GARDEN NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 12 August 1946, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

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Iio.se pruning should be dealt with aud finished off as soOn as possible now. The miid winter lias caused premature shooting in many cases, but pruning wiil check growth, whieh is desirable, so that frosts will be over bet'ore the new Jeaves eome out. The lir.st tliing neeessary for suceessful pruning is a pair of really sliarp ■secateurs wliieh will mahe a clean cut without bruising the steius or crushing tlieni; if old and wobdv birshes are beiug tackled a sraall saw mav be neeessary as we'U. ' Kemove any dead wood on the rose busli by cutting it right out either to the base of the plant or to where the dead stein joins ihe healthy oue; so often one sees plants with numerous dead, stubby ends in various parts whieh do not make for the good health

of the plant.. Then remove any weak or spindley growth and also any shoots growing in lowards ihe eentre or likely to cross eaeh other at awkward anglos. You should now be able to see quite cleariy what to do with the rest of the bush. Bliorten the remaining strong growths to -a bud pointing outwards whieh is three or four buds above the last year's eut. Those who grow for sliow purposcs would eut b'aek even harder, but as most people like to liave ([iiantities of roses for pieking an averagc [iruning is all that is required. Koses whieh show a pronouuced fearose aneestry by having tliiii, dark sirius — Lady Hillingdon is an exampie — should be pruned more lightly than Ihe more robust growing hybrids whieh are niueh in the liiajoi'ity in inost beds. The large llowered polyantha roses sueh as the various Paulsen variet-ies are tieated as nientioned above exeept that tliey ean be allowed to rctain a little more top growth. The siuall llowered polyantha type sueh as Coral Chister, Gloria Mtuuli, ete., sliould be eut very hani baek and some of the old growth renioved right to the base of the plant. Clinibiiig roses should have been pruned bel'ore tliis, but get them done al onee it they have been ovorlooked. lti onler to eneourage new shoots, some of the older and woodier growths should be eut right out at the base of the plant eaeh year. It is quite easy to trll wliii'h to remove by the colour oi' the steius and the look of the bafk. Al'ler pruning is eonqileted, spray at ouee witli linie sulphur to destroy any disease spores whieh may be present; don't del.'ty the spraying until the leaves eome out as they would be badly datnaged by it. VVhen spraying is linished then l'eeding should begiu. Al'ter all our roses are the nminstay of the suminer garden and we limst give tlieni adequate snpplies oi" nourishmeiit. Anv inuleliing iuaterial sueh as grass eli)ipings wliieh were used last season on the surfaee of ihe bed should be forked lightlv in. also any animal liianure available. Failing these, nn artflieial manure ,ean ! be given eonsisting of four paris super ; phosphate and one part of sulphate of j iiotash. j