Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 47, 1 May 1930, Page 9

Gardening Notes

PREPARATION FOR

PLANTING.

Protection and Mulching are very important and necessary with, plants we are not too well acquainted with, and for newly-planted subjects shelter from drying or cutting winds is essential to their well-doing. Too often this-is left until the plants show signs of distress, the Stalks flaccid, the leaves blaekeniiig; but it s-hould be given directly the plant is finished. Stakes driven into the ground to support a light piece of scrim or tiffany affords; .sufficient shade from sun^ This should be drawn a little closer round and reacting to the ground, for a few days, for newly planted subjects, 'and also in the case of a cold or bitter wind. 'And the simple expedient of lacing light branches or fcxns through the stakes is very effective in frosts, this often being'efficient witihout any other head-clover. Where 4-hc plant has rendered, this impossiblo, or where scrim is not .desirable because of the proximity of other plants, long straw or hay can be bound roui<<.T stems or branches, not too thickly or too tightly. ■

Mulching.—Mulclung is also anot-her impoTtant branch of protection. It is most important to keep the soil at the proper degree of moisture, which is best done by spradin'g over the roots of the plants that wJiieli is most beneficial to it, either decayed manure, leaves and grass clippings. Always avoid having it around the collar or stem, as you neither wish it to» root or rot there. Have thd N.imilck applied'■'thickest^ at the outside-of the eirele, and-Increase its raelius every /time of application.' The yji-oper times [for mulehihg- are—in the spring, when i the -sun has warmed the ground, and in the autumn, to retain solar 'heat and to" prevent the frost entering. Chateoal is-.;'a' safe thing to heap up near^tiie stem of most plants for a winter; protection from frosts, but should be October.

Suitable Soil,^Preparation, and Plant-ing.-^-The ideaJ> soil is" a deep,' moist, dark loam, sills^ and clean, to the touch This is the verjr best■'*•'ground work" for any - planting, for it can be made and mixed for any plant. ' ;

But any.soilj by honest, patient work and the addition of those means whici lie generally close at -hand in the shape of weeds, grass-sods, road scrapings, to., can be made good. Such additions, too, make it the more absorbent and retentive of moisture. It can be made warmer by draining off superfluous water in winteif which does not, as is oft^n supposed, t6nd to make it drier in summer. But drains, to be effective, need to go -welt into the subsoil, andvacrpss the water, not^down through it/..

Heavy Soil.—Suppose your soil is of that unkind hungry nature, a shallow" gravely soil above .stiff retentive clay, hot and" parched;in summer, cold and, swamped in -"winter, you can transform an .1 make it - suitabi... firstly, by drains cut whore they! are wanted; secondly, by -bringing "up: the /'hard-pan" (i.e./ the clay subsoil), smother-burning it/ and, mixing wit-h. the top soil; and thirdly, by the addition of suitable manures, which\ should consist largely of decayed litter, stable and fowlhouse manure, for the first season or two. Trenching up roughly before win- ( . ter and-letting the frosts break it-down and make it mellow anU friable is- en aclmirabh? preparation for spring. Then the grbmid will need double trenching, .j the; top spitt "removed, and the bottom taken out to burn. Turves put in at

the" ibo,ttom, with other p green refuse, ■will 'greatly -improve its working condition, for* such a soil -would not foe planted permanently at first. It wants good, honest .spade work and properly prepared materials,- bu-rnt earth, decayed inan.ure, .green and charred Tefuse thoroughly incorporatc<l, as well as the sweetening,- enriching inifttiences of frost, sun, and air. It is ndt the slightest use to loosen'a shallow stratum, and in it ialf; bury rank, new, stockyard manure, and think the unfortunate plant' set in this will flourish. <It is very bad gardening in_ any soil, but in this under notice particularly fatal.

