THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19782, 4 February 1928, Page 21

THE GARDEN

WOISK FOR THE THE VEGETABLE GARDEN No time should be lost now in planting put winter greens. Do it preferably during showery weather, otherwise giro a good watering after planting. , , , . i 'Celery that was planted early should now bo growing well. Give frequent, and plentiful waterings, and preparations should bo made for an early earthing of. Seeds can be sown.of cabbage, caulillowor, spinach, turnips, and the early short-horn carrots for drawing young. Keep the strawberry bed, free from weeds and encourage the suckers to root if young plants are desired. This can best bo done by pegging the suckers down at the joints and throwing a little soil over them. If new beds are to bo made, prepare the ground thoroughly in .advance. rrequent hoeing amongst all growing crops will encourage growth, lessen tiie need of much watering during the warm weather, and last, but not least, do not be gentle if you come across a we6d, because weeds left at this period of the year mean a stock of seeds that will worry you for a year or two.

“Parsnip.’'—The parsnip leaf forwarded is affected with su mildewy blight mostly, and if it is only on the leaves pull them off and burn theiu. ff the plants are overcrowded thin them out more, so that light and air can get all around them. The plants should bo from 9in to a foot apart. Give the plants a good watering and see if they recover. Have you got disease-infected fruit trees or ■hedges near your parsnip bed, because it you have taken measures to eradicate the source of affection. “ Lawn.”—You desire to make a new lawn shortly and wish to know the best way to prepare the soil? Seeing you have already dug the ground and tho surface is in a rough state, the only advise that-is opportune now is to sinash up the lumps with the back of d spade and also use tho hoe frequently. Then rake, and rerake on every available opportunity, until the surface is quite level and friable. This frequent pulverising of tho surface will also serve tho purpose of killing any weeds that may have germinated. A dusting of bonedust on the surface will bo beneficial. “Lawn No. 2.”—Yes, February is a good month for sowing a lawn and also for top-dressing the spring-sown one. Soot, wood ashes, bonedust, phosphates, etc., are all good as lawn fertilisers, but be careful in the use of stable manure, as jt contains IjJie seeds of many weeds. The class of seed will depend on what tho lawn is to bo used for. Explain your requirements when you purchase the seed. “Lawn No. 3.”—You sowed down a lawn in spring and the growth was satisfactory up till the end of the year, but the grass now seems to be burnt off? Without seeing the lawn it is hard to say definitely whether it h just the heat injuring the young grass, or whether other reasons,- such as the presence of the grass grub are operating. From your description, however, it seems most likely that the hot weather has injured the delicate roots of the young grass. I would advise trying a light top-dressing of a tine friable soil, and if rain does not appear imminent spray witft a fine rose. Then if no sign of recovery is apparent you would still have time to sow again in the autumn, which is tho best time for that operation. “ J.C.A.”—From your description of your diseased apple tree I should say the complaint is woolly aphis, and that the tree, through neglect, is in a bad way. Try cutting off the dead or infected wood, and burn it,- then dig round tho tree, and finally spray with aa oil spray such as black leaf 40.

