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THE GARDEN.

AMONGST THE FLOWERS. To keep moisture-loving plants without water during the present dry weather is semi-starvation, and therefore must be detrimental to the growing and blooming capacities of such plants. When a plant is not blooming we are apt to be careless and allow it to take "pot luck." This is not a wise scheme in connection with Iris Kaempferi. If possible keep them moist and cool without excess during the whole twelve months, and your plants will then give you intense satisfaction.

The continued dry weather has practically brought gardening to a standstill. For one thing, we cannot work so well in the extreme heat, and, in addition, seed refuses to budge until rain comes to stimulate their germinating powers. As carnations cease to bloom the work of layering may be commenced. In carrying out this work remember to avoid layering wood that has flowered; maks the incision with a sharp knife just below a joint about halfway through the stem, and carry the cut up past the joint, then pin down with wire and cover with soil; give a good watering, and in about five weeks the cutting will be well rooted. Later on when the time comes for lifting these rooted cuttings I will give further instructions as to the making of a carnation bed. PLANTING OUT SPRING BLUBS. Our thoughts will now be turning towards the planting out of spring bulbs. Although there is still plenty of time before planting out, it *s advisable to get your beds ready as soon as possible. Hyacinths are very popular, but owing to expense and poor success very few have attempted to do anything very definite with them. I was delighted to nteet a man the other day who had a bed containing over 100 bulbs. had been imported, and, having bad time to acclimatise, he is looking forward to good results next September. Blessed is the man that expectetii little, for verily he shad not be disappointed. The general complaint seems to be that the bulbs break up, and as a result there are no flowers, or very small ones. I am of the opinion that growers make a mistake when they neglect to lift the bulbs from year to year. Care must also I e taken to see that the bulbs are properly ripened off before lifting. As I happen to have close on 300 fine hyacinth bulbs, my own treatment may be a help to these whe wish to grow this fine spring flower. Forcing and growing in water are methods I have not tried. I value my bulbs too much to treat them in that fashion. Hyacinths can stand a fair amount of manure. I prepare a bed by clearing out the soil to a depth of 12 inches. On the bottom of the bed I put a layer of cow manura and such decaying vegetable matter as sods. This will fill up the bed about six inches. I then complete filling with ordinary soil and plant in rows one foot apart and the bulbs four inches apart and three inches deep. A drawback to planting in the open is the severe effects of early spring weather on the blooms; so this year I am reverting to a plan that worked well some three years ago, i.e., planting them in pots or boxes. I have used the open lately to giv« j the bulbs a chance to recover in case they suffer through the limitation necessary to growing in pots. With this possibility in view I would advise, so that your bulbs may be kept in good heart, that ha'f should be planted in the open and half in pots or boxes, and then reverse the order the following year. The method I have adopted with regard to the latter is as follows: In a six-inch t,ot I put at the bottom crumbled sods and broken-up cow manure, with four inches of soil on top. I put in three bulbs, cover with soil, and press level with the top of the pot. 1 take care, of course, to have some crocks at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage. A candle-box reduced in depth to a little more than half makes a suitable box to carry about a dozen bulbs. Apple- 2ases- —the narrow sort —are also very useful for this purpose. I have already boxed my hyacinths, but I have placed the toxes in a shady spot, so that the bulbs will have an opportunity to make roots and the ground will not be scorched up by the hot sun. All bulbs, but particularly hyacinths, take several weeks to make roots before sending up their leaves and flowering stems. When hyacintns are lifted at th> end of the season, be sure and store in sand. It is something to remember that almost every bulb commences to deteriorate the moment it is out of the soil. In breaking up clumps of bulbs —anl these should be broken up at regular intervals —it is wise to get them in their new bee's as expeditiously as possible. By expedition I do not mean seconds, but i am thinking of a clump of narcissi i saw only to-day. that has been ly'ng in a barrow for the last month. A day or two will make little difference, but weeks serious l ;/ affect the flowering season. The breaking up of clumps is necessary on account of large clumps of bulbs yielding comparatively few flowers. There is a great diversity of opinion about shifting narcissi bulbs, but a safe plan is to move cr separate your stcck every third year. Next week I will have something to : ; ay on the growing and varieties of narcissi.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LWM19200302.2.5.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3376, 2 March 1920, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
958

THE GARDEN. Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3376, 2 March 1920, Page 2

THE GARDEN. Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3376, 2 March 1920, Page 2

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