GROW GIANT PANSIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 29, 18 February 1937, Page 10

GROW GIANT PANSIES

There are few garden plants which produce the saine wealth and briliiance of biopm over sucJi an extended periorl of the year as the pansy. Under naturai condxtxons the pansy ptoduces tne largest and finest flowers in a rich, loamy soil and a eool^ moist climate. In order to secure tnis we must adapt our system of cuiture aa to have thenx in fuii bloom at the season best gu'ited to their highest dcvelopment, whieh in our climate is Auguat and September. This wiil mean sowing the seed ln .January o^ February. Wherbver po&sible it would be well to prepare the bcd immediately for the ieceptxon of tho young 'seedlings. Select for prei'erence a posxtion in the garden x\ iiiek ia partially shaded froxn the sun during the day. Trench the soil well and thoroughly work iu some* well-rotted manure. Seed Sowing. — Now, for the seed sowing. Choose for your purpose either boxes or the seed bed. I prefer the latter. The seed bed shouid be dug deeply and broken up thoroughly Make the top t'ew xnches as fine as possible. Water thoroughly. Sow the seed thinly xn drills made by pressxng a lathe oi wood into the surface soxl to a depth of not more than half an inch. 'Oover Ixghtly, but firm the soil well after covering the seed. Shouid the soil present a dry appearauce after sowxng it shouid be well watered, exther with a fine can or a i gehtle penetrating spray. Protect ihe beds or boxes with a light covering of tea-fcree or bracken. Better still, it you cotild improvise a light frame of hessian or scrim. Such i shelter will assxst greatly in conserving the moisture, and ticlp to keep it during the perind of hot, dry weather. It will alfio prevent "baking" of the surface soil which is so fatal to seed raxsing. "Watering. — Water regularly, and ipi- • mediately the young plants appear 3 above the ground, remove the coverings - and mulch with a sifting of well-rotted i stable manure, or other hardy material. ' On no account shouid the bed be al1 lowed to become dry, and during the . warmer koura of the day shelter shouid V

be provided, gradually decreasing the period as the plants grow and autu-' matically harden off. . When the soqdlings . are big enough they may be pricked out in beds or boxes, transplanting to two inches apart. Althougk not gen'eraliy adopted, such a plan is to be reeommended. .. . ,u,v.u... — wuen the pansy seedlings are thoroughly eatablisked they may ue transpianiea to the permanent beds or borders. For this purpose tuey shouid be ready towards the middle of autunxn (March) provided the seed whs sown ia January. Set the seedlings from, 9 to 12 inckbs apart itt the rows, which shouid be from 15 to 18 inches apart. Guard agaiU3t tne ravages of Slugs and snails, which are particularly i'ond of this plant. Lime or lime and tobacco dust in equal parts dusted over and around the plants is good. . Keep the soil well cultivated betwoen tixe rows and suppress all weed growth. Water copiousiy during dry weather and when the plants are firmly establisned in their new positions a little manure wili help them consxderably and gxeatly iniprove the quality and colouis of tho r/.coms. , Occasionally a little artificial manure, quicls acting, is dusted around the plants to good advantage. Pick ofi; all the spent blooms from time to time, otherwise the flowering period will be considerably t'urtailed. Ph'usies are admirably adapted for pot cuiture, and make excellent tenanls for window boxes. For . show purposqs the eneigics of tho plant shouid be confined to a hali a dozei. of the mo&t promising buds, removing all others, and feed copiousiy with liquid manure.