THE FLOWER GARDEN Auriculas that have finished flowering may be taken up and divided, replanting in rich soil. Divide to a single crown it possible and plant deeply so that the collar is just below the surface. Polyanthus, primrose, and polyanthus primrose may also be divided at the present stage. Single crowns again are preferable, and do not hesitate to prune off the long roots that came up with the old plant. The ideal to work for is an entirely new set of roots on a young plant. _ . Now is a suitable time to put in cuttings of violas and pansies. Choose a partially shaded and somewhat moist place for them. Hurry with the layering of carnations and put in cuttings of pinks. The anemone is easily grown from tubers or seed. The tubers should be planted during autumn, two or three inches deep, and about five inches apart, in well drained soil. The seed sitould be sown in early autumn, and in boxes containing a light sandy compost. When sufficiently advanced the young plants should be transplanted to the garden bed. The ranunculus can also be grown from either bulbs or seed. The bulbs aro best planted in autumn and the seed in cither spiing or early autumn. Tho ranunculus enjoys a friable soil mixed with well-decayed manure. Plant 2in deep and 4in apart, and be sure to place the claws downward. After flowering and the foliage has decayed, the roots should be- carefully lifted and stored in a box of dry sand until next planting season. Almost every color is represented in its range of single and double flowers. The seed should only be covered very lightly with soil and some protection is advisable at germination and in the early stages of growth. If bulbs, such as the daffodil, crocus, and others - that bloom in the spring, have to be lifted, do so immediately, as growth commences very soon after the foliage has died down. If Jhe bulbs are already out of the ground and the bed is to be remade or a fresh bed is to be used, thoroughly dig, rake, and rerake the ground, as this will sweeten the ground and also kill a lot of seedling weeds., It is a good plan, if one is adding new varieties to your collection of narcissi and your own collection is free from disease, to plant the new ones in a bed by themselves, as the microscopic eelworm may be amongst the new introduction.

SOOT AS A FERTILISER Soot is such a valuable fertiliser that it always surprises mo to find how. few people take the trouble to provide the chimney sweep with a bag and invito him to leave the result of his labors behind him (says tho gardening contributor of nu English journal). It your grass is inclined to turn a dingy yellow at times, soot will restore the color, and at the same time thicken the grass. Just sow it broadcast on your lawn after a shower of rain, and see for yourself what a magical effect it has.

The best carrots I ever, saw in my life were grown with nothing-more than soot (i |uid common -salt as a fertiliser., N.ob'only. were they prodigious in size, but they were wonderfully clean and perfect in shape. The old gardener who grew them told me that he used two pounds of soot mixed with the same quantity of salt for every rod ol land, and that he dug it in,in February. Then soot, too, is a very useful insecticide when dusted over fruit bushes, and slugs simply hate it. But there is one thing you must remember before ydu use it, and that is to expose it to the air for about a week or you will find it will burn the foliage of any plant it touches. Another way of using it is in the form of liquid manure. Put a peck of it in a bag with a similar quantity of poultry or horse manure, and immerse it in a tub full of water.

TOMATO HOUSE AND VINERY Continue to remove laterals, and remove dead and seared leaves from the tomato plants. Take all dead or withered foliage out of the house, especially if any disease is noticeable on them. Give plenty of ventilation, during the day, and also a little at nights, and reduce the watering as the fruit ripens. Be careful with the ventilation of the vinery, avoiding cold, damp draughts, yet give plenty of fresh air during the day and on still, warm nights a little top ventilation is advisable. Look over the bunches of young berries, and remove any that are too close to each other or defective in any way. Any young growths that are robbing" the fruit of light and air, especially the young shoots that are close ,to the glass, are best removed.

There is not a flower or vegetable in your garden that will not appreciate a little of the resulting liquid once a week during the . growing season. I find it answers particularly,well with roses, and as soon ns the first crop is over I begin feeding them with this liquid to hasten on the succeeding flowers, _ Soot is also splendid for the cabbage patch because it not only increases the size of the cabbages, but it improves their color, too. It seems curious that this dirty substance from our-chimneys should, be able to stimulate plant growth, but the reason is that it is

quite rich in ammonia, which, as you know, is one of the most important plant foods. It also contains sulphur, which is very injurious to plants, and that is why it must he exposed to the air for a few days, because this renders the sulphuf harmless. “ Weathered soot” it is called then, and it can bo dusted over soil and plants without doing any harm.

