GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3006, 17 February 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.' "Avondale," Blenheim, -writes:—"l am writing to ask you if you l can give mo any advico about >my geranium plants. For, years I have grown "them in tubs -foii;-tlio verandah with tlio greatest success. They are now apparently dying from a blight that'comes on tho back of the foliage—like a brown fungus. . Can you suggest a wash to spray them with? J propose cutting them back hard, and would like to spray, but do not knofr, what mixturo to use." . Cut off and burn all affected leaves. Removo tlie top two inches of soil, andreplaco with fresh soil (good clean soil, leaf-soil, if possible, and sharp river sand). Got a small tin of concentrated lime sulphur solution, and 6pray the plants, using 130 parts of water to one part of tho lime sulphur solution. Stand the tubs put in the, full sunshine as much as/possible, and avoid too much watering.' i SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS. : The planting of- narcissi and other 6pring-flowerinj* bulbs forms the most important part of the work in the gar'den at the present time. Experienced bulb growers are all agreed on,one point —the necessity for- early planting. , I have already, in previous notes, given details of the method of preparing tlie ground for the reception of bulbs, but I would like, now to emphasise one or two important points. It lias .been .proved that narcissi like plenty, of moisture when they are growing vigorously, but that they like tho moisture to pass through, and not be stagnant in, the soil. To secure these conditions it is necessary to dig thoroughly, not only the top soil, but also the subsoil. The method of doing so was fully explained in "Garden Notes" of February 3. v ery dry sandy soils cannot hold sufficient necessary moisture. A layer of wellTotted stable manure or decayed vegetable rubbish should, therefore, be placed about twelve inches below the surface soil to act as a sponge. _ It should also he remembered that narcissi like some gritty material, smch as 6liarp~"tnTnd or road grit, ■in the soil, and they like wood-ashes. These two substances should be mixed' witli tlie soil. Although narcissi like deeply-dug or trenched soil to live in, they _at the same time resent being planted in loose soil. Hence the necessity for the early preparation 1 of tlie soil. ■ Ground twat has been only recently dug or wenched should, while the soil is dry, be . web. trampled upon to produce the necessary firmness. . ' , „ The depth for planting the bulbs was one of my eavly worries. As a general rule the depth of soil above the neck of the bulb should be one and; a half times the dsptli of the hulb itself. The bulbs should bo placed on a. firm Use and, if possible, on a layer of sand.- The 'soil should be pressed firmly round the bulbs, and the surface soil should beBmednst is perhaps tlie safest manure to use for narcissi. It may either bo mixed with the soil at planting time, oi used as a topdressing to bo lightly forked in directly after planting. Expensive varieties are best planted in beds by themselves, and as the beds look very untidy when tlio foliage is (lying down, it is best to relegate them "to a part of tho garden "whore they will not ho too noticeable., - , Tor making & sliow m tlie garden bold clumps of commoner kinds may .be planted in the mixed borders, where their -untidiness at the ripening stage may he concealed by other plants gifltving about them. , , - ■ Among the yellow trumpet daffodils, Emperor and Glory of Leiden are fairly cheap, and make a great Jviftjf ilfred is a glorious yellow trumpet, ond every bulb grower should endeavour to secure at least one hulb oft™ variety. Another good yellow trumpet ■ia 'Lord Roberts. I mention these two varieties (King Alfred an ! I ., :L . O J d p :R as their price is not prohibitive for tho a; A^ong gr ae Cr 'bi-oolour trumpets. Empress "is splendid for massing m the ,inxied'.:bordor. .Duke of .-Weardale Perfection. ";ro iajrly^..,ox % pensive, averaging,from 2s. Gd. to W. w..per hulb, but they should bo added, to fiie collection if possible MadamedeGraff and Albicans aTo two of tho best of the white trumpets. In tho Medio Coronatl, secHon (that is, those having tlio cup less than half tlio length of, tho perianth- : segments), Barii CoDspicuiis, although old-and cheap, is still indispensable In this olass tho following varieties are good and not too expensive:Mbatross, Blackwell, C. J. Backhouse, Dulo of Buccleugh, Lucifer, Vesuvius, and Sir Watkin. Among the more expensive varieties Gloria M™ dl . w> d Margaret Boscaivcn are beautiful. J-M Leedsii varieties are a little more exclusive, but they are certainly worth more. The following aro good and not too prohibitive in price: Ariadne, Evangeline, Fairy Queen, Waterwitch, White Queen, and White Slave. Every garden should have at least one representative of the Poeticus daffodil. Horace is one of the finest of this class, its large' scarlet eye out in great relief in- the pure white flower. Homer,.' Cassandra, and Virgil are also worthy of note. Among the double narcissi,' Golden Rdse and Sulphur Phoenix aro exquisite. ' V NERINES. ' ; Neriiies that are growing out of doore will very soon be pushing tip their flowering stem's. If the bulbs have bocomo thoroughly ripened during the summer there should he a good display of flowers. A good soaking of water just now will be a help to the plants. ■ PANSIES AND VIOLAS. Tho old growths of pansies and violas should'bo out hack. Stir the soil about tho roots, thoroughly working in a dressing of superphosphate, and give tlie plants a good watering. New growths will soon appear, which will be suitable for cuttings. VEGETABLES. MARROWS AND PUMPKINS. ; Marrow and pumpkin plants that are making long vines hearing non-fruiting flowers should have the ends the vines pincjed off. Side-growths will jft once he thrown out, and most of these will produce a fruit-bearing flower. , It is an advantage to peg down the vines here and there into some fairly rich soil, at the samo time heaping some good rich soil over the vine wherever, it is pegged to the ground. Keep the jjants well suppled with water without causing sourness of tho soil. Use tepid or sunwarmed water. Cold water causes- too j-ranch shock to the plants. j PARSLEY. ! Where necessary a small sowing of parsley may be made. Tlie pronnd should be deeply dug, and made firm again before tho seed is sown. Water tlie ground thoroughly somo hours before sowing the seed.' Cover the seedbed with manuka brush, dead pea haulm; or some such thing to keep it moist till the seedlings appear. The plants should afterwards be thinned out to about nine inches apart. , Old parsley plants may be mit light back. If tlicy are given a good watering, and then a soaking' with nitrate of soda solution (loz. in T gallon of water) they will soon make new growth. CELERY, Before earthing-up celery give tho plants a good watering with clear water and 'a dose of weak- liquid manure. Should tlio ground already be fairly damp the watering will not ho necessary. Don't throw the earth Tound the plants. Lift it into the trench carefully, and then nress it round tho plants gently and firmly with your hand, at the same tim( holding tlio stems close together with the other hand. Some peonle twist n piece of pliable wire round the stems oi each plant, and, as tlie earthing-lip proceeds, this wire band is pushed further up the-stem. Whatever nlari you adopt, the main tiling is to keep the earth from petting in among the stems. Earthnp a little at a time, and never go beyond the heart of the celery. "Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes about sowing seeds of perennials, tulips, and vegetables.