressings of compost are put on the garden. If wood ashes are allowed to accumulate in some odd corner open to the weather, rain will dissolve and wash out most of the valuable ingredients, which will then be wasted. Buying 'of potash fertilisers should rarely be necessary in households using wood as the main fuel if the ashes are used in this way. Coal ashes, on the other hand, should never be used in the garden. They contain practically no plant foods, but may contain a dangerous amount of boron —sufficient to cause damage to plants. Though boron is an essential plant food, it is required in only very small amounts, and regular dressings of coal ashes could build up the boron in the soil to a dangerous level. The dustbin is the best place for coal ashes. Bowls of bulbs flowering in the house in spring always make a welcome addition to the display of pot plants and offer a reminder of the bulbs which will be flowering in the border a little later. . Specially prepared bulb fibre, sold by seedsmen, should be used for bulbs in bowls without drainage holes, as soil goes sour under such conditions, but bulbs can be grown perfectly well in ordinary plant pots containing a potting soil, and lachenalias, freesias, and small bulbs in general will grow much better in soil than in fibre. After bulbs have been potted the containers should be stood, or sunk in soil to the rims, in the coolest, shadiest place available for about 6 weeks. They need watering from time to time and the soil must not be allowed to dry out. A good plan is to cover the pots with old sacks or with a few inches of sand or old fine cinders; this top layer helps to keep the pots cool and reduces drying out to a minimum, and the added weight prevents the bulbs from lifting themselves out of the soil as their roots grow. All the flowers in a bowl are rarely at their best at the same time; that can be overcome by planting all the bulbs about 3in. apart in boxes, growing them in the usual way, and then digging them out and potting them up into bowls when the flower buds are showing clearly, matching the plants chosen for each bowl. ' Rather surprisingly, the bulbs do not-seem to resent being transplanted in this way while in full growth, but they should be dug out of the boxes as carefully and with as many roots as possible.

Bulbs for spring flowering as a rule should be planted as early as possible. Early planting does not necessarily mean earlier flowering, as the varieties flower in roughly the same order and at about the same dates each season,

whether planted relatively early or late, but earliness of planting does affect the size and quality of the blooms, as the earlier-planted bulbs will develop larger root systems, better capable of producing large flowers and leaves, than will those planted later. A succession of flowers should be ensured by planting a range of varieties and not by planting one variety at intervals. Apart from the alwayspopular tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, freesias, and lachenalias (the last two will not stand very heavy frost), ixias and Dutch irises should be more widely planted to extend the bulb season into early summer. Freesia burtoni, a great improvement on the older types, has very fragrant, large flowers . of beautiful form and texture; it cannot be raised true to name from seed.

whether planted relatively early oi late, but earliness of planting does affect the size and quality of the blooms, as the earlier-planted bulbs will develop larger root systems, better capable of producing large flowers and leaves, than will those planted later. A succession of flowers should be ensured by planting a range of varieties and not by planting one variety at intervals. Apart from the alwayspopular tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, freesias, and lachenalias (the last two will not stand very heavy frost), ixias and Dutch irises should be more widely planted to extend the bulb season into early, summer. Freesia burtoni, a great improvement on the older types, has very fragrant, large flowers . of beautiful form and texture; it cannot be raised true to name from seed.

Chrysanthemum disbudding is the removal of unwanted flower buds, usually the smaller ones, when they are not larger than about pea size, by pushing them gently sideways until they drop off. That operation results in larger flowers, as by , removal of some of the buds a better supply of food is left for those that remain. On the other hand, heavy thinning of buds tends to shorten the total flowering period of any plant, as fewer flowers will remain to open after the first ones fade. Little disbudding need be done on chrysanthemum's grown’ for garden display unless particularly fine individual blooms are wanted, when the central bud should be left. Some single varieties are ' best partly • disbudded by having all but the top three or four buds on each. stem removed, but many gardeners take the easy way and grow chrysanthemums as “sprays” (that is, with no flower buds removed), each stem bearing a succession of flowers, though they lack the size and substance of blooms from disbudded plants. Cuttings of shrubs and many other plants put into a frame in January to root should be inspected regularly and sprayed with water daily to reduce wilting until the plants have developed roots of their own. Cuttings usually perk up and the leaves become fresh and crisp before the new roots grow, as the callus that forms over the end of a cutting can take in some water