, THE FRUIT GARDEN Fruit trees that are trained to walls throw out many strong shoots about this time of the year. It is a good plan to go over them now and tie or nail with strips of leather or canvas the lending shoots into position to prevent those shoots from being damaged by the wind. If the young growths are manifestly overcrowded, remove some of them altogether. This will allow the light and air to get to the remaining sheets and ripen the wood. With standard trees, especially if the apple, pear, and plum, unruly growth occurs, and now is a good time to look them over, and, if possible, check this growth. If strong, sappy growths are in evidence, and especially if the tree is ill-balanced, pinch off the' tip of the long shoot, and this will have the effect of diverting the sap elsewhere. Where new growths are pointing inward,' remove tl ■ tops for certain, and if there are many of them, remove some altogether. It is quite noticeable how an orchardlst, when amongst his trees, is frequently stopping a growth here and there, and this judicious stopping and pruning at this time of the year is not only advantageous to the_ trees, but is also of benefit to the fruit. Watch for disease especially on the apple trees. Mildew is perhaps the most prevalent of the orchardist’s afflictions, ancl this .is best checked by pinching off the young shoots that are affected, and spraying the tree with the summer formula of Bordeaux mixture. Do not leave mildew-affected leaves or shoots on the ground about the trees, but collect them and consign them to the rubbish fire. If the codlin moth larva is in evidence, spray with arsenate of lead for preference. The larva or grub of the codlin moth is of a yellowish-white color, with a very dark brown head. When-voung it is barely perceptible to the nalced eye, and when full grown it is somewhere about half an inch in length. The presence of the grub in the apple is easily detected by the excretia which it has pushed from the hole by which it entered the fruit. Collect all fallen fruits in which the grub is found, and destroy them. ' ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “Tgnosco.”—The flower forwarded for naming is nemesia. “ Rhubarb.”—Seeing your bed was only made this last spring it would be unwise to pull’ any stalks, because if you do you will weaken the crowns and jeopardise next season’s crop.

Soot water is an old-fashioned insecticide which is still very much in favor as a remedy against pests attacking lose bushes and fruit bushes. Mix it with boiling water, strain when cool, and apply with- an ordinary garden syringe.

THE CARBOON Cardoons are not cultivated extensively in this country, but this need not deter anyone from growing them, especially as they make a welcome addition to the vegetable supplies at this time of the wear (writes “ A.P.C.,” in the ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle’). The blanched stalks of the inner leaves form the edible portion of the plant, as -well as the thickened main root, and, when cooked to a fine degree of tenderness, they have a distinct and agreeable flavor. They are generally grown in trenches in much the same way as celery, but, naturally, they need more room. Good cultivation throughout, is essential, as the slightest check at any period of growth causes bolting, and the crops become useless. If early supplies are required it is customary to , sow seeds in heat in March or April (September or October in New Zealand) and plant out at .the end of May or beginning of June; If this practice is followed it is better to sow the seeds singly in small pots, so that the‘plants may be handled easily for hardening off and transferred to their permanent quarters without check. Equally good results may be obtained by sowing seeds in the open trenches in May. If cold nights ensue the seedlings may be protected by inverted pots, but when established they grow awny rapidly, and by . September make sufficiently large heads for blanching. Great care should be taken with blanching, as, unless this is thoroughly done, the inherent delicate flavor of the cardoon is not brought out. The most satisfactory method is to bind soft hay-bands, around the plants, after which the soil may be drawn up to and pressed firmly about .them.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. .««

Otrr <ontribtttoc, A -woJliacmii gardener, will-be glad io answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday of each week. ASrortiaameota far Ona column moot bo handed in to the office before 2 p.na. on Friday, „

