GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 22 November 1927, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Showery weather , although ideal for the setting out of young plants, has br.bught the slug nuisance well to the fore again, and nightly raids with a lantern and a bag of lime are a most necessary part of the gardener's work in order to save the young seedlings from destruction. It is only by taking'this extra care that one can hope to save the plants. /■ Sort over gladioli corms, planting those which show signs of active growth. Sweet Peas. Sweet peas need looking after now, and care must be taken to have all the leading shoots growing straight up. The sudden weather changes experienced at the present time of the year often mean that the first lot of buds "fall off as soon as they form on the plant. This is nothing to worry about, however, as very sjpon the wood of the branches will get riper, and there, will be plenty of flowers for

all purposes. A little sulphate, of

potash at the rate of one teaspoonful iq a gallon of water is said to assist

the formation of flowers, giving two applications at a week's interval.

As soon as the flowers have set a great deal of assistance can be given the plants by way of liquid manure made from soot, and either animal, or guano fertilizer. Length of stem is only got by proper feeding and caring for the plants. Colour is achieved by feeding and shading, the latter being very necessary for some of the salmon and red shades. The best -material to use is scrim that has been properly washed. If it is not washed before use the blooms are in danger of getting spotted with dust and dirt. * Chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums for show purposes should b e set out without further delay to enable them to get a good

start before the hot, dry weather is with us. These plants are grown under highly artificial conditions, and one of the principal things in their culture is to keep them growing fetrongly and healthy. To this end there are one or twio points to consider

the first being the bed which should be dug deeply and mixed with some well rotted manure or bonedust. The surface of the bed should b e raked fine. The actual planting should be

' don e firmly and well, making a hole ideep enough to take the ball of roots to the same depth as in the nursery bed. Then -with th e hand, o r a piece of wood, press the soil "firmly round this ball of roots and stake each plant as it is put in. This is rather important, for the reason that, if the plants are put out and allowed to; sway about in th e wind, the young! roots soon get damaged and no new; •ones form. The soil should not be ; worked afterwards to more than two inches, as the chrysanthemums are mainly surface rooting and deep cultivation would do a lot of damage to the growing plants. Weeds must be kept down by surface hoeing. Plants are usually set out from two to three feet apart, 'but where it is intended to grow one stem and one bloom, the plants may be set out one foot apart. Hoses. Roses are coming away well this season and it is time that the plants were supplied with a liberal amount of liquid manure if the plotoms are to be increased \in "size. A large bloom with plenty of colour always appeals, and to get a good rose on a fine length of stem, it is accessary to disbud the plants freely and to keep them free from insects; and other pests.' Use the hoe as often as weather conditions permit, as this will prolong their blooming period. To this end also pluck off all faded blooms. Blooms wanted for exhibition are often shaded in order to preserve the colour, and this also increases their size to a certain extent. Old hats, paper cones, and umbrellas are often used, in fact anything that will run off the rain. A day or two before the show the centre of the flqw T or may be tied up, which will cause it to lengthen. This tying requires care or the bloom may easily be spoilt. If possible allow the outer row of petals to lie outside the tying material, which should be of a soft nature such as wool or raffia, and tie it in such ,a way that it may be easily removed or loosened as required. To force a bloom extra warmth is needed. This may be supplied by inverting a jam pot on a stick and placing the bud inside. Whether the blooms are wanted for show, purposes or garden decoration and cutflower work, a little budding and liquid manuring i<s advisable.

Asters. During recent years asters have not been so easily grown as in former times owing to diseases which attack the plants at any and every stage of growth. Many complaints are made by gardeners every season and an effective remedy has yet to b e found. Whole beds are sometimes destroyed, while others will show bare spaces here and there where several plants . have succumbed to disease.

Th.er e are two diseases that attack asters. On© is a small worm that works its way in under the bark and lays Its eggs,, and is so small that it E

is invisible to the naked eye. The only preventive so far recommended is to pull the affected plants up and burn them, and though this seems a drastic remedy, it has the merit Of destroying whatever is on the plants. The other disease works in the way of a fungus and attacks the plant about the level of the soil, developing; legs or roots similar to the myeff 'ium of fungus. Zinnias, haricot beans, and chrysanthemums are often attacked with this same disease.

From the writer's observations .it is found that the diseases seem tc; attack the plants at a tim'e when they seem to hav e suffered a little check chiefly through a spell of dry weather. The chief aim of the gardener should be to keeo' them growing und well supplied wit a moisture during dry conditions, also keeping the ground deeply dug and hded. Before planting out an experiment could be made by using some Vaporite powder, which is now on the market. This gives off a vapour in the soil destroying all insect life. Another plan is to give the soil a good dressing of sulphur, or kainit, working it in well before planting. While growing and. in the bud stage a weekly spraying might be given with advantage, using Bordeaux mixture or other good fungus destroyer.

Asters grow more, varied each year with an increase in size and variety of colourings. The crimson species are among the showiest of bedding subjects, while the delicate beauty of. the shell pink, white, and lavender shades is exquisite. The royal purple tones are always in demand, and the newer artistic tones of terra-cotta and amber have commanded much admiration. Single and quilled types make useful bedding plants, but the large chrysanthemum type of flower will always hold first place in the heart of the flower lover. The old, short-stemmed flower has given place to a tall growing plant, each bloom being carried on a long stalk which makes them doubly valuable for all cut flower work; each petal beautifully curled, with shorter curls surrounding the centre of the bloom. In the near future .it is possible some ef-. fective method will be found to safeguard a popular and favourite flower from the inroads of destroying diseases.

The Vegetable Garden. A task that must not be overlooked at this time of th e year is the sowing of seeds to provide winter greens. It is a good plan to sow half the seed now and the other half in about three woks' time. Cauliflowers and broccoli may be "sown at the same time though broccoli will not head until some months later. In a small garden the winter cauliflowers arfg preferable and if sown at intervals, will provide heads over a long winter period. Brussels sprouts and curly kale are also desirable winter greens. The former is a gross feeder and likes a heavily manured plot, whil e the latter is of far easier cultivation, and is to be recommended where tim e is limiteel; ' Another good thing, of which it is difficult to obtain the seed, is the purple sprouting broccoli. This is something that 3s ready for cutting after the winter cabbages and cauliflowers are done. Just at that particular time vegetables are scarce and leeks should be sown to help tide over •the period of shortage. Do not make a large sowing of savoy cabbages as with a good season they may heart up too early. Make another sowing in a few weeks' time. Plants of all winter greens may follow the early potatoes and peas. Plant celery, cabbage, cauliflower and tomato plants. Celery. This is one of our most useful winter vegetables and is always ; in demand. If it is wished to grow celery well, the seedlings must never be allowed to become) weak and spindly. | Prick th e plants out into other boxes ! as soon as they are large enough to handle. If a plant can be taken out of a box with a good ball of earth attached to its roots it will not receive any serious cheek. Deep trenches ar e not necessary when planting them out in permanent quarters; in fact they do much bette r ' when grown near the surface so long as ther e is plenty of soil available when the time comes to earth them up. This is another instanceVof work which is often done too soon. The celery plants should be left until almost full size before the earthing process is undertaken. Odd plants fo r exhibition purposes are often covered with a drain pipe which blanches them perfectly. Large stalks ar e obtained by giving plenty of water and manure when dry, and feeding them as they grow, e ithe r by liquid manuring or top dressing the surface with rotted manure or some good artificial fertilizer, and last, but not least, constant | cultivation. Amateur gardeners are all prone, more or less, to neglect this work which is one Of the principal things that go to make a success of any growing plant.