THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 251, 21 September 1929, Page 11

THE GARDEN

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

VIOLETS. We have had several enquiries about growing violets. No doubt the splendid bundles seen this season liave made gardeners think more of this lowly flower. The best time to set out these plants is as soon 4s they have finished flowering, but for all that no harm will be done if they are divided up before this and planted at once. Violet growers generally look upon October as the best month of the yoar and they prepare the ground accordingly. Good 6011 preparation is essential to success if it is possible to get manure. A liberal dressing should bo applied and worked in well with the soil. For the purpose of conserving moisture, it is necessary that the soil should bo as deeply worked as possible. When the bed is finished give it a dressing of lime and work this in with a hoe; when planting take the best runners and dibble them in a foot apart in the rows and liave the rows about eighteen inches apart. The subsequent work after the* plants have been set out will be to keep the hoe going as often as possible and to give the plants an occasional spraying with lime-sulphur at the rate of one part of the lime-sulphur to fifty parts of soapy water. This spray will help to keep tlirips and red spider down. If this is not done the plants will liave to bo clipped close about March and a good spraying given them, but it is better to keep as much leafage as possible all through the season. ROSES. Roses are making good headway this season and advantage should be taken of the fine weather to give the beds a good hoeing. We have seen several beds well hoed and then raked over, but this is a mistake, especially on heavy ground, as it allows the first light shower to make the surface hard and to stop' the air penetrating, which is one of the most important things just now. Leave the surface rough as it conies from the hoe and your plants will benefit. There is always a tendency, especially in small gardens, to make use of all the available 6pace and rose beds are often planted with a closo mat of bedding plants. This is a practice that should not be done as it covers up the soil and does not allow the freo use of the hoe. We have nothing to say against edging a hose bed with small plants as long as there is plenty of room to work round the rose bushes themselves. Another thing that is often done, and which does more harm than good, is to use the hose as soon as the surface looks dry. If the surface is well hoed it will look dry very often, and if the hose isused on this the breathing pores are closed up and the end in view is defeated. In cases where mildew was very bad last season spraying or dusting with flower of sulphur should be done before there is any chance of it making its appearance. Lime sulphur can be used at the rate of ono part to a hundred parts of water; liver of sulphur at the rate of half an ounoe to a gallon of water. One dessertspoonful of bicarbonate of soda also makes a good spray for this purpose. In regard to using a sulphur dust, wo have always been under the impression that it was necessary to keep it on the leaves, but on talking to a Hawke's Bay grower he said that he found it more effective to use it in tho heat, of the day. An Australian chemist lias propounded tho theory that it is not the sulphur which is effective, but the fumes which are generated by contact with the soil, and tho hotter the day the more fumes are sent up. It is not any good until at least seventy degrees of heat can be got. It is also necessary to use tho finest sulphur that can be got. Green fly is another trouble that is common to all rose plants and in somo places it is worse than others. When it gets very bad spraying with “Black leaf 40“ will check it, but ladybirds and other birds, especially sparrows, will account for a lot of it . if left to work alone. They will not go near plants that have been sprayed. DAFFODIL SHOWS. . Last week the daffodil shows opened in perfect weather and never have the flowers looked better. It is no unusual thing to hear people say that they love the spring flowers and wonder why more shows are not held, but in the past it has been found that they have not been the financial success they should have been. However, so far as this season is concerned we do not think that there will be many failures. Tho flowers have been splendid and well grown. The plants other than narcissi have also been well shown and freesias have been the best we have ever seen. Violets have also been exceptionally well shown and also show a marked improvement in culture and attention Prim roses and polyanthus have not reached their prime yet and we expect to see somo splendid flowers in these classes before long. One exhibit that took our fancy was a collection of blue primroses shading from dark blue to the palest and the flowers were exceptionally large. It is said that the National Daffodil Society classes at the Auckland Show wero splendid. That veteran grower, Mr R. Gibson, was showing at his best. Prof. Thomas won the Martin, Cup for New Zealand grown seedlings with a splendid exhibit just beating Mr C. Goodson. of Hawera, by a “pip-” The 3udge, Mr G. L. Wilson from Ireland, gave

