THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 117, 16 April 1940, Page 4

THE GARDEN

Notes are published under this heading-, and readers interested in gardening are invited to send in questions relating to matters upon which they wish expert advice; answers will be published with the weekly- notes.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Preparations can be made now for planting shrubs or making changes in the garden. There are always improvements which can be made or certain shrubs which may have outgrown their positions and have to be taken out to leave room tor their neighbours to expand. Then there are hedges to he considered, and these can he planted later, hut the soil for them should he as carefully prepared ns for any shrub that is put into the garden. 'Too often hedges are planted on badly prepared land and then are left to their own devices. If it is worth while to put in a hedge it is worth while to take as much care of every individual plant as it is with each shrub that is planted. One wotdd never think of simply digging the ground over, putting a shrub in, and then forgetting about it, and this is exactly what often occurs with hedge plants. _ "What is wanted is to dig the soil about two spits deep and work in some rotted manure to make the soil richer. Allow the soil to settle before planting. The question of, the best hedge to plant must l>e left to the individual taste of the owner and also to consider the variety that does best in that particular locality. One fault that must be guarded against is to plant too closely together thinking to get a quick hedge by this means. Give enough room for each plant to develop arid the hedge should be quite satisfactory. Ranunculus plants that have been raised in boxes can he planted out in the garden now. We believe in raising these tubers in boxes of good soil ail'd then transferring to the open ground. The bed can be prepared by having some well-rotted cow manure put into it. This should be deep enough to be out of the way of the roots when they are first put in. Allow about six inches of room between plant and plant, and at least a foot between the rows so that the hoe can be used carefully between them. The same thing can be done with anemones, and they can be planted in exactly the same way. Tulip bulbs can be put in now. They like a good rich soil, but any manure that is used should not be allowed to come iu contact with the bulb itself. . . „ Plant out Iceland poppies in wellman nred soil and give the bed a good dressing of lime. These are very paitial to lime and will grow much better for its use. Calendulas are useful plants for early spring flowering and thev will grow in almost all places where few other plants will thrive. Cinerarias can be planted out in shaded places. They will grow very well tinder trees and shrubs as long as the soil can be stirred up a few inches deep and some well-rotted manure and leaf mould worked into it. The soil must be well-drained so that it does not become waterlogged -at any tunc. ROSE BEDS. Rose planting is due to begin very ■ soon and those who arc going to put in new beds would be well advised to get the work done as soon as they can. Roses like an open, sunny position that is well-drained and deeply dugs. \\ e have been in the habit of advising gardeners to put plenty of manure well down and to mix it with the clay lmt wo have changed this and now acUisc mixing fresh, clean soil round the roots of the plants when setting them out in their permanent positions. T he reason for this change has been brought about liv actual observation o( the rr row til of the plants themselves. I lie action of the rain on the.soil washes a certain amount ot plant lood down into

the clay and portions of soil are carried down also. Very few roots go down, most of them are to be lound working in the surface soil within a lew inches of the surface. Those roots that do go down are generally strong ones and are well-branched, and they are there to supply the plants with water which is generally to be lound there however dry the surface may be. As long as the plants can get moisture the surlace roots will be found quite active and the plant will go on blooming as long us there ise nough moisture to keep it growing and no seed pods are allowed to remain on the plants. These pods take a great deal out of the plants and should never he allowed to remain on them. However, Co get back to the subject of making the bed, remove a strip of the surface soil and thoroughly break up the clay underneath as finely as possible, and on top of this put some of the manure to be used. Well rotted cod or sheep manure is as good as anything. Then, when putting the next strip on the broken-up clay, work iir some more of the cow manure, and so oil until the bed is finished. The bed can then be given a dressing of lime, and this can lie lorkcd in and at the same time the manure is well worked through the soil. The lied should lie allowed to settle down for three or lour weeks before planting is dune because these plants like a good, solid foundation to grow in. The size ol the bed will depend on. the number of plants to he set out, but the best size is one that will take three rows two leet six inches apart, and it Can then be worked down either side without having to he walked on. This lied is also a good one with which to manage the work of-pruning, which has to he done every year it the bed is to be kept at its best productive quality. QUESTIONS. “W.E.8.” says: “Can you ted me What is wrong with my roses ? 'J hey have all lost, their leaves and do not look as if they were going to be any good. L bought some last year and made a new bed into which moved my own and the new ones. I he soil is on the light side and 1 manured it well with blood and bone, is there anything I can do to them to bring them round again?” The best thing you can do is to lift the roses and replant them after washing the roots dean. Y\ e think that the trouble has been caused by the use of blood and hone, which is not u suitable manure for roses and which has boon used too freely. Before putting the plants back get some fresh clean soil to plant them in. If the new soil is turf so much the better: chop it ii)i as finely as possible a.nd place it round the roots and tread the soil down firmlv. When planting is finished. give the bed a dressing of lime and work this into the'ground. Tf you can get some old. well-rotted cow manure it would bo a good thing to work into the ground belore the planting is done. As long as this stuff is really old it does not matter much if sonic of flic roots conic into contnot with it. Potash applied to the ground round the plants when they begin to grow in the spring will help them to recover. “K.P.” says: “I am wondering if vou can teli me about the fiuit of the strawlwrry tree. It has a large white flower (with, a tinge,of greenish vellow) and .large strawberry-like fruit, ripening now. Are they edible. The birds seem to be fond of them, but l suppose they can eat. berries that would not suit humans. There is another berry like a tiny, round tomato, a low-growing shrub with dark green, glossy loaves. 1 have heard that ft is poisonous and was agitated about a friend who lias eaten one. He showed no ill-effects, but then we were not certain that he did eat it.” The strawberry tree, arbutus liueds, is not poisonous as far as we knew, but it has a rotten taste and one is

