Hints for Gardeners.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 August 1910, Page 4

Hints for Gardeners.

* PRUNING POSKS. Pruning roses inay be started any time now, and this work should b: finished by the end of the monih. The main principle in pruning is to cut hard back all the delicate growing varieties, such as Nipheto-, Com tesse de Natliallac. Clepatra. and other similar growing kinds. 'i 11 i,-> will insure a few strong growths on which will develop good blooms, li these slender and slow-growing A-arie-ties are only lightly pruned, only a few weekly growths will push forth, on which indifferent blooms will develop. 011 the stronger growim: kinds, especially those which lenn large bushes like Anna Ollivier, .Marie 'Van Houtte, Madame I. on bard, the use of the knife should b--applied in thinning out the we:;!-, growths and shaping and guidm;.the hushes. Strong growths inn be cut hard hack so as to keep finplants in vigorous health. Hybrid tea roses, which bloom very freely require prunin" hack to a stron;.. eye. This will mean a strum: growth, which will carry an ahund a nee of flowers. These, however, will require thinning if exhibit:.in blooms are desired. Most of tin hybrid perpetuals should be pi unco hard back; there are some exceptions, however, particularly t!n:.;v which have short: stunted growths These should be allowed to get up and only lightly reduced. So varie'.. art the characters of roses that no liard and fast rule can lie applied U all sections. A personal knowledge of each is necessary to obtain the best results from pruning. Sonic sections of the rose should not be pruned at this season. 'I he .Hank sias, Paul's Carmine Pillar. Persian Yellow, Copper Austrian, Anemone, and some others, should not fie pruned till November and Do cember, just after they have linishou blooming. To prune these kind*, just now is to take off the floweriiu. wood, for tin se kinds bloom only o\ the previous season's growth. .Mr. growth which will follow the sum mer pruning of the above kinds wil carry tlie next season's display, some of the Bourbon roses should not be pruned at this season, or ii they are, only the old growths re moved. The strong growths mad'last summer and autumn will bo < m ered with flower from base to top ol the growth. These growths, however, should be tied out and with a downward tendency, and if this is done a wealth of bloom will result. Mrs Paul, Soeur do la Malmaisnn. Ladv Waterloo, and several others, do best if treated in this manner. Climbing roses, if they have made tlieiir furnishings, should not be -pruned much: that is, if they undoing well. Thinning out all weak growth, and tying in the si raj' branches, is all that is necessary. ■Should tlie plants become overcrowded, and 1 weakened as a result-, a vigorous pruning will rejuvenate them, and give them another lease of life.