BULBS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1941, Page 3

BULBS

HOW TO GROW THEM. We know that well-ripened properly developed bulbs are complete with the flower buds and the food necessary for its development enclosed with the protecting scales, and all that is necessary is a certain amount of moisture a rooting medium, and a certain degree of heal to start them into growth. Bulbs are therefore very useful for providing colour in the spring, and by potting, basketing or boxing them up in early autumn, and providing heat later on they can be forced to flower early, when they are much appreciated during the dull winter and early spring days. Some of the bulbs in pots or bowls make a very useful room decoration. and they last much longer than cut flowers. Hyacinths do quite well in water without any soil at all. but both they and the other kinds are better when grown in some suitable! rooting medium, such as peal fibre or I turfy loam to which suitable ingredi-, ciits have been added. Moss fibre is very useful for forcing! bulbs, but as it has to be imported.' it is doubtful if it will be available this year. Good turfy loam is a very good' substitute and by mixing three parts of it with one part of leafmould and.) half a part of sand with the addition of a five-inch potful of oyster grit and the same quantity of bone dust to every barrow load. This should be mixed a fortnight before it is to be used, and if turned twice so much the better. For hyacinths, tulips, freesias and daffodils. five and six-mch pots are very suitable fur they can be fitted into fancy bowls when brought into the house. They can be planted direct into fancy bowls without drainage. but I watering will have to be done most! carefully for if water-logged roots will! not develop the flowering will be ;p failure. The lack of drainage is over-! come to some extent by placing two inches of coarse charcoal in the bot-j tom. For the smaller bulbs, such as cro-l cus and snowdrops, pans about four] inches in depth are very suitable. Ini every case the pots or pans should be| clean, both inside and outside, and a layer of at least an inch of rough: charco.'d should be placed in the bot-j torn and covered with a layer of thej rougher part of the loam or moss, This] assists drainage and helps to keep thej SO;! SWeel Fill the receptacles to within two; inches of the top' with the preparedj rci! and plant the smaller bulbs about j an inch to an meh. and ..-half apart j Co vering them with half an meh t< ! an meh of soil. The larger bulbs, such! as hyacinths, are put one in a tive-mchj pot and three in a six-inch size Inf the in e <:f tulip- and djufodHs three, bull); are placed in a five-meh pot and, five ,fi a. stx-mch one. I’his allows; ■ ieistv ■ ! r,.mti f-r the !• >-!s t.» develop am! al-, th.- !! iw.-r ,md the f. hige By small bulbs we mean snow-; drops emeu . Scilla siberwa. Chmno- ! fis.y;i liciilki... ■isacitiihs. tree-iu-1 aela-i.:.I;:» * h»- .<■ In-ms e.,v<-red with from half an im-h to an nch »' Ip. ac. nt: d t-■ i j ;; -•' -.a v ■ e tiiu'd •: Hie bmh -h .d>.<v<•la airfare . r: dot!- ml ' 'he nod; f 'lie bulb me and all.-w "... drum hefare p’acrrtl The 'ijgdlcr bidi'.. do m-t mbi- covered -sth a:-h‘"S >"’ther >. <■ ,’d fr.uin- m' - ■ .mewh< -<• ei, a bed ,>f a tie ujhcm they cat! be - red m h il t '■ j l;f J't t ’»’!(?« 5 and ii’M-p <•:! « xwssjve ra:n Th<1 m '.■<••. ‘m .S dvj ’h ■»f thi f HivilfS ..mail ~ . • i cm..! ■ !< d ■m - the '..rrihit Imt .:.> f vm v lw: •arrie-d ..' . r. ■■ with

the exception of tulips and hyacinths) and all kinds of spring flowering bulbs will thrive in a well-drained loam with preference for that which is lighter. The smaller bulbs can be grown in beds or borders by themselves or as a carpet among roses, azaleas, or other deciduous shrubs. Before planting, the soil should be forked up and a dressing of manure composed of two parts bone dust, one sulphate of potash, and two of superphosphate, this being applied at the rate of three ounces to the square yard, worked in. The bulbs can be placed at two inches apart and coveijed with two inches of clean soil. The stronger growers such I as crocus, grape hyacinths, and snow- ] drops can be grown in grass under dei ciduous trees but the grass must not j be strong growing cocksfoot or couch, i and it should not be cut until the foliI ago of the bulbs has ripened off.