Garden & FIELD

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 13 (Supplement)

Garden & FIELD

(Specially written for tho “Alanawatu Daily Times" by "Loraa.’')

Boutine Work in the Borders. Warmor days aro with, us, although the nights have proved fairly chilly. An improvement should soon bo noticeablo in tho growth of zinnias, salvias, colosias, and other heat loving subjects. Woods have proved Vory troublesome owing to the unusual rains, and with winds following, the surface soil has baked rather too hard for tho welfare of the plants. Loosen the soil and work it as lino as possiblo. Heavy soil will be found to bo in the worst condition. Stake the chrysanthemums which are now making good headway. Dahlias will need their growths thinned out if extra large blooms are looked for. Get plots ready for early anemones and Tanunculi. In gardens where those wilted off last season, dig in some napthalene to kill off all lurking pests, and do not plant until the smell of it has loft the soil. It is best to take this procaution, too, before planting out the tulips and hyacinths. Get trenches ready for sweet peas, dig deeply and work in what manure is available. Soil from old rubbish fires is a valuable addition. Sow soeds of pansy, viola, wallflower, primulas, cineraria, Iceland poppies, bollis daisies, auricula, cyclamen, polyunthus, primroses, Canterbury bells, sweet-william, and a host of other perennials, including anemones and ranunculi. Sow winter flowering sweet peas in sunny sheltered nooks, Linarias, calendulas ,and Iceland poppies should all bo planted out in well drained sunny positions, sheltered from the prevailing cold winds, when they will give somo blooms during tho winter months. Commence to pot up bulbs for indoor forcing in fibre or soil. Leave them outdoors in a partly shaded situation: covered over with bracken or sacking until shoots are noticeable above soil. The Vegetable Garden Continue with the planting of any winter greens. S 'w any salad plants in shaded positions and keep well supplied with moisture. Continue to sow dwarf peas and beans. Sow carrot, beetroot, spinach and I silver beet. Keep the tomatoes well sprayed with Bordeax mixture, and as they are late all side shoots should be kept off and as soon as the fourth truss is formed nip out the top as this will help the plants to ripen their fruit earlier. Give runner beans plenty of liquid manure and never allow them to seed. Dig all matured potatoes, refilling the plots with winter greens and other needed vegetables. Keep the soil well stirred among marrows and pumpkins to induce them to make all the growth possible. Lift early onions or they will commence into growth again. Bonemeal as a Manure As a substitute for farmyard manure and for occasional uso as a dressing to Land which it is not possible to manure each year with tho former, bonemeal is excellent and lasting in its benefits to practically all crops. Pure bonemeal holds up to fifty per cent, of total phosphates and about four per cent, of nitrogen. It is of great value for digging into the land in spring, many crops responding vigorously to dressings or it. Unlike many of the artificial fertilisers which, after extensive use are liable to leave the soil too acid, the whole of this product appears to be absorbed into the plants, leaving the plots sweet and friable. As a fortnightly dressing to heavy bearing crops such as runner beans, celery, and onions, it is most beneficial and its uso about the roots of roses is upparent in quite a short time. Also it is the only safe artificial fertiliser to uso in connection with tho growing of bulbs, anemones* and ranunculi conns, and can always bo relied on to produce good results. In tho making of vine and other borders for fruit trees, it is also very useful, but iu such cases should not bo used too generously or growth will be too vigorous. Tho coarse type of bonemeal, too, in this case, should be used as it is more lasting. For iorking around fruit trees in spring bonemeal could scarcely bo improved on, the trees proving its value by the improved appearunco of their leaves and fruit. Its use upon lawns, too, is very noticeable, and will do much to improve tho colour and strength of the grasses. For mixing with potting composits bonemeal iu both forma is in constant use and whore tho loam is of a rather poor quality a proportion of it should always be added. Chryauthemums, carnations, cyclamen, hydrangeas and a host of other plants may be vastly improved by its use, either mixed with thfc soil or as a fortnightly top dressing, and over close growing beds of lily-oi’-the-valley, and violetß which ita-ia impossible to fork, an occasional dusting of bonemeal will prove beneficial and lasting. It may be used with good' results mixed in the top spit when preparing spots for sweet peas. Iris Tingitana A great many fail to get this lovely iris to bloom. The bulbs in such* cases grow freely and multiply, but blooms are conspicuous by their übsence. Iu some localities they bloom without auy trouble, tho soil being warm enough for their seeds. Those who have so far failed with them should give the 10l lowing method a trial. Dig out a bod to the depth of about sixteen inches, place a good layer of tho hottest mauure you can obtain (poultry and horse manure is best; and plant the bulbs a couple of inches above the manure in | sand. The lack of heat in certain j soils and climates domauds this very i liberal Ircatmont or diet for this early j iris. The bulbs should be covered to a depth of four inches. The plot should bo a warm, sunny one, as the earlier the blooms, the moro they aro appreciated. On tho high, well drained parts

