THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 210, 5 August 1937, Page 15

THE GARDEN

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

THE FLOWER GARDEN. We have been lucky'enough to receive an article from the pen of a carnation enthusiast about growing carnations a.iul would advise all who are interested to cut out and keep the article by them, as they will find a great deal of interest in it and it will he useful later on.

Some gardeners say that August is the beginning ol spring, but we would rather look upon it as the end of winter. There is not much growth yet. However, there is much that has to lie done. Roses can be pruned and as soon as they are pruned they should be 6pra.yed with lime-sulphur to keep black-leaf spot and mildew at bay. Uniortunately, it does, not matter how careful we may be, these troubles are always with 11s. In cases where leaf spot has been bad it is a good plan to scrape off the surface soil of a bed and take it away and replace with fresh soil before the spraying is done. The leaf spot hibernates in the soil during the winter. Push on with all planting that has to be done, but only plant when the soil is dry enough to be worked. A large number of plants are lost every season through being put in when the soil is not in a suitable state and has been too wet. It is time now that all hedgings and plantation trees were put in place, and if the ground has not been prepared yet get it done as soon as you can. It is rather a curious thing, but many gardeners will put in a hedge and leave it to take its chance. Any hedge, especially a newly planted one, wants just as much cultivation aa any other garden plant and the more cultivation that is given to it the better it will grow and perform that service, shelter, for which it is intended. Our advice is to plant a hedge carefully and look after it as carefully as you. would the choicest shrub in your garden; it will amply repay you. Bedding plants of the hardier kinds can be put out now when the soil is in a suitable condition to work. Iceland poppies will bloom well in- the spring a.nd are well worth a good space. There are some varieties that bloom better in the spring than at any other time of the year. Antirrhinums make a fine show, especially when they are planted in masses. Pansies and violas should find a place in every ga.rden, and nemesia can be planted. Keep the hoe going amongst all such plants as anemones, ranunculus and daffodils. It is important at this time of the year that as much air as possible should be admitted to the soil. When working ■amongst daffodils every care should be taken not to injure the young 6hbots that are coming up through the ground. CARNATION CULTURE.

A carnation grower has written the following tor us. winch will be of interest to those who like growing these plants. He says: I cannot give you conditions for every kind of soil, but as I have a medium soil myself I leave it to you to modify as you may think conditions merit. Soil : It is hard to say what kind of soil is the best for carnations, because there are few soils which when given proper preparation and reasonable attention, will not give good results. A light or sandy soil will be much improved by the addition of heavy loam, well decayed cow manure, or vegetable matter, while a 6oil which is heavy or sticky needs sand and decayed stable manure and plenty of lime. Drainage is essential in all cases. Position : Carnations will never succeed if planted under trees or shrubs, and if possible a position surrounded by walls and hedges should be avoided. An open position is the best, and if the beds can be raised, say, six inches above the surrounding soil, so much the better. The ground should be trenched or deeply dug, being careful not to bring the sub-soil to the surface. Manure: Carnations cannot bear strong manure in any form. A bed which has been manured for a previous crop, or a bed of rich new soil will suit them splendidly without the addition of any manure. Ending these, old well decayed loaf-mould, etc., should be well mixed with the soil to about a depth of about eighteen inches if the position is to be a permanent one. When the beds are made up afresh every year-, and old plants aro replaced by young ones, cultivation to a good spade’s depth seems to be quite enough in most soils. Lime is very beneficial, but it is not advisable to supply lime and manure at the same time; the former may be given in the form of surface dressings somo time after planting, especially during the winter. If the carnations are put in amongst other plants in the garden the above directions may be followed as far as they apply, and overcrowding by other plants must by all means be avoided. Planting: If possible, have the beds or positions among the other plants in your garden randy as early as possible so that they will have time to settle down before planting. Carnations may bo planted at any time of the year, but I strongly advise early planting, say from March to June for spring and summer flowering. For autumn and winter flowering plant from August to November. Have the rows two feet apart and the plants twelve to eighteen inches apart in the rows. Choose ia cool day, if possible; plant firmly, never putting the plants lower than the bnee of the first pair of leaves, or any deeper than they have been growing in the nursery. When planting, it is advisable before taking the wrapping from the plants to give the roots a light watering and again after planting a good watering; after that overhead sprinklings once or twice a day until they have picked up. Should ram follow immediately after planting carnations pick up and go ahead in no time. Shading for a while is to be recommended for hot weather planting. Some perpe-tuals will throw up flower shoots immediately they be"in to grow; such shoots must be cut back at once. Cultivation: Hoe the weeds as soon as they begin to appear, and keep the surface well stirred, though not deeply, for the roots will be very near the surface and must not be disturbed. Watch out for rust and spot .and remove any infected leaves at once and burn them. During the wot season dust the plants at least once a week with lime; early in the morning before a fine day is the best time. As soon as the flower stems arc long enough they should be tied up to stakes. Anything that will make a fairly neat stake will do. Most plants in the spring produce too many flowering shoots and too many buds on these shoots. It will depend on the purpose for which these flowers are being ( grown, as to th© numbsr to bo jett. (To lie continued.) QUESTIONS.