mm OF THE LILY WIDE DECORATIVE VALUE Lilies are among the most beautiful and ornamental of bulbous plants. Their large, richly-colored flowers (which, in, niany varieties, are highly perfumed) are produced upon erect stems, giving them a stately appearance and rendering them .altogether indispensable subjects for the embellishment of the flower borders (says the gardening contributor of the Auckland ‘Herald ’).. Many of the strong-grow-ing sorts, notably lilum caiididuni, are well adapted for grouping and naturalising on the. outskirts dt shrubberies, and, when once established, may remain for years without being disturbed. When planted in clumps along the edges of partially-shaded drives, they present a most pleasing effect. Lilies are best adapted for planting in the mixed border, arranging them according to the height of the different varieties. The commoner and more plentiful species that have been established here for many yeai;s provide ample evidence of the suitability of our climate for lily growing. _ The beautiful pure white St. Joseph s lily (L. candidum) flowers in .November, and is of easy cultivation. Lilium longiliorum, a dwarf-growing variety v-itn long, pure white, funnel-shaped (lowers, is largely grown here The different varieties of lilium elegans, of compact habit, flower early, and are extremely handsome. Lilium auratum, the golden-rayed lily of Japan, ->s among the most prized of all. It is somewhat harder to manage than most -oilier sorts.' The different varieties of L. speciosnm are autumn flowerers. In addition to the preceding there are numerous other species and varieties. By growing a selection of kinds that flower at different seasons a display may be kept up for a considerable period, beginning with the St.' Joseph’s lily, which is the earliest to flower, and following on with other sorts, completing the season with the vaiieties of _ speciosnm, which are of easy cultivation and the latest to flovyer. Liliun' tigrinum, an intermediate fiowercr, is a very popular and hardy kind

Lilies prefer a fairly light, loamy, i and well-drained soil. The flowers last longest in perfection when partially shaded,and when the plants have been mulched and protected from strong winds. The best time to lift the bulbs is early in the autumn, after the flower stalks have ripened off. But, after taking them out of the ground, they must not bo allowed to remain on- the surface, otherwise they soon shrivel. As a rule, after the first planting, most of the varieties should be.left in the ground, taking the precaution to place a label to each clump to denote their whereabouts. In addition to the value of lilies for the decoration of the garden, they may be successfully grown in pots for greenhouse, verandah, or conservatory decoration. When cultivated in pots, the bulbs should be deeply inserted, as the plants derive most of their nourishment -from, the roots produced around the. shoot immediately above the bulb. As the plants advance in growth,, add some- well-rotted manure mixed, with ilbrous loam and well water. Tins assists the development of the flower if applied soon after' the flower,, stems make, their, appearance.- .. ... ~1 1. i

TRY TRENCHING IT : : At one of the big flower shows this year I overheard one lady remark' to another that she simply could not get her delphiniums to grow more than 4ft in height (writes “Mary Rose,’ in ‘Home Chat’). Wo were standing at the time in front of an exhibit of these gorgeous perennials, some •of which must have been fully 10ft high. At the risk of being snubbed I ventured to suggest that the reason, might be that they were a variety which were only supposed to grow to a medium height, but slje said no, they were tall kinds which she had purchased at the previous year’s show. “Of course," she went on, “I haven’t the time to give them the daily attention which these get ” —indicating those on the Stand,_ I said no. more, but I did so long totell her that she was quite mistaken when she imagined that delphiniums or any other herbaceous perennial needed coddling. Everything depends upon the initial preparation and the way the soil is dug. THE REST ADVICE. I dare say there are many readers who are contemplating splitting up the plants in their borders in he autumn, and to those I should like to give two words of advice—dig deeply. If your soil is the same in appearance two feet down, you should trench it, and this is the way to do it. First of all you mark off a strip Ift wide with the garden line, and remove the soil to a depth of Ift, wheeling it to the far end of the plot, which you are digging. Then with the line in the same place you dig out the underneath sod also a' foot deep, and place that in a ridge behind the first soil, also at the far end of the plot. In front of you now is a trench 2t’t deep and lit wide. Move the line back another 12in, and then with the fork turn the top soil of that section into the bottom of the trench which yawns before you, UPSIDE DOWN. And when 1 say turn it, do so literally, and do not be content with pushing it in the same way up. This accomplished, turn the second layer oil top of the first. Trench No. 1 will now be filled, and another will have opened at your feet. Continue with the digging until the soil excavated in the first trench goes finally into the last trench, and the laborious job is complete. But what a transformation has taken place 1 All the top soil is now buried a foot below the surface, and you have so shaken up the remainder that there is now a depth'- - of 2ft of nice crummy soil in which things simply cannot help, growing. Every part of your garden should be trenched-in this way every three years, but .you - need not do it all at the same time. Try it bn yourflower borders this year, and the next year do a part: of your .kitchen garden.