VIOLETS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1939, Page 3

VIOLETS

DIG AND DIVIDE. Violets always deteriorate if they are left alone for more than one year. A network of runners is formed and soon produce short-stemmed flowers and small leaves. It is advisable, therefore, to dig up the plants and divide them immediately they have passed out of flower. Dig the plants up with a fork and shake all the soil from the roots. It is then quite an easy matter to pull them apart into suitable portions for planting out. The single varieties usually form distinct runners attached to the main plant by underground stems. These should be removed with as many roots as possible. After planting, more roots will form along the white stem. In case of double violets, young crowns will be found round the edge of the old plants with roots attached. Burn the old woody portions of the plants, together with any plants which seem unhealthy, and propagate only from the best. Make a hole of good depth with a trowel so that the roots can be spread out, firm the soil well and give a good watering to settle the plants in. Do not bury the crown under the soil or it may go “blind,” and never flower. The site selected for the summer quarters should be well dug and manured so that the plants will have a deep, cool root run. Plenty of organic matter should be incorporated with the soil to hold moisture, and a ' dressing of hydrated lime, at the rate of four ounces per square yard may be applied to the surface of the soil and raked in. Red spider is a pest of the violets, and it is possible to find red spiders and their eggs on the plants all the year round. Dry conditions encourage the. spiders. Spraying with clean water, using lOOlbs pressure, if possible, keeps them down. In summer, white oil will give control, but it does not improve the flowers.