from the soil. The first sign that the cuttings have formed new roots is when fresh green leaves start to develop in the. centres of the plants. When the cuttings have rooted, the frame light should be left off and the young plants allowed to grow naturally " until they can be planted out, either into an odd corner of the garden to grow on or directly into their permanent places. The sooner they are planted out the better, but delaying until autumn is often wiser than planting in the drier summer weather when each plant may need watering several times to keep it alive. The old saying “Plant when it is wet and sow. when it is dry” contains much truth. Everlasting flowers, though not very fashionable now, can be useful for decorating the home in the off season, especially in hilly inland districts where borders are flowerless in winter and there is no local shop to provide out-of-season flowers. Statice, helichrysum, rhodanthe (helipterum) , and acroclinium all have flowers with hard, scaly petals that retain their colours when dry. They can all be grown as annuals by sowing seed in boxes in spring, growing the plants in boxes in a frame, and then planting them out in October or November, or by sowing the seeds outdoors in ■ spring. The flowers should be cut when about half open with the longest possible stems, tied in bunches, and hung upside down in a shed out of sunlight and dust. The plants are left in this position until the stems have dried and stiffened so that the flower heads will not droop when they are arranged in vases, in which no water should be used. As soon as the stems are dry and stiff the bunches should be stored in a cardboard box until required. Honesty can also be used as an ' everlasting flower, but the plant is left untouched until the seed pods have ripened, as the silver “moons” for which it is grown are the central parts of the ripe seed boxes. Even larkspur flowers can be used by cutting the stems when the flowers are fully developed and drying them as described; the petals shrivel somewhat, . but retain much of their colour. Though everlasting flowers can be kept for years, it is best to grow a new lot each season and to throw away the old ones when the spring flowers come in, as they are usually full of dust by that time. Gladioli may be ready to lift in February in the northern, warmer districts, but elsewhere are only at their prime. The best time to lift them is about 6 weeks after the flowers have faded, and the best methods are to spread the entire plants out in shallow boxes or trays until the foliage has completely died down, or to hang them up in bunches in a dry, airy shed. The stems and leaves should not be cut off until they have quite died down and returned to the corm all the food materials which they contained when lifted. Hedges of evergreen species should be given their last _ clipping ' before winter. They should then be reclothed with short new shoots before growth ceases and will look neat and tidy throughout winter. The secret of keeping hedges of reasonable size and pleasing appearance is to trim them often but lightly, as heavy cutting makes them unsightly and may spoil coniferous hedges by leaving bare places which never grow again.

Hoeing is still necessary, even though there may be few weeds to kill after the hot, dry, summer weather — weed-killing weather”, as the market gardeners call it. One danger at this time of year is that the surface may become baked and hard, in which case rain is likely to run off instead of soaking immediately into the soil, and the gardener cannot afford to waste any rain which may fall in late summer. Another danger is deep cracking in prolonged dry spells, causing accelerated drying out of the soil and much damage to root systems. Regular hoeing between the plants, especially a few hours after each rainfall, will do much to avoid both those undesirable conditions. Loam, the main ingredient of all seed-sowing and potting composts, should be stacked and allowed to rot before being used. Gardeners who are going to raise their own seedlings and pot plants will need loam next spring, and a ' supply of turves should be obtained and stacked to rot. Early summer is the best time of year to dig turves for this purpose, as the soil and grass are still moist, but if the turves are dry when collected, they should be damped thoroughly as the stack is built.

Marguerites, especially the double white and the pink forms, are useful winter-flowering plants for all the milder districts, but are in disfavour because they soon look shabby if not properly attended to. In addition to regular removal of flower heads, either marguerites should be raised afresh each year from cuttings (which root very readily) or the bushes should be cut down hard in late summer to encourage new shoots to grow and flower through winter. Under this treatment marguerites are quite worthy of a place in the garden and will repay the attention given to them. They are also useful as cut flowers, but are much easier to arrange gracefully if cut with long stems from which most of the leaves are stripped.

Oxalis leaves will be reappearing in February as the bulbs start to grow after their short summer rest. The only hope of controlling this weed is to carry out a relentless war against it. A leaf must not be allowed to stay above ground longer than a day or two, and any bulbs seen when the ground is cultivated must be picked out and burnt. For gardeners unfortunate enough to suffer from this pest late summer is a good time to start an all-out campaign against it.

