THE NOVICE GARDENER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1940, Page 2

THE NOVICE GARDENER

PROBLEMS EXPLAINED. As the summer advances and the growth of plants proceeds through its various phases, the novice in gardening will come up against a variety of unexpected and puzzling problems. Plants do not always adhere strictly to normal character. Even while enjoying thoroughly favourable conditions; certain individuals in a batch may behave in a strange manner and ques z tions arise concerning the cause and the consequence. When a gardener says that a plant has gone “blind,” he does not imply that he supposes plants to be gifted with the power of vision. The use of the term has a definite meaning that something has occurred which has caused a plant, or possibly only one of several branches, to fail to develop properly and to make normal progress toward flower or fruit.

This condition often arises in young plants of the cabbage tribe and particularly cauliflowers. The blind plant will start to grow like the others, making several spreading leaves to present at first glance an appearance of normal condition. For some obscure reason, it then stops producing new leaves and shows no growing point on the summit of the steam to which the stalks of the few existing leaves are attached. Those few leaves may continue to increase in size for some time, but without its growing point, the plant can never produce a heart and the only thing to do is to pull it up. Shoots of chrysanthemums and roses sometimes go “blind.” In their case it may be possible to restore the branch to service, by pruning it back to plump, healthy growth buds, situated at the axils of the lower leaves. The causes of “blindness” may be an inherent weakness in the seed stock, in which case, numerous blind seedlings will appear in sowing. It may be physical weakness caused by poverty of the soil, perpetual saturation, or the reverse, a dust dry condition.

In the case of such plants as roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, etc., insect pests, particularly those mites and maggots which bore their way into the pith, are commonly the cause of the trouble. The obvious thing to be done there, is to clear up the pests and prune back to induce new growth. Sweet peas often go blind at the tips of the shoots, if they become infested with greenfly.

GARDEN PESTS HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM. There is no doubt that good cultivation and reasonable manuring and vigorous varieties, have much to do with the health of the plants and their freedom from pests and diseases but no matter how careful gardeners may be, there are always some pests, and a knowledge of their habits and how to freq our plants from them or to keep them in check- is valuable. We should always be on the look-out for the first signs of an attack, for it is much easier to deal with in the beginning than after it has got a good hold. In fact, we should anticipate an attack in some cases and apply a preventive.

The pests can be divided into two 1 ! groups, insect and fungoid, and of the I two, the insect is the easiest to control. Many of the pests live on weeds as well as cultivated plants, and this is another reason why the land should be kept clean and hoed ovei' regularly. I Of the fungoid pests “club root” is , one of the most troublesome. It attacks all plants of the Crucifer family, which include cabbage, cauliflower, , broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips and radish. It is always more troublesome on wet, sour ground, and an applica- ; lion of lime when preparing the ■ground for sowing and planting has a beneficial effect, and further light dressing hoed into the surface soil is also an advantage. As the spores lie in the ground ready to attack brassicas, rotation of crops, and planting brassicas on ground which has not had a similar crop the previous year is advisable. “Pea mil- 1 dew” does not appear until the autumn but it is more prevalent in dry seasons and on poor light ground. As soon as it appears examine the ground, and if it is dry give a good soaking with clean water, afterwards giving a watering with liquid manure made by dissolving half an ounce of sulphate of ammonia in a gallon of water. , This would be sufficient for two yards of the row. Spraying with sulphide of potassium, half an ounce dissolved in a gallon of soapy water, is recommended, and it is a good plan to spray all young plants late in the season as a preventative against “potato blight” or disease. This is one of the most destructive of all fungoid pests, it being so widespread and so rapid in its effect. It does not usually appear until the beginning of the new year, and then it is most destructive during moist, warm weather. It first appears as brown patches on the leaves, which rapidly increase in size and bring about the collapse ’of the sterns. The spores are then washed down into the soil, where they attack the tubers, rendering them useless as food. If the tubers are well developed and almost ready for digging, cutting off the tops and burning them will save most of tubers. It is better to anticipate trouble for we have no idea what kind of weather we are going to have in the autumn, and to spray the main-crop varieties with Bordeaux mixture just now and again in the beginning of January. When spraying take care to completely wet all the foliage and stems, both the under' sides as well as the upper sides of the leaves. Burgundy mixture, made by substituting washing soda instead of lime, is also used. It is not usually necessary to spray the early varieties, for they are dug before disease appears.

Tomato leaf disease and black rot of the fruit are both troublesome when the atmosphere of the house is moist and stagnant. Maintaining a dry, buoyant atmosphere by giving plenty of ventilation whenever weather is favourable will prevent an attack, but. should symptoms appear, spray with sulphide of potassium, half an ounce in a gallon of water, or use Bordeaux mixture as for potatoes.