HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 58, 21 June 1948, Page 6

HOME GARDENS

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.) WINTER OPERATIONS A great deal of labour and considerable hard work may be avoided jf garden operations are carried out at the right time. In the late autumn and early winter the growth of both lawns and weeds begin to slow down and digging becomes the order of the day. The first operation is the changeover from the autumn crops to the spring ones, be they flowers or vegetables. The ground must be turned over, lightly firmed' and replanted; During the following weeks the surface soil must be kept to-a good tilth by frequent hoeings whenever the soil is in a fit condition. This thorough aeration of the soil stimulates plant growth and ensures their establishment before the ground becomes cold. Furthermore, germinating weed seedlings are checked or killed whilst they are small; believe me, they are much more difficult to control during the wet months if allowed to become established now.

If winter pruning’ is commenced too early we may frequently see young growth developing which is later checked or cut by frost. This is a severe check to the plant, delaying growth in the spring and often spoiling its shape. There are & few precocious shrubs, notable the ever-popular roses which should not be completely pruned until the last' ’week in July Or the first week in August. They may, however, be thinned and shortened back a little for convenience. Subjects requiring winter pruning may be pruned now, and dead, diseased or weak growths should be removed from all plants. More sun and air is abie to reach the soil and digging is so much more comfortable without the odd Barberry prodding one on. Any unwanted shrubs should be removed as work proceeds and in a young shrubbery there may be “fillers” to remove or some plants may require spacing. Do it now—it’s easier on both man and plant. Most deciduous plants may be transplanted and shortened back without npch risk, but some evergreens are tricky and one should proceed with caution. If a plant has a good root system it will seldom be difficult, but dodonea, Carpentaria, arbutus mengiesu, and dendromecon resent any disturbance whatsoever. Eucalyptus must be very carefully handled and only when young. Evergreens should always be prepared beforehand by “wrenching”' after the autumn rains or even now,, and left a few weeks. They should not be planted out in heavy, cold soils until the spring.

Take Care When Digging If there are major alterations it* would be wiser to leave such borders until the main garden is tidied up. As a general rule, complete the borders on heavy soil first as they may become very \ wet later on. Shallow-rooted plants should have at least two inches of workable soil above them. This is not always so, for sometimes plants have been planted too shallow or perhaps poor drainage has forced the roots up. Where the roots are right on the surface the plant would derive great benefit from a topdressing of wellrotted turf or good loamy soil. Far too often do we see large “chunks” of root chopped off and tufned up in the shrubbery. This is definitely wrong and no plant can be expected to give of its best if so treated. It is not practicable to dig in any large qantity of manure in old, established shrubberies. The usual method is to apply this material as a mulch in the spring. The nutrients become incorporated in the soil and the finely broken remains of the mulch are turned in in the winter. Older shrubberies will respond to a dressing of blood and bone or a general garden fertiliser. As previously stated, winter pruning consists mainly of the removal of dead and diseased wood in old shrubberies. It is surprising how much difference this makes to the growth of .the plant. Remember, diseased wood is a source of infection for many plants, including our fruit trees. The small, leathery, palepurple fungs which appears quite frequently on dead wood in shrubberies is the fruiting body of the “Silver Blight” disease which quite frequently destroys members of the prunus (plum) family. Diseased wood should be burnt. Over-crowd-ed growths should be thinned to encourage the full development of the remainder. Most plants may be pruned lightly to shape. This is all /that is required with many subjects. Half-hardy-subjects, such as fuchsias should not be cut back nor have the frosted tips removed until the spring.