THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26618, 14 November 1947, Page 8

THE GARDEN

Contributed by D. TANNOCK. A.H.R.H.B.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “ Lettuce."—Lour lettuce are attacked by either grey mould or downy mildew, i or both, diseases which are troublesome t in the spring, especially during warm, i moist weather. Remove all diseased plants and spray the remainder with > Bordeaux mixture in the seed bed, and ; at intervals of 14 cays after planting' r them out. Adopt a system of rotation ; of crops. i “ Primula," Waiwera.—You should dust r your chrysanthemums with White Island product or flowers of sulphur, or spray , with Bordeaux mixture. It is possible ; that some of the spray intended for the ; rose fell on the Clematis and burned the : young foliage. t “ Nut Cracker," Central Otago.—The > best time to plant a walnut tree would - be early autumn or late spring. Seedling trees may take several years to come 5 into bearing, but grafted plants will fruit , in three years. They are not particular - as to soil, and an open, sunny situation : is desirable. Freshford Gem is a good . variety. Your tulips are attacked by fire. : Cut off and burn the affected parts, and : spray with Bordeaux mixture or dust i with flowers of sulphur. 1 “Anxious,” Marton.—Flag iris, by which i 1 expect you mean Iris Germanica, likes • an open, well-drained and fairly dry position, certainly not a moist and shady : position. You could get the colours you ) desire from any nurseryman or seeds- ! man. Lily of the vallev likes a moist. ) shady position. It is planted during , autumn or spring, when the crowns are E at rest. Strands of black cotton will keep ; off birds in most districts. “ Manure.” —The John Innis plant food is suitable for most crops and flowering I plants It consists of seven parts sul- . phate of ammonia, four parts super- : phosphate, and two parts sulphate of - muriate of potash. Use half an ounce . to a gallon of water, gradually increasing " to loz to one gallon every three weeks. : A mulch with strawy manure would also i be appreciated. This food would be suitable for all vegetables in their young ' stage. : “ Phlox,” Tapanui. Your perennial r phlox plants are attacked by eelworm, 1 a very troublesome pest. Raise young - plants from either stem or root cuttings - and plant them deeply. I am afraid your 1 plants are beyond recovery. You had ? better get new plants, and grow in an- . other position. J. P . Cromwell. —I am afraid you have t overdone the manuring of your strawberries with sheep manure. You should ■ leave the young plants and dig out the - old ones or at least every second plant. - Mowing the leaves now would not cause . fruiting. Name of plants: No. 1, Seneceo 5 Huntu: No. 2. Catakl3 cotoneaster. t WORK FOR NEXT FOUR WEEKS j The spring flowers are now nearly over [ and where a system of bedding is fol- ’ lowed they' can be removed. The tulips ; and hyacinths can be heeled in until r they ripen off. and if the polyanthus are 1 to be kept to flower for another year they can be broken up, the leaves and roots shortened a bit, and then lined out in a cool, semi-shaded place. Plant out geraniums, chrysanthemums,, fuchsias, dahlias, and all kinds of hardy and halfhardy annuals. Mulch rhododendrons and pick the seed vessels off the choice kinds. Keep the rose beds and borders hoed, and give a top-dressing of dry fowl manure, blood and bone, or fish manure, spray for green fly, and thin the buds ! to get good flowers. Carnations can be 1 staked and the beds thinned a bit. Thin 1 hardy annuals and provide stakes for the ■ tall growing perennials. I THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Plant Brussels sprouts, sow runner and : dwarf kidney beans, and also peas, let- . tuce, and spinch to provide a 1 succession. . , , ; Sow Broccoli, cabbage, savoys and kale to provide plants to put out in the beginning of the year. Sow swede turnips. ' main-crop beet, and carrots, and earth up potatoes. Thin out growing crops and ’ keep the hoe going among them when the ' soil is dry. Prick out celery and plant , (with shelter) tomatoes, vegetable pumpkins and ridge cucumbers. In the orchard, thin out apples and peaches, and spray for codlin moth with , arsenate of lead combined with lime sul- ' phur 1 in 100 every 21 days. This is for powdery mildew, scab and black spot ' Seed of wallflower, Canterbury behs, daisies, and biennial stocks can be sown ’ in beds or boxes about the end of the month Sweetwilliam . and polyanthus ' primrose seedlings can be pricked out into boxes. DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB At the last meeting of the Dunedin Gardening Club. Miss Gretchen Williams gave an instructive talk on the propagation of plants by means of seeds, spores, , cuttings and layers. At the next meeting there yrill be two short talks on Begonias and Fuchsias and questions will be answered. .