every satisfaction and is going to comment when he has seen more of the New Zealand grown flowers. CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN POTS. “Querist” says: “AVould you kindly give me some information about growing chrysanthemums in pots or tins. My garden is about full, but I want to grow a few of these plants and am told that I could grom them in pots or-- tins equally as well as in the open ground. If this is so I could grow about twenty-four along a fence. Tnere are somo other growers who are looking forward to your anewer. Thanking you.”—When it is intended to grow plants in pots or benzine tins, or things of a like nature, it is necessary to prepare the soil in advance of planting time. It is too late now to stack up the turf and get it to rot in time, but if you can get some well rotted turfy loam spread it out and cover it with two or three inches of well rotted cow manure and then heap it up and mix the whole lot together; then turn it again in a day or two and give each turning a sprinkling with superphosphate and mix this in well with the heap. In about a week’s time give the heap another turning and add a little lime, wood and soot, allowing about half a pound of this mixture to each pot or tin. The heap should then bo turned daily and well mixed together for a week, when it can be sifted through a quarter-inch sieve. The rough coarse pieces are put on one side ana the fine on another. If the compost when made does not admit water easily,'add some sharp sand until it is porous enough. This should only be done to the fine soil. Having got the soil ready pot up the plants you require into four-inch pots and plant as firmly as possible. These plants can be stood outside and grown as hardy as possible ; when they begin to make growth again they can be transferred to their permanent quarters. The next thing is to prepare the pots or tins. The pots should be about tho same size as the tins. The tins (or boxes can be used) must have holes in the bottom for drainage to escape freely. Put in about six inches of the rough soil and on top of this a layer of the fine stuff to plant on and press the whole down firmly. The plant is then taken out of the fourinch pot and is planted very firmly on tho top and about five or six inches below the top. This space is left for future dressings of soil and manure to be given to the plants, which will eventually fill the pots to the surface, but this is not done until the plants have made their first break and then gradually. Plants grown in this way will produce flowers fit for any purpose. Give water when required and if possible sink the pots at least half-way. into the soil. If tins are on the surface they must have sacking wrapped round them or the tin gets too hot. Staking and other work is done in tho same way as for open ground plants. GERBERAS. Gerberas are useful plants to have in the garden for cut flower purposes, but they are plants that are not well understood. In the first place, the soil for them must be well drained and deeply dug. They aro very deep rooting, something after the stylo of edible asparagus. Never put the plants in ground that has been freshly manured with fresh manure. Wood ashes and leaf mould aro very good to use, but no chemical manures way be used except basic slag. When the bed is ready planting is tho next thing and here one must see that the eyes are keep to ground level and are not put below the surface of tho soil. Also, spread the roots carefully and press the soil firmly down round the plants. The plants can be set out any time now and even November is not too late to make a permanent bed. When planting is finished do not try and force them to grow, they will come on in their own way and never water overhead or you will find troublo at once. If water must be given soak tho bed without wetting the foliage, and the best wa- to do this is by means of pipes sunk into the ground at three feet intervals, and tho hose turned into these. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. The present time is a very busy one for the gardener as he has to look after the flower beds and to prepare the ground for sowing his vegetable seeds. Peas must be put in for succession and the earlier crops staked and earthed up to keep the haulms off the soil. Carrots and parsnips can be sown now, also red beet. Leek seed must be put in for planting out later on. Tomato seed should be sown under glass this month and the plants will be ready to put out in November. Always sow tlie seed thinly in the seed boxes and then if you are a few days late in pricking out no great harm will have been done, but when seed is sown thickly they must not be left a day longer than is absolutely necessary or the plants will never recover their constitution. Next month will be soon enough for sowing marrows and pumpkins, but a few seeds of cucumbers can bo pub in now to provide a catch crop. Early crops of potatoes havo had a bad time this year and in several cases we know of crops that have been completely spoilt. Get in another lot as soon as you can, even if it is only a dozen sets or so. Turnips and lettuce seed can also be sown now.