GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2964, 30 December 1916, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "jvowhai.")

I irish all my readers a Happy New Year. May tho coming year bring greater joy in (ho garden than any previous one has done—"Kowhai." LIQUID -MANURES. The most satisfactory liquid manure for all purposes is mado as follows:—Put into an old sugar-bag somo cow dung and about a shovelful of soot. Place this in an old tub of water, and leave for a few days. A strong stick should bo laid across tho tub, and the bag of manure suspended from the stick, so that it.hangs well in tho water. "When using tho liquid add sufficient clear water to make the manure the colour of weak tea. Half an ounce of guano in one gallon of water is a very quick-acting manure. One ounce of nitrate of.6oaa in one gallon of water is very much used for vegetables. Soot-water is a splendid manuro for all purposes, and is a very safe one to use for pot-plants. It helps to keep wire-worms away from the plants in the garden. To make, put some soot in a. bag of coarse material, and suspend it, from a stick placed across a, kerosene tin, in water for a few days. When using the liquid for manure, dilute it with clear water till it is the colour of weak tea. Carrots, onions, turnips, celery, azaleas, ' rhododendrons, camellias, sweet peas, and carnations are all benefited by doses of weak soot water. HOW TO APPLY LIQUID MANURE! When applying, liquid manure take a short stick round with you, and make a little gutter round each plant. Pour the manure slowly into this gutter. If the ground does not quickly absorb tho necessary quantity, pass on to the next few plants, give them a little, and then como back to the first. The ground will, by this time, be ready to 'drink in some more manure. As soon as the necessary quantity has been absorbed, cover the dry earth over the little gutter. In this way the ground round the plants does not become. caked, and the manure, instead of running all over the garden-or on the path, passes down to the Toots where it is wanted. AXIOMS. Never apply liquid manure to ground that is dry. First saturate with clear water. ~, Never apply, liquid manure to plants' that are sickly. In summer apply liquid manure in the evening if possible. Always apply liquid manuro weak. Strong manure burns the roots, and does more harm than good.

Plants that need liquid manure at present:—Hollyhocks, liliums, scabious, dahlias, gladioli (that have not bloomed), pansies, violas, asters, carnations (soot water), herbaceous phlox, summer rhubarb, tomatoes (if fruit is set), celery (if plants have been in ground at lea6t one month). Give celery -Joz. of nitrate of soda in one-gallon of water, and-weak soot water alternately onco a week. ROUTINE WORK. Violets.—Violet borders are apt to be overlooked at this time of tue year. Yet it is a time when care and, attention are of tho utmost importance if the plants are to be kept healthy. During dry weather violet plants are very subject to red spider, and it is only by keeping the leaves thoroughly clean that we can ward off an attack. Unfortunately it is not until red spider has a. good hold of the plants that its effects becomo noticeable. • All plants should: be thoroughly syringed with clear water regularly, special attention being paid to the under sides of the leaves. The soil about the plants should bokopt well stirred and freo from weeds. All surplus runners should bo removed, leaving, where new plants are wanted for autumn planting, not more than two runners to each plant. Theso should bo pegged down till they take root, when they may be separated from the parent plant. A mulch of well-rotted manure spread round about the plants helps them through the most trying time of tho ycarr-Decembcr, January, and February. Dahlias—Keep the soil loose about dahlia plants. Dahlias arc moistureloving plants, and should bo kept well supplied with water. Where water is scarce they'should be given ono thorough soaking and thou a, mulch of half-rotted manure. If animal'.manure! cannot bo had, almost any. other material will serve the purpose,: provided that,, liquid mamire is given regularly to.' tho 'plants. Dahlias, when well grown, .make tremendous growth, and it becomes necessary 'to'thin out some of tho f stems. All ■laterals'shoiild bo pinched'out, and some of .the buds removed. Bushes so treated will produce fine, wellformed, long-stemmed flowers. Constant picking of the flowers will keep the plants blooming over a longer period, and 'liclp to keep up tho quality .of the blooms. .. Syringe the leaves aud stems with clear water after a hot, dry day.. /' Sweet Peas.—Sweet peas need daily attention. L'lowers must be picked regularly, seed-pods must bo removed, laterals must be pinched out, and tho soil must be hoed. But sweet peas repay one for generous treatment. Quo lias only to compare tho large blooms and long stems of tho well-cared-for peas w'ith .the thin 6inall flowers and short stems'of the left-to-manage-for-themselvcs peas to realise this. Liquid nianuro should not be given till tho buds are well formed, and then it should be given very woak. ■■ But if the ground was well prepared with a view to providing food I and moisture for the roots, only a vei'y occasional stimulant should bo necessary at this stage. Constant stirring of tho soil, aud frequent syringing of tho leaves aud stems in dry, hot weather aro necessary. Soot water is ono of the finest stimulants for Bwcet peas. Hollyhocks.—Hollyhocks require regular supplies of liquid manure. They aro greedy feeders, aud must be kept growing vigorously; Syringe the leaves during dry weather to keep away red spider. Liliums and gladioli that have not yet flowered should be given a mulch of .well-decayed vegetable rubbish or manure. ■ Guano at the rate of ioz. to one gallon of water may be.given onco a week.. Guano is obtainable from seed merchants. Chrysanthemums.—Plants should have recoived their final pinching, and 6hould now bo comfortably surrounded by a suitablo mulch. Syringing tho leaves with clear water" helps t to keep them healthy. Caterpillars will be searching for the nowly-forniing buds, and should be promptly dealt with. VEGETABLES. Shallots.—Lift shallots and use the ground fqr a further sowing of carrots or French beans. Peas.—As soon as one crop of njjas is. over, cut down tho vines, and gather thorn into a heap for burning. If the ashes aro spread over the ground, and the soil is lightly forked over, another crop may be put in without delay. Crops that aro coming on should be well staked. Unless' a mulch can be provided the soil should be kept thoroughly hoed to provide two or three inches of fine powdery soil on the surface. Where a further sowing of peas is to be made plenty of decayed vegetablo rubbish should be dug into the bottom spit. In very dry climates it is an advantage to thoroughly soak this with water before returning the soil from the top spit. Turnip3—A further sowing of turnips may be made. Ground that lias been used for an early crop of peas is very suitable. Before sowing tho s"ecd fork over tho ground,', soak it with water, and allow the soil to settle again. Hoeing must be strictly attended to as soon as. the seedlings appear, and whenever it is possible water should be given. Turnips need well-worked, firm soil, moisture, and quick growth. Parsnips, Carrots, Beet, Onions, Leeks. —Continue thinning out till they are from nine to twelve inches apart, according to their requirements. After thinning out, firm the soil about the remaining plants. Hoe constantly. A sprinkling of soot over tho ground bel'oro hooing will bo most beneficial to all of theso crops. When hoeing between the rows of onions care should be taken not to uush tho earth towards tho bulbs.

Cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, beans, potatoes are, on tho other hand, all tho better for having the earth pushed towards them. Tomatoes.—Keep the plants woll tied to stakes. I'ino'li out all lateral and basal growths. Allow Iho air to circulate freely among tho plants. Syringe the leaves and sloms with clear water to keep f.hen'i free from dust. Very weak liquid mnnurv may bo given after tho fruit, has set.

"Garden Notes" next week will conlain seasonable notes about:—lmproving dry ■ gardens, routine work, and vegetables."