PLATYCODONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1938, Page 11

PLATYCODONS

HANDSOME FLOWERING PLANTS. Not unlike the campanulas, Platycodons are handsome flowering plants for a sunny border, where the drainage is good and they can have a rather light soil, to which some leaf mould has been added. The buds, just before they expand are rather like the shape of a balloon, hence the popular name of “balloon flower.” Once established they do not like disturbance, and they improve from year to year.

CARNATIONS. SHOULD RECEIVE CARE NOW. Carnations that have been wintered in pots or small beds will be ready to set out where they are to flower as soon as the ground can be got ready. In choosing a site for a carnation bed be sure that it put where it can get the greatest amount of sun. They are essentially sun-loving plants, and the more they can get the better. The soil they like best is a medium loam that does not run together too quickly and holds moisture well. When making up the bed, dig away the top soil so as to form a trench about two feet wide and about one foot in depth; on this put some manure and work it up with the soil underneath. It does not matter if this soil is clay so long as the water does not stand in it. That is to say, it must be drained. Stagnant water will do more harm to the plants than almost anything else, and it must be made to move. When you have got the bottom of the trench manured, and well broken up replace the soil that was taken out, and add a little lime or superphosphate to it. When the work is finished the bed will be about two feet or a little more in width, and will be raised a few inches above the surrounding soil. Two feet is suggested as the width of the bed because it will take two rows of plants a foot apart. The plants should be set out alternate so as to give each as much room as possible. Another thing about having the beds narrow is that every plant can be attended to without the need of treading on the beds. Before planting pick off any bad or diseased foliage and burn it. If there is signs of disease on the plants dust them every ten days or so with flowers of sulphur.

It is much better as a precautionary measure to anticipate disease and make the dusting of the plants with sulphur every ten days as part of the general cultivation.