of the rock garden they will often bloom freely, also it is not generally known that they are oxcellont subjects for forcing in pots under glass, or in sunny windows. After flowering and when the foliage is turning yellow, lift the bulbs, spread them out in any place or on a roof in full sun, and let thorn toast all summer. You cannot put them iii too bot a place Cor ripening. They are well worth this trouble and if one cannot give the above treatment for a quantity, it is better to grow a few and have them bloom than to grow a large quantity with scarcely a bloom. Get the bulbs into position as soon as possible in order to give them a chance to make plenty of roots. Curly Kale Among the most useful of winter greens is the curly kale. In small gar- * dens dwarf green curled kale can be ! grown and will provide numerous cuttings when vegetables are scarce. The : dwarf variety mentioned is a hardy I Scottish strain, producing plenty of side shoots, easily grown and gives very little trouble in comparison with the I edibles culled from it, and perhaps best of all, does not demand rich soil. I The newer coloured kale is a very decorative variety, and well worth growing on account of the beautiful mauve and purple tintings of the handBomo becurled leaves. These grow j fairly t&ll, and are well worth including in the colour scheme of the flower j border, making a splondid background for early flowering anemones. Befort the summer commences they may be cut back, thus enabling them to throw out fresh branches for several seasona When boiled for table use it assumes a dark green hue, and is of good flavourTke Cultivation of Anemones. Many questions are asked as to the best way to treat anemones and as the time is approaching when corms will need to be planted for the first early blooms a few hints may bo of use. Tho best soil for anemones is rich loam, virgin if possible, neither too light nor too heavy. They love firmness about the corm and seldom succeed on light sandy soil. While working tho soil see that the drainage is good and incorporate a liberal amount of well rotted cow manure but only about four ’ inches deep, as tho anemone is very shallow rooting and if placed well down the roots wil not derive any benefit from it. A piled up spadeful to every six roots is not too much. Make the bed thoroughly firm before planting and when putting in the corms thrust a stick, rather thicker than a pencil, a measured three inches into tho soil, not more. Withdraw the stick and drop a corm into tho hole, tho root thus being two inches above tho measure and three inches from the surface, with the manure an inch below for the roots to feed on. Fill each hole with soil and firm it well down so as not to leave any cavity in which water might lodge, and where the drainage is not too god raise the bods. They should not bo planted closer than four inches apart, this for a close bedding effect, but for fine blooms eight inches should be given them. A north aspect or similar cool position suits them well, where the full force of tho sun is not felt all day, sunshino !n the morning and shade in tho afternoon, or vice-versa. Anemones may be planted in spring as well as in autumn only that the plants with the 1 spring planting should not suffer from lack of moisture until after flowering. Seed too, may be sown at both these times, and seedlings produce fine crops of bloom. Like other plants, the anemone should be kept from seeding in order to prolong the flowering season. Where tho soil is very heavy, the use of sand and leaf mould will bo found beneficial. A buttlons (lantern nowers;. Few plants can equal tho abutilon for continuous flowering, for at the axil of every leaf they make, flowers are produced. They are not quite hardy in our climate and need to be planted out of the frost-line in such situations as beneath overhanging branches of trees, against warm walls, or they make excellent tub plants for growing in sheltered spots. Tho drooping, bell shaped flowers are very useful in many kinds of indoor decorations and for use in wreaths and bouquets, being practically obtainable all tho year round.

In growing the abutilons in pots a very rich compost is needed, and in order to keep up a vigorous growth, do not fill the pots to their capacity but leave sufficient room to allow of a topdressing of rich soil now and again. Good feeding will have tho effect of producing blooms with longer stems, making thorn more useful as cut flowers. The colourings are now very varied, ranging from white to yellow, bronze and orange, light and vivid shades of pink, to chocolate and majenta tones, while there is a variety with variegated foliage, tho leaves of which are very useful for decorations. A variety with bronze flowers, fully double, is another acquisition.