GARDENS IN TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 53, 21 January 1953, Page 7

GARDENS IN TAUPO

DAFFODILS

(By

Flora)

The daffodil is still ihe most widely cultivated of spring flowers; and in s-ome ways the easiest of all ito grow. Perhaps you have ordered sonie new daffodil s for the eoming season or have just dkig your bulbs from the ground. In either case it is now time to prepare the bed in •whioh; you are planting them, ias they .may be planted any time frotrn now until March. Daffodils do not henefit from being kept out of the ground; in fact, ^rnany say that the bept time to replant is the day after they are lifted. The sooner the hulbs are iplaeed underground the longer will be the period' of growth, which is all the better for their welfare, Planting Hints. Daffodils are obliging souls, flowering even wihen planted in the oddest spots. A bulb will produce quite a good flower if placed in a glass of water, providing the following year it is returned to the soil. But to do justice to them, and oibtain the best of blooms, a specially prepared bed, and a little care in planting, will be called for. Do not have the bed too widte; * iour feet is a workable size; ,but have as great a length asi possible, as nothing is /more Iovely than a ribbon of daffodils, flowering, say, from! the front gate to the house, even further if you ean manage enough bulbs. They will give the >est results in a fairly heavy .loam; but good drainage is essential. Do not apply fresh farrnyard manure. Well-rotted lcompost is the answer if you think your ground' is on the poor side; but do not overfeeds or too much leafage will result at the expense of the flowers. Also, disease becomes more evident if grown in too rieh a soil. Bonedust liberally dusted over the bed is beneficial. Do not merely push the bulbs into the soil. Open up a trench the required depth; about 8 inches, as the depth of soil needed over the bulb should be about five or six inches in our light soil. When bulb flowers fade, the leaves will still be green, and until the leaves turn brown they are storing in the bulb, food for the following season's flowers. The best way is to leave them in the ground until the leaves have withered. When bujbs are lifted it will often be found that instead of one bulb there are several. These may be small, but if replanted they will flower either in the following season or in the second) season. This is the normal way of increasing the stock. Summarizing the above, the following few hints will aid your bulb planting: 1. — The best time to plant is -when the ground is fairly dry and fiiable. 2. — Do not use fresh mamire imimteditately before ^planting. This will cause the plants to rot and fall a prey to disease. 3. — Cover the bulbs with twice their depth of soil. Do not plant an isolated bulb here and there. Plant in hold strips or masses'. ' 4. — As soon as the ffesh green spikes show through the ground in ear.Iy spring, keep the surface wellhoed, taking care that the bulbs are not damaged during the operation.