THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 23373, 16 September 1939, Page 17

THE GARDEN

Our contributor, s well-known gardener, will bo glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Thursday of each week. (Advertisements for this column must bo handed in te the office before t p.m. on Thursday,}

WORK FOR THE WEEK

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

“Interested" wants to ikpow if the following would be a success in Dunedin:—Paprika, squashes and capsicum.—They would not do with outside cultivation, but they can be grown in a cold glasshouse successfully.

THE GARDEN

It is essential that more vegetables and fruits should be grown from now on. By so doing we shall be helping the Government to provide food for the great masses of men engaged in the war. Every plot should he cultivated, and markets will be found for the surplus after the home is supplied. The weather and the soil are now in good condition for planting and sowing, and no time should be lost in getting the seeds sown. Where the plants are growing away the hoe should be kept at work so as to allow the sun and air to penetrate into the soil. Early peas and beans will require the soil to be pulled in around the plants. As these plants are stem-rooted, plenty of soil . can be pulled in around them. .This will.be found to be very beneficial in helping the plants to mature quickly.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

I The flower garden should not be neglected, as there is no doubt that flowers are a great source of joy, not only to the sick, but to all lovers of Nature. It has been said by someone that a mass of flowers in a garden is like a tonic to a tired heart. For the Dunedin Centennial celebrations to be held from February 17 to 24, the Centennial Committee has recommended the growing of the following:—Antirrhinums, asters, calendulas, carnations, annual chrysanthemums, coreopsis, cyuoglossum, delphiniums (Blue Butterfly), gaillardia, clarkia, godetia (Sybil Sherwood), helichrysum, larkspurs, lupines, marigolds, nasturtiums, phlox, statice. sunflower, sweet peas, and viscaria. Perennials. Agapanthus (Golden Rod), gypsophila, helium, hydrangeas,' kniphofia, rudbeckia. shasta daisy, thalictrum. bulbs and tubers, dahlias, and gladioli.

LAWNS

' The, sowing down of lawns, verges, etc., should now be carried out. If the surface is ready to receive the seed it is advisable to work into the soil before sowing a dressing of pinepesto powder, which is a great soil fumigant. No matter in what condition your soil may be, there are always plenty of pests which at a later date will destroy the roots of the young grass plants, and then the surface will look patchy. Prevention is better than cure, and pests should be destroyed before the roots commence to start away. The powder can be worked into the surface with a small fork, and should bo applied at the rate of 2oa per square yard. This work should be carried out' a few days before sowing tlie seed. One of the most important tilings in providing for a good lawn is the right mixture for the soils in Dun-

edin and district. Cheap grass seed is a waste of time and money, as it contains a great deal of weeds, etc. Again, grass seed mixtures from the North Island are not suitable for our districts, as the climatic conditions are far different. Your local seedsman will supply you, with mixtures which will be a success in our soils. F.S.P.

GIANT RASPBERRIES

BIGGER THAN A PENNY LONDON, July 29. Five giant raspberries, each bigger than a penny are among 20,000 botanical specimens which nave just arrived at the Natural History Museum, South America. # The collection was made by Mr A. H. G Alston while exploring the great Andean highway which runs from Caracas in Venezuela through Colombia to Quito, capital of Ecuador, Mr Alston has not ventured to test the taste of the raspberries because he did not want_ to lose even one of the specimens which he found in the Colombian Andes in a region between the tree and snow lines. Another curiosity is a low, thick, circular plant about a yard in diameter, which looks like a great pin cushion, but actually belongs to the carrot family. * “ There are bound to be many new species in the collection,” Mr Alston said this week, *' but it will take years of research by experts to work them out. ” Thirty packing cases were required to carry the specimens, 'each dried and pressed flat inside a folded sheet of rough paper.

A MIGNONETTE "TREE"

By growing mignonette in the form of a “ tree,” one can have the fragrant flowers practically throughout the year. Mignonette, although usually grown as an annual, is really a perennial shrub which will form a woody stem in the end. To get a “ tree ’’ of this plant, select a strong specimen from the garden. Lift it with as little root disturbance as_ possible, then pldce in a pot filled with light, rich soil and containing plenty of drainage materia). Keep the plant in a cool, shady place for a few days until it has recovered from its removal, then move it into an open situation in the garden. If it has flowers or buds on it, these should bo removed to encourage vigorous growth of foliage. The mignoneftp “ tree ” may be kept out of doors until the -weather becomes cold, then it should be removed to a conservatory, greenhouse, or even a room.—‘ Popular Gardening,’ London.

RHUBARB

Few people realise that it is possible to raise plants of rhubarb from seed. The seed should be sown about the end of March (September iu New Zealand) as soon as the soil can be broken down fine. The rows should be a foot apart and the seed sown thinly lin deep in these rows. When the plants come through they should be thinned out to lOin apart, so that a good 1 orown may develop. When they are one year old, the plants should be transferred to their permanent bed, and then plaflted Sift or 3ft apart. It is possible to obtain seed of Champagne, Goliath, Early Paragon, Linnaeus, and Victoria. When the plants are Gin or Sin high the amateur should “ rogue ” out those which seem not to be true to type. Those who prefer to have quicker results should purchase good crowns, or sets, as they are called!. These should be planted in deeply-dug and wellmanured ground. In addition to the manure or organic matter that has been dug in below the top spit, the following artificials should be applied per square yard and forked into the top Gin:—loz sulphate of ammonia, 3oz superphosphate, loz sulphate of potash, and 2oz steamed bone flour. When the sets arrive, if the roots have been damaged in the nursery, they should be trimmed neatly before being planted. All damaged and broken portions should be removed, for it has been found that neat trimming does help rapid healing. Planting should be done with the tap bud Sin deep and the ground trodden moderately firm. Not one single stalk should be pulled the first season.

TURNIPS

HOW TO GROW THEM It is worth while devoting a littlsi' extra care to the making of the seed bed for turnips to obtain sweet, juicy roots. The secret of success with this crop ia rapid growth, which is possible only in rich soil, with which plenty of manure has been mixed (says the ‘Dominion’). Turnips also like lime, and whether the soil is light or heavy this must be supplied to the soil beforehand. For heavy soils the best form is quicklime, which has been slaked by sprinkling it with water to cause it to fall to a fine, dry powder. It should be applied at the rate of half a pound a square yard, and 10 days should elapse from the time of liming to that of sowing. For lighter soils ground limestone ia best, and 11b of this may be applied to each square yard of soil. On heavy and light .soils the lime should be stirred into and mixed with the top Gin of soil.

The site of the bed should be open, and when the ground has been limed and manured the surface should ba broken up fine and raked down level. Shallow drills may then be drawn, for the seed needs only a slight covering of fine soil, allowing from 8 to 12 inches between each drill.

The. first sowing can be made this month on a warm border. Successive sowings, at intervals of two or three weeks, . can continue for several months.

If a warm shower follows sowing the seedlings will probably appear in about a week, and thinning to 4in apart should be done when the rough or true leaf develops.