RHODODENDRONS
ATTENTION AFTER FLOWERING. Rhododendrons need attention as soon as the flowers have faded, in order to make sure of a good display of blooms for next season. All the old flower heads should be picked off to prevent the seeds forming. The energy of the plant is concentrated on making new growth and the shoots will soon appear just below the point where thcflowers were removed. On these new shoots next season’s flower buds will develop. It is because of the close proximity of these tender and valuable shoots that the work should be done by hand instead of by the knife or secateurs. This may seem tedious work, but it will be well worth the trouble especially if the plants were only put in this year. If the shrubs are attacked by thrips, which cause the leaves to go silver grey on top and a dirty brown beneath, spray with a solution of nicotine sulphate and soap, making sure that the full force of the spray reaches the underside of the leaves where these small black insects live. Two or three applications will be needed to kill them all. The roots of rhododendrons are very shallow so that cultivation should be confined to light stirring' of the surface with a hoe. After this, a mulch of lawn mowings will help to keep the soil moist, as well as provide a certain amount of food.
BURN AND BURY
RUBBISH IN GARDEN. It is difficult, in a small garden, to dispose of all the accumulated rubbish, but the best plan is to sort it out placing all woody pieces and stick’s which will not rot quickly into one heap and burning them. The ashes may then be thrown over the garden, especially if the soil is heavy, to lighten it. Lawn mowings, weeds, and faded herbaceous material may be put in another heap and allowed to decay with lime mixed into it to kill pesls. This will form valuable manure to be forked into the ground when thoroughly rotted. A third heap may be made of stones and broken bricks, and from this, heap foundations of new j paths and drainage may be taken.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAITA19391215.2.17
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 4
Word count
Tapeke kupu
364RHODODENDRONS Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 4
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Wairarapa Times-Age. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in