THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 245, 14 September 1929, Page 11

THE GARDEN

Notes are published weekly under this heading, and readers interested in gardening are invited to send in questions relating to matters upon which they wish expert advioe; answers trill be published with the weekly notes.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. “As we work in our gardens stirring and mixing, blending and renewing the various ingredients in the crucible of the earth, unconscious chemists, 1 sometimes wonder if there is a fixed formula for those who work ■ with nature. I do not believe there is. She is unfetterable; not only are no two gardens alike, but what holds good for one spot will not obtain in another spot of the same garden. She, the supreme individualist, will not make two leaves alike, nor any two of any thing alive that are absolutely alike. So that there is not, and never will be, any end to the things we may essay and the things we may learn m this wonder world of flowers. What a lot there is to learn of the preferences of our plants in site alone as well as soil. Those that like sun, those that like shade, those that want boggy ground, and those that like bare rock, but most bewildering of all, I believe, is their varied palates for manures. This was written by Mrs Marion Craw in one of her books, and what a lot it teaches. If one could thoroughly grasp the truths in the above paragraph there would be little to teach or learn in the complex work of gardening. It is not enough to buy a bush, shrub, or plant of any kind and simply dig a hole for its roots to make it grow. There is a lot more to it than this. A gardening friend came in the other day with the request that we should diagnose the cause of failure with some sweetpea plants. The plants were set out in the autumn and were turning yellow. We could find nothing wrong about the roots so decided to inspect. The soil tlip plants were growing in was in good condition and had been limed. We coukl see no cause for trouble so took a few plants out. Their roots were doubled up in a ball. The plants had been carefully lifted from a box and the soil squeezed round their roots. We washed the soil away, and replanted them with bare roots deep down into the soil, and our friend has arrived to say that they have turned a healthy green and are growing well. One little thing lias been learnt and that is that sweetpeas want their roots straight down. If some other plants were treated in this way it would be the end of them, but it is not generally known that the reason for pricking plants out from the seedling box to others is to give them a nice compact ball of roots so that they can be easily moved. When seedlings are young they have one long tap root and very few others, and if this tap root is broken another very seldom forms, but in its place there are numerous side roots formed which permeate the earth in all directions in search of the food they require. It is well known that plants with long and strong tap roots do not flower as well as those with a mass of side roots which are nearer the surface and are therefore nearer to one source of food supply—the air. By keeping the surface of a plant bed well stirred you are making it easier for the air to get into the soil, and consequently the roots of plants are able to gather the food tffey want. Then comes the question of-what food they require, and this is one thing wo cannot answer with certainty, so therefore it is better to give them a mixture that is best described as a complete manure. Farmyard manure by itself is not always complete as far as flowers are concerned, but in the majority of soils it will suffice. For some flowering plants we have found a little blood and bone worked into the soil an excellent thing, and in other cases guano seems to be the very thing they want. Primroses and polyanthas respond quickly to either and a slight sprinkling given now and worked in will do a lot for them. MICHAELMAS DAISIES. These daisies are deservedly coming to their own again in gardens and are being largely planted now. They succeed best when they are replanted in fresh soil every year and those who wish to make the most of them should lift the old stools now and divide them up into single plants in the same way that chrysanthemums are grown. There is no necessity to go to the same amount of trouble that is taken for the chrysanthemums, but simply take a good strong shoot with a few roots and plant it in good well worked and manured soil. There are many tall growing varieties that can be used for the back of the border and there are others of a much dwarfer habit which can be grown in the front. These plants cannot be successfully grown without the aid of stakes, and when planting up the stake should be provided at the same time. They like land that has been heavily limed, and if this has not been done work some basic slag into the ground at planting time. By careful selection they can be kept in flower for a long season.

CANNAS. During the last few years cannas have become very popular in gardens. They like a deep rich soil that has been heavily manured for some previous crop. When selecting plants for the general border it is a good plan to know the height and to put the taller growing ones at the Luck. Plants can be got with green and rich bronze foliage which make a grand contrast when they are planted out-in beds by themselves. Many of the newer varieties have very large flowers which contrast well with tne gladioli for form and beauty. They will beat gladioli for freedom of flowering and will continue to carry their large spikes well into the winter until the frosts get too heavy. Some growers say that they get the best results by dividing every year, but we have found the best plan is to leave them for two years and to give a good mulch of manure during the second season. Owing to the stiffness of the flower stalks, no staking is required and this is an advantage to the busy gardener. For mixing in general herbaceous borders these plants are splendid and add a tropical look with tneir broad, handsome leaves-. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. As soon as the ground is dry enough, attend to the wont of hoeuig amongst the growing crops. Buck plants as cabbages and cauliflowers will be Helped along if a pinch of nitrate of soda is put on the giound near their roots and is hoed in. Be careful not to put it oil the leaves or the plants will die. Earthing up is not practised enough with these plants, and it is wonderful what a difference it makes, especially where the soil is heavy. In places where the soil has been worked in the autumn, and has come up full of weeds, fork the surface over lightly and turn ail the weeds down. They will not have any ripened seeds and will make manure that will be appreciated by the crops to follow. JXeep up the sowings of peas, putting the next lot of seed in when the last one is about an inch or so above the ground. In this way a succession can he kept up for many months and it is a crop that improves the ground rather than does it any harm.. Onion seed can be sown at any time now as long as the ground is dry enough to work. Sow the seed thinly in drills and this will save much of the work of thinning out which has to be done when the seed comes up thickly. Onion plants can also be set out still. The soil for them should be raked fine on the surface and only the roots put in the ground. Even if they lie over, very little harm will be done as they wilf stand upright as soon as their roots begin to take hold again. If seed heads show pull them out at once; not the plants, but the seed heads, and the plants will form bulbs in the same, way as those that have not seed heads. Sometimes it will divide the bulbs, but this does not stop them from keeping when stored. Artichokes are a crop that should be largely grown when space can be spared for a few tubers. They like a well manured soil that is not too heavy. When selecting seed keep to the smoothest you can get and put in medium sized tubers about eighteen inches apart. This crop is not ready to dig until the tops begin to turn black and can be letfc in the ground all the winter and dug ns required. Some gardeners do not like this crop because it is almost impossible to get all the tubers out of the ground, but if the plants are pulled out when they get about a foot high nothing further will grow. It is not even necessary to dig down for the old tuber ; it will disappear of its own accord. Lettuce seed can be sown in the open ground now, hut the soil should be well enriched with manure and made up into a bed to keep the surface as dry as possible. When the young plants are large enough to handle thin them out to at least six inches apart. This will vary according to the variety. Small varieties require less room than the very large headed ones. Leek seed can be sown now in a well manured trench. It is better to sow in a trench so that the young plants can be earthed up as they grow and then you can plant nice long plants with a dribble, and beyond a few hoeings nothing else is wanted. They are one of the most valuable vegetables that can be grown for winter use. Carrot and parsnip seed can he sown in nice light, sandy soil at once, but in the heavier soils it is better to wait for a while until it can be worked up to a fine tilth. Cucumber seed can be sown now under the cover of glass. One of the best kinds for ordinary home use is the apple-shaped. This variety will crop heavily for about two months and therefore another sowing should be made in about two months’ time to keep up a succession.