Light Soil. —Perhaps the extreme opposite.to the soil just described is that deep, loose sandy mould , generally found on hills, sometimes so deep it appears to have no bottom, or <only here and there a pate& of porous (Slay. This requires almost as much -working up as

the.other, first of ali to enable the rains^ to penetrate -and not shoot off and run over the surface-in streams, and secondly to enable it to retain moisture, for, having1 no retentive subsoil, and seeming thereby to ]#ck silicious constituents, the soil does not take up or absorb a sufficient quantity of moisture. Good, sweet clay incorporated thoroughly in it, together with, decaying turves and other vegetable matter, and wood ashes, makes a good lasting soil. The burnt earth is not a very,good thing hero, the soil haying muc-h the same consistency, instead of which weeds, grassj etc., should "be buTied. at a good depth or stacked (in heaps to decay ready for particular planting. Over much sand should not be used in planting,, and none should be added while digging. ' .

Lime*—-Lime is a very good thing in sweetening and freeing the soil, and placing as it were the mineral foods, etc., before the plant; but don't use too much: or too often, or the soil will be so effectually, impoverished (made limesick) as to he rendered useless for a time. Be careful not to use any.lime nenr Camellias, as they, and most of the members of the Ericaceous tribe as well, -have a great dislike to lime in any farm. Lime is a valuable help, and, unlike .patent universal medicines, will cure directly opposite diseases, will break up and'pulverise stiff clays, and effectually bind loose or gravelly soils.

"'Green Bone is a good, lasting manuTe, and put in fairly deep is. of value, but other manures, artificial, seem; to me too heating and stimulative. . I use them in solution, in the growing-season only, and not\at every watering..

The Smother i^ires for burnt clay and burnt earth are best' made as follows:—Get up a good bqdy of flowing coal, buTnt wood, etc; f • Qvfer this- arrange grassvaods in a conical-heap until covered- Then heap on the clay, .and as it

shows indication's of burning through apply more, never letting the fire show "through, or the substance will be burnt to. ash. In the.'same way prepare the first for burnt earth, using'only" turves and sods instead of .clay, These fire^ will smoulder'for da:ys,aad you can keep judiciously adding more to the outside strata until, when you are ready for them, you openthe. fieap, and. a nice, heap of. either 'xed disintegrated clay or soft dark earth you find it' to be. Ido not at alt mmdi if- a grass-sod fire goes out sometimes; as they will do if the damp sods,are packed on too fast and thick. As the Steanv'engendered is never quite dissipated, and sets'up a rapid decay ampng the :gra,ss sods, t&e heap then furnishing valuable 'vegetable mould, but before use you-niust be sure to turn it well over arid expose it to sun and air to destroy all fungus growths produced by such a process.

\ ' : 'X ; have never yet come aerpss the plant that -will not thrive in t-iis mould. Many dp not cafe for much, burnt earth; others will disdain burnt clay; others again will- sicken and.; die if. manure, however decayed; is applied to their roots; but one an <I.all will flourish with an admixtuTeXof tile ;earth of v these lastnamed heaps. In greater or less quantities" t use it for all, 'making it tie basis of the compost for "anything particularly choice. \ The' preparation of beds for a. few plants, may not be anii&s, as affording an instance for what mo%t require, and I will mention with the plants'if they require tnoro individual treatment, for I the main; point, with half-hardy plants is, to fin*l out their requirements, whether plenty of water- is requisite or a dry soil is preferred; but remember most plants Tevel in plenty 1 of moisture in the growing season- when perhaps vevy^little is fatal 'when getting quiescent or when the temperature is lowering. Therefore, make sure of good drainage .below, and, further, drain aitund the axis of the plant by plenty of sand. If you can prepare your bed in April or Mayy'it yr\ll be in splendid tilth by \6etober, which is the best time to turn but plants procured from a nursery, as they We starting into growth, the warmth, of spring is before feem, and by the time you can dispense with the mate-rials for keeping them close, all danger of frosts will be over.