Pot marigolds (calendulas) sown in boxes in February, pricked out into other boxes when large enough to be handled, and later planted out in any vacant space in the flower borders or shrubberies will provide a brilliant display of colour from midwinter onward in all but the coldest districts. These winter-blooming marigolds seem to have larger blooms and more vivid colours than those grown in summer. Orange and yellow pot marigolds, purple hybrid wallflowers, daffodils, and jonquils, planted together in autumn in beds in a Wellington garden a few years ago, produced a display of colour through winter and spring that excited quite a lot of local attention.

Schizanthus (butterfly flower) is one of the best annuals for growing in pots in a glasshouse or sunporch. Seeds should be sown in February in a pot or box and the seedlings pricked

out ■ into small pots and then grown on to flower next spring. Self-sown seedlings of antirrhinums, pot marigolds, cinerarias, and many, other plants can usually be found growing in beds at this time, especially under plants where the hoe has not disturbed the groundand, however diligent the gardener may have been in picking off faded flower heads, it seems almost impossible not to miss occasional heads, which ripen and shed their seeds. Self-sown seedlings can be watered, then carefully lifted, pricked out into boxes, and grown on into good plants to be set out in autumn. Other Tasks for February Plant anemones and ranunculuses for early flowers. Continue to layer border carnations and take cuttings of pinks and per-petual-flowering carnations. Strike more cuttings of such plants as lavender, catmint, verbena, and geraniums if required. Shake out, repot, and start into growth cyclamen corms that were dried off in early summer and rested. Root a ' few cuttings of choice. fuchsias in 3im pots to make flowering plants for the windows next season. Sow seeds of Iceland , poppies in boxes kept in a shaded place until the seedlings show. Caterpillars In late summer caterpillars of all sorts are likely to be troublesome, often defoliating cinerarias and wreaking havoc with geraniums and many other flowering plants. It is characteristic . of caterpillar attacks that they come in “epidemics”. For months relatively few caterpillars may be seen, and then the gardener may quite suddenly find hundreds, which often do much damage before steps are taken to control them. Every gardener should train himself to notice tiny holes in the leaves of plants, as these usually tell him that a new generation of caterpillars has just been hatched. An immediate application of derris or D.D.T. dust with a hand duster or of an arsenical spray should check the attack and prevent disfiguring damage. For flowering plants lead arsenate is best used at the rate of l|oz. in 4 gallons of water. It is sometimes recommended that twice the quantity of hydrated lime be added to reduce the risk of the lead arsenate causing leaf scorch, especially when it is applied to young and tender foliage, but hydrated lime is not always easy to obtain in the small quantities the home gardener

needs.

Lead arsenate does not dissolve in water and remains in proper suspension for only a short time. When it is being drawn from a bucket with a garden syringe the liquid must be kept well stirred. As the. chemical is a stomach poison, it must be applied systematically over the plants to make sure that all the foliage is covered. If the application is uneven, much unsightly damage can be done by the caterpillars before they eat enough of the lead arsenate to kill them—in fact, some even seem to be able to eat round the poisoned patches. Grass-grubs The larvae of a brown beetle that flies at night in early summer, grassgrubs, which are cream coloured with brown heads, can be recognised from all other soil creatures by the fact that they are always seen lying curled in a half circle. They are voracious feeders, eating the roots of grass .and many other plants, including small fruits and flowers. Though grass-grubs damage the roots of flowering plants seriously, they rarely kill them and often the poor growth of the flowers is attributed not to grass-grub attack but to some other cause. Consequently no steps are usually taken to eradicate grass-grubs from the flower borders. The most obvious damage caused by grass-grubs is to lawns, where they may cause large areas of grass to die out in late summer. Nothing can be done to save the lawn at this stage, as the grass is already dead and all that remains is to sow more, but lawns can be safeguarded (“proofed”) against grass-grub attack by dressing them with lead arsenate. This is most effective if used at the rate of foz. to the square yard, mixed with twice the volume of sand, evenly spread, and watered in thoroughly. The lawn should also be rolled to press damaged grass plants back into contact with the soil and help them to reroot. Proofing, which should be done in early summer, is usually very effective, reducing damage to negligible proportions, as most of the young grubs ■ are poisoned by the lead arsenate. The greatest care should be taken when using lead arsenate, as it is intensely poisonous to human beings. When a new lawn is being laid down it is always worth while to incorporate ljoz. of lead arsenate, to the square yard with the top inch of soil before sowing the seed to proof the lawn against grass-grub attack for 4 or 5 years, after which the dressing recommended should be applied each year. All photographs except that of grass-grubs by Douglas Elliott.