WORK FOR THE WEEK

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 97, 18 January 1935, Page 16

WORK FOR THE WEEK

The Flower Garden Plan now for next summer's flowers. Prepare for the sowing of Canterbury Bells, sweet Williams, hollyhocks and carnations. Autumn crocus, scillas, amarylis, belladonna bulbs should be planted now. Dahlias and chrysanthemums noio need special attention. Water is most needed and occasional top-dressings may be made. Phlox Drummondi and tree marigolds should be planted without undue delay. Stake Michaelmas daisies, perennial phlox, rudbcckias, and golden rod Lift gladioli when foliage turns yellow. Dry and store in a cool place. The Vegetable Plot To maintain supplies of beans, keep the plants well watered. This is essential at the present time. Further sowings of dwarf beans and sweet corn can be made. Recently-planted celery and leeks need moisture. Plant broccoli, savoys. Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflowers. ■ Spray tomatoes to keep them free from caterpillars. BEARDED IRISES When and How to Transplant Have the flowers of your flag irises this year been small and thin-petal-led. with short stalks? Have the leaves' been small and not the healthy green that they were last year? If so, the plants are giving definite signs that they need to be divided and transplanted. The wisest rule to follow is to life strong-growing plants every two years; weaker-growing kinds every three years. _ > The correct time to do the job Jfi soon after the flowers fade. Snip off the blooms with a short piece of stalk. A fortnight later' cut the flower stem about half-way back. When the remainder of the flower stem has withered, that is the time to lift and divide. Less harm will be done to the iris clump if you lift it on a cloudy day, after a shower has moistened the soil, than if you expose the roots to the shrivelling rays of the sun. If a shower does not come at a convenient time, give the clump a thorough watering an hour before lifting. Drive the fork into the soil sin. or ' 6in. away from the clump, and from 6in. to 9in. deep, and lever it back.

Do this all round the dump until a final downward pressure on the handle of the fork, and a gentle pull on the base of the foliage with the other hand, lifts and exposes all the roots. Shake off as much soil as possible and give the rhizomes a careful examination for signs of rot on the rhizomes,, with browning of the base of the leaves. The affected leaves must be pulled off and the rotted part of the root cut back to sound flesh. To prevent any further trouble, dip the plant affected by the rot in a rose-pink solution of permanganate of potash. A hard and shrivelled rhizome, with pale green or yellow leaves above, indicates the presence of Iris Scorch disease. Cut away unhealthy root and sprinkle the remainder with equal parts of flowers of sulphur and powdered charcoal. Clumps bearing six or more sets of leaves should be divided into clumps treating three sets of leaves each. If you are replanting in the same position as before, first dig the soil well and then take out the planting holes. These should be of such a depth that the rhizome is not more than half buried. Allow also for a lin. layer of leaf-mould to every bucketful of which is added a 3in. potful of superphosphate of lime. This treatment is important, no matter where you are planting, but particularly so if you are replanting in the same site. Plant the divisions in a clump of from three to 1 six plants, allowing 18in. of space between each. Shake each plant as you fill in soil around it, so that the loam will trickle among the fibrous roots and finish off the surface firmly. Give a watering further to settle the soil, then dust 3oz, of slaked lime (or a proprietary garden lime) over every square yard of surface soil.

BROCCOLI FOR SPRING Plant Out Now If the broccoli for spring cutting is to withstand the rigours of winter, the plants must be strong and vigorous by autumn. And that means that they must have a long season of slow and gradual growth. Set the yoking plants out as soon as you can, then, choosing a slightly exposed position, if possible—you must not coddle a crop which has later to face the winter. Dig the selected site' two spits deep, working three-quarters bucketful of littery manure into each square yard of the lower spit. With the top spit mix in three-quarters bucketful of wellrotted manure, 4oz. of wood-ashes and loz. of bone-meal per square yard. Break up the soil quite fine and then make it firm by rolling—by treading it the ground is heavy. Unless the weather is showery, make the holes (2ft. apart each way) the day before you intend planting and fill them up with water. When you come to the actual transplanting, reject those plants with very pointed leaves, a characteristic which indicates a weak constitution and poor chances of a good head being formed. Also steer clear of plants with leaves of a pea-green colour. Choose those of a bluish-green tint, and with rounded tips. Water in after planting and repeat every day until growth has started again.