GARDENING NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 23 July 1914, Page 53

GARDENING NOTES

(By Mr. J. Joyce, Landscape Gardener, Christchurch.)

THE APRICOT TREE. ’ The apricots must be treated somewhat similar to the peaches. They very seldom produce a crop if planted as standards out in the open garden in Canterbury. The late spring frosts and chilly east winds usually destroy the blossoms or young fruit, if they happen to get set. On that account they require to be planted in a sheltered situation, where those frosts cannot reach them. Usually they are more successful when planted against a wall or side of a house and trained horizontally, lacing a sunny aspect and pruned every season to keep them within bounds. They stand pruning well, as they produce fruit on the young and old wood very plentifully. It is better to prune late in the spring, when they arc showing blossoms. The tips of the shoots bloom the earliest and the inner buds later. As it may be an advantage to keep the tree as late as possible from setting its fruit—until the late frosts pass by—by pruning the tips which are most forward, it will keep the inner buds in check and bring them into bloom later on. When grown against a wall, they ought always be summer-pruned, as well as winter, so as to keep them neat and tidy in appearance, on account of the position they occupy, especially if against a house. They look very untidy when left to their own free will to produce, as is very often the case, shoots a yard long. These shoots should never be allowed to grow; they take away the necessary sap which should go to nourish the fruit. A neatly trained tree against a wall or fence is pleasing to* the eye. Some people cover up their trees with scrim in the spring time, when they are in blossom. If left on day and night the cure is worse than the disease. . It shuts out a certain amount of, light and air which is necessary lor the development of the fruit. The consequence is that when the covering isi taken off the tree is so delicate, from the nursing it has received, that exposure'to the sun and light causes all the fruit to drop off, and very often the. leaves as well. (This refers to peaches also.) When a tree is protected, the covering should be removed in the morning. Unless the night is very cold or likely to be frosty there will be no need to cover the tree at all. Never protect the tree unless you make up your mind to take away the covering in the morning. 1 1 have seen a number of peach trees covered un completely for a few weeks, and when they were uncovered every leaf dropped off. I have never seen them covered since—experience taught their owner a lesson. If the tree bears a heavy crop, this should be considerably thinned, so as to give the tree a chance of maturing a crop of size and flavor. THE PLUM TREE. The plum tree succeeds fairly well in ordinary garden soil. In its young state it requires to be carefully pruned, so as to form a good head. During the summer a watch must be kept to encourage an even growth, by shortening back any of the wood which is inclined to grow too luxuriantly. Sometimes the tree is inclined to throw out soft woody succulent shoots which rob the others of their proper nourishment. Like other fruit trees, it must be summer-pruned in the usual way, and in winter spurred back to two or three eyes. A tree in a full-bearing state will not require much pruning. If allowed to bear heavy crops, it ought to get a mulch of good stable manure during summer to help it along—sometimes it gets exhausted through being left to bear too heavily, and in that case requires a little nourishment. THE JAPANESE PLUM. This tree is often very unsatisfactory in producing a crop. It invariably shows a good deal of blossom,

but very seldom produces a crop, except in very special seasons, .when we have a very mild spring, free from frosts. Ihe great drawback to this plum tree is that it comes into blossom too early in the season, and, during t)ie setting period of the young fruit, it usually has the misfortune to encounter a late spring frost (speaking now of Canterbury), and the great expectations which naturally the grower forms from the abundance of blossoms, are doomed to disappointment. On this account the tree ought to be planted in a very shady situation, especially sheltering it from the easterly cold winds. They stand a bettor chance planted against a fence and trained as an espalier. They are inclined to make a very strong growth during the summer, and those shoots ought to be shortened back as occasion requires. THE CHERRY TREE. This tree requires to be carefully pruned in its young state until it is fairly well established. Then it can take care of itself, except when the necessity arises of cutting an occasional branch which has grown out of place. Old trees require very little pruning. The tree bears in both old and new wood.