“Enquirer” says: “Can you tell me anything about Hortomone A, used in England for rooting cuttings of all kinds?” Wo have no more information than was stated in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, but are naturally interested and have written for more information. In case you did not see the article to

which we refer wo give a part of it. The principal use of it is for the treat* ment of cuttings to help their sucoeasful development of roots before they are attacked by fungi or bacteria. It is claimed for this stuff that difficult subjects can be rooted by its aid, and even there are plants that root very easily but sometimes fail from one cause or another, and this tendency is said to be corrected. The treatment is quite simple. Cuttings need only to be steeped for a short time in a preparation made with one ounce of the stuff to one gallon of water. After soaking for a short time they are washed and planted in the ordinary way. The cuttings are then cared for in the usual wa.y. The stuff’ can be used at any tune of the year on soft wood or hard wood cuttings. “Hydrangeas asks:—“Would you kindly tell me the best time of the year to prune and manure my hydrangeas? I have a number of tho newer kinds and would like to know how to treat them. Last season they were glorious, hut were not pruned. Inc hydrangeas can he pruned now, but not iu the old-fashioned way of cut : ting thorn to the ground. Have a look at the bushes and remove any old anil spindlv wood right down to the base. Leave all the new growth entirely alone, because it is these that will bloom this season. If the plants arc thinned out a little they will send up new shoots to take the place ot those you cut out this year. Cut away all old flower heads, bute only cut as talas the first pair of strong eyes. You cad manure the plants at any time now. Spread the manure over the surface of the ground and fork it into the soil. If you can give your plants some fowl manure it is well worth while to do so, and it can be mixed with the other stuff and forked in at the same time. If you cannot get fowl manure use blood and bone fairly lreoly and fork this in at the same time. These plants like a ntirogcnous manure anil will keep their colours better through its use. ASPARAGUS.

When asparagus plants are put into the ground it pays to make it as rich as possible, because once in they are practically a permanent crop. The main thing is to see that the soil does not become waterlogged at any time, becans© these roots will not stand it. They are deep rooting plants and, therefore, the soil should be worked to at least three foet. The best time to make the bed is now, and then allow it to settle for a month. Planting can be done in September, when the plants are beginning to shoot. If only one bed is made, trench the ground to a width of sft, and this will take two rows 2ft apart anil the plants can be put in eighteen inches apart in the rows. It docs not matter what the manure is as long as there is plenty of it and it is well mixed with the soil.

When planting is done be careful not to put the roots in contact with the manure, or they may rot. The crowns should be covered with at least two inches of soil and when the young growths appear the bed should be kept clean and free from weeds. Do not cut from the bod the first season, but allow the top growth to develop as it likes. A few stalks may be cut ill the second year, but it is better to establish the lied thoroughly before cutting too much. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Dig in all cover crops now and fork over any' soil where cover crops have been dug in a week or two previously. The reason for doing this is to break up the soil and avoid the possibility of air pockets underneath, which are fatal to good growth, especially when the weather becomes drier. Plant out onions whenever the soil is in a fit condition to work. Never leave rubbish of any kind lying about at this time of the year, but rake it up and if not suitable for the compost heap bum it at once. If left on the ground it is only a breeding place for slugs and other vermin. When it is put on the compost, healp and a little liino is added to check the spread of slugs it will make good manure later on. Jf the piece of ground where you are sowing your pursnips seed has not already been trenched you should lose no time in doing so, because it requires a while to settle down before the seed is sown. Potatoes enn be planted now in a warm corner. Choose well shot seed for this purpose add put in plenty of strawy manure. Later on another lot can be planted and will not need so much care. Broad beans can still bo planted, but use plenty of lime in the drills, and dust it over the seed. Red beet can also be sown now. The best kinds for early sowing are the round nr oval varieties. A little salt dusted along the rows when they come up is a great help to them, as they aro seaside plants. Silver beet can also be sown now in rows, but give the plants at least a. foot of room to grow in. They do not like overcrowding, but will grow well in a heavily manured soil. _ Grow lettuce seed and thin the young plants out as soon as they can bo handled, and when they get about two inches high give them n light- dressing of nitrate of soda, which should bo sprinkled on the ground and hoed into the soil as soon as possible after sowing. Peas should be sown for succession. If the soil is at all dry where they are to bo sown the seed can be soaked in water for a few hours, and this will help them to come up quicker. Unfortunately, birds are very liable to attack the young plants and this will retard their growth considerably, so they must be protected in some way. We have found wirenetting bent in the form of a U and placed with the sides on the ground is one of the best protectors that can be obtained

and it can be used for other things when the peas are large enough to take care of themselves As soon as peas are beginning to grow they should be staked with nice twiggy brush wood to keep them from lying on the ground.