not likely to try a second one. This tree is a very ornamental one and a decided addition to shrubs in the garden. There are several varieties, of which rubra, with a dwarf compact habit of growth, is decidedly worth while. The other berry -shrub, solamtm capsericastum, is a relation to the tomato, cape gooseberry and potato. Tt is not poisonous, but leaves a nasty tasfe in the month. At one time tomatoes were considered to be poisonous. Tt is no sure sign that ber-| rios that are eaten by birds are not i poisonous/ We noted some blight birds to-day eating tutu berries, and everybody'knows that they are poisonous enough ; yet these birds did not seem to take any barm. Possibly the seeds do not dissolve as this is the part that contains the poison. “L.W.8.” says: “Could you" please tell me wlml- is wrong with the leaves of this shrub, enclosed ? It grew well for a while and then this grub seemed to get into it and nip off the new shoots. Please let me know what to sprav it with, also what manure to feed it with.” This shruh is known as Eoijoa Kellowiana and belongs to the myrtle family. The flowers are very much like the common rata except that the bracts below the anthers are white and are readily eaten by birds. These bracts are very sweet to the taste. The fruit of tins shrub are urn-shaped and when ripe are honev-sweet. Unfortunately the plants are prone to attacks by a small caterpillar which eats the leaves and tips of the new growths. Spray the plants with arsenate of lead powder at the rate of one teaspoonful to a gallon of water. We are afraid that it is too late to do much good with the spray this season, but begin to spray after the shoots have started to grow and keep it going for two or three months at monthly intervals. Tt is a curious thing, but this grub does not seem to worrv the plant in some seasons. Black leaf TO or nicotine sulphate is another good spray to use. The strength to use it will be found on the container. “Fern” says: “I have a large mim her of maidenhair ferns which have Ixien in the same pots for the last three years, and I am sure that they would do better if they were repotted, t would like to know the best way and time to do this. Also, T would like to know how to propagate them from seeds. I have noticed that some young plants have grown on the sides of some pots that were broken. These, ferns can Ixi increased by breaking up or dividing the clumps in the spring, when they, lvegin to grow. Make up a compost of equal parts ot loam, leaf mould, and sand. Mix these well together and use well-washed pots with pienty-of drainage in the bottom. The plants will want smaller pots to start in and can then he transferred to larger ones when those they are growing in become filled with roots. Kerns are not grown from seeds, but from spores which are generally found on the undersides of the fronds. When tlie spores are ripe they turn a jelloivish brown or dark brown. A frond is placed in a paper bag and the bag is bung in a dry place for a few days, when the spores fall to the bottom. These are sprinkled on pots of finelysifted soil made up largely of broken pots or bricks. Banes of glass are placed over the pots and these are stood in saucers of water. The pots and saucers can l>e kept in a. glasshouse and carefully shaded. Til a few weeks small plants will appear, which can l>o left to grow until they are large enough io pot up into small pot.s,and these are shaded until they take hold of the soil. Tomatoes have just about finished fruiting even where they have escaped the attention of the frost. A 1 stakes and wires can he taken up and put away for future use. Tf there is any spare manure about it can lie wheeled out and dug into the ground before the cover crop is sown on it. Potatoes intended for seed purposes should he put in trays now and allowed to green up. They will not be shooting vet. but the skins will become nice and hard. One gardener said that he could nos sec the value of doing this until he had tried it out this season, and the results were so satisfactory that he intends treating all his seed in this way for next season.

Tt is to be hoped that everyone who has a piece of ground at his disposal will make an effort to grow vegetables. The waste of good land here is appalling and those who cannot make use ol it should allow their i«cighbours, or anyone who would like to make use of it to do so. It would astonish anyone if he worked out the amount of food that could he grown in the waste spaces of this city alone, and the saving would amount to a great deal besides providing a great quantity of food lor everyone. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Every effort should be made now to clear awav all spent crops and to 60w the soil down with some cover crop for digging in later. When vegetables are being grown for home use the soil should be made as rich as possible. Intensive cropping such as one sees in a well-kept home garden cannot be done on poor soil. Lettuce seed can be sown' this month for planting out later. Any frame that is not in use can be used for covering a well-man-ured plot of ground which should be raised well above the surrounding soil 60 that the drainage is good. V hen a frame is available during the winter, lettuce plants can be put in at any time. Broad beans can lie planted now in well-worked soil; when the drill has been opened, sow some lime along it with the seed. The rows should be at least four feet apart and the seeds about six to eight inches apart in the rows. When the plants make good growth it is a good plan to drive a stout stake in at each end of the row and then run twine along eaeli side. These strings can l>e tied together in places and will stop the beans from falling ovei . (save all pea sticks and tie them in bundles for use next season. If they are kept in a dry place they will keep quite well, and it is handy to have plenty available when the plants come up ili the spring.