DELPHINIUMS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 80, 1 October 1931, Page 23

DELPHINIUMS

FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES

SOME USEFUL HINTS

NOTICE TO READERS. This column Is Intended vr^^.J" gardeners with small plot*, and the aim is to make it a. practical and useful as possible. Inquiries on any matter of gardenina interest will be welcomed. The rule fo? c O rr..p.nd.nc. I. tlirt ■ ■« "Tta'SSe tions must be aooompanled by the. naime and address of th. writer, not l«n»t»»----tlon, but as a guarantee of goo* faith. This[rule-will b. strictly adhered to. This Is your column—make use of 1L ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. E.A.R.—The best gardening book for local conditions 13, In my opinion, "Brett's Gardening Guide," price 5s 6d, procurable from any seedsman or bookseller. "G.M."—Phormlum Tenax, the common native flax> can be grown from seed, which take's from three to six weeks to According to the Department of Agriculture, the seed should be sown in boxes or in beds; It is. not practicable to sow where the plants are to grow. Sowing in boxes Is an advantage late In the season, as they can be protected from heavy rain. In the ground the seeds may be sown as though they were parsnip seeds. As soon as the young plants can be handled they should be transplanted Into lines to the open ground, spacing them about b\x Inches apart in rows wide enough to hoe between. The plants will be ready for final planting in the spring of the following year. If the seeds are sown soon after being collected the young plants will appear inside of three weeks; If kept till spring they will take twice as long. »Pl P l.»_The sample you sent reached me in a very" withered condition, making it Impossible to determine what It was. If you care to send another piece packed In a tin box with some damp ■ moss, I shall be pleased to identify It if I can. "Walsall."—l have never heard that broom sticks are. useless for pea: stakes. They should prove eminently suitable, provldec they are not too dense. What reason' did your Informant give for their being no good? • According to Mr. C. F. Langdonto grow delphinium' flowers for exhibition if is necessary that the plants should be "done well" in every sense of the term; They are,gross feeders and delight in rich deep loamy soil with which is incorporated plenty of decayed cow manure;: - If possible the soil should be worked to. the depth of 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet, and-in any ease as. deeply as possible. Plant in March or April, but if that is not possible, wait until September or October, as it is not advisable *o plant in late autumn. Planting then is a frequent cause" of failure, especially in cold and wet soils. If, however the grower should have a light, -well-drained soil to deal with he may be able to plant at a later or earlier date than recommended, as so much depends on soil conditions and especially drainage. _ Good plants should be selected with plenty of young roots, and those raised from cuttings are. preferred. Good flowers may be expected the first year, but the best results are obtained in the second year when the plants will be well established with a mass. of roots. In the second year, the plant will prob-ably-throw a number of shoots—many more than are required. These should be thinned -when about' '6 ' inches in height, leaving three to seven according to the variety and the space allotted to the plants. Crowding should be, avoided, and, if possible, a space of 4 feet from plant to plant should be given. There is no comparison between .plants . that..have- plenty, .of air space and those, that are crowded, and if the best results are desired the apace recommended will be none too much. The dephinium is a succulent plant and makes its growth very rapidly during warm days in November and December, sometimes .putting on 3 inches a. day. It is therefore important that during this time abundance of water be available, and if the wflather be dry the plants must be well watered. When watering give sufficient to soak the roots, remembering that these extend some if eet from the stools and to a good depth.; The position of the bed is an important factor in cultivate on, as also is the kind:-of soil in which the plant is grown. :An open position is undoubtedly the best, and if sheltered from prevailing winds so much the better.' ■■'. > ■' '■■■■'■'■■ ■..■•■■'■-■ •_. Delphiniums ' are > very accommodating as fo soils> as: they., make a good show in .either peat, Band, or. clay if their requirements are studied, but the effect of the different soils on the growth of the plants, their height, the size of the flowers, etc., is enormous. The 'greatest enemy of the delphinium is that- terrible garden -scourge, the slug. It seems that the slug will leave any other, plant to get at the young succulent shoots during early spring. That, being the time of. greatest dan-, ger, steps must be taken to prevent the attack. A good plan is to clear the soil away from the crown in the winter, then cover with sharp, gritty ashes, to which a good sprinkling of soot has been added." They cannot crawl over or burrow into the ashes, and the young shoots pushi their way safely through, whereas without the covering of ashes the gardener may1 watch, in vain for the young shoots to appear. The crown of the plant being a natural harbour for slugs, they eat the vyoung shoots before they can break through the soil. ■'' MILDEW. In some districts mildew is very troublesome during the autumn months, and in.wet weather it is very,difficult to deal with. It usually makes its appearance in January or February, and the grower should watch : for its first onset, and immediately dust the plants with sulphur. Mildew kills the autumn growths, and consequently prevents the plants giving a second lot of bloom, as they should do, and will, if the mildew is prevented. There are a certain number of varieties that are proof against attack, and this increases their value as border plants very much indeed, especially by the fact that the plants keep their foliage, and if the old flowers aro taken off in time give a good display in autumn. Immune varieties have smooth shiny leaves, whilst others are more or less hairy. This suggests that it is the night dew resting on the leaves and taking a long time to dry that is the cause of the mildew. DAHLIAS. ' Dahlias which were lifted for the winter and stored away should now be started, if not already dons. Old tubers should be planted with the crowns several inches beneath the surface. The present month is the best time for this work, but next month will be time enough to plant out rooted cuttings which have been struck. The question of support for dahlias is important as the plants have hollow stems which when in full bloom are liable to be top-heavy and very easily broken by gales. It is advisable to place one good strong stake as near the crown as possible before covering the tubers, as there there can be no possibility of damage. Later a stake should be supplied for each growth. A lighter stake may be used for this, eacli one being attached to the strong central one. Growths should be limited according to the size of the plant, from j three to five being sufficient. All sur- ( plus growths should be cut out while , quite small. Dahlias should be plantod in an open sunny position where they will get plenty of light and air, but

'where they are protected from the worst of $he winds. An open position encourages ' the development of strong sturdy growths, with .firm flower stems. Shady conditions ■ tend to the production of slender, drawn stems, an abundance of foliage with few blooms, and these of poor quality. It is a great mistake to crowd dahlias- in planting, as few plants are more influenced by an abundance of sunlight and air all round them. Never try to grow twenty plants where there is only room for ten to develop fully. .Dwarf varieties should not be closer than 3 feet apart, while the tall-growing sorts require up to 6 feet.