GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20734, 18 February 1939, Page 20 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES.

Seasonable Work.

(By Kikau)

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT Plant out plenty of winter greens such as borecole (kale), and cabbage (savoys, succession,” drumhead, etc.). Dip the plants in arsenate of lead before planting, and dust the established plants with derris powder. Sow lettuce in permanent quarters, and thin out to one foot apart), radish, tumJp, winter spinach, parsley and silver beet. Use cucumbers and marrows as soon as they are ready, so that the plants will keep on bearing a succession of fruit. Plant leeks and late celery in well manured trenches. The celery must have plenty of moisture, as it is naturally a marsh plant. Lift ripe onions, and dry them thoroughly. tips of tomatoes and force the plants to concentrate on developing and ripening the fruits that are already formed. As there is a good deal of blight about now. a spraying with Bordeaux is certainly due 1 oz. to 1 gal. is a suitable strength). Give late peaches a spraying with lime-sulphur 1 in 120, to ward off brown rot (ripe rot). Continue budding fruit trees. FLOWERS Keep the seed-heads removed from roses, dahlias, sweet peas and zinnias. Spray dahlias with arsenate of lead to kill all kinds of caterpillars and other chewing Insects. Sow seed of hardy annuals, biennials and perennials in the open garden. It may be necessary to cover the bed with scrim for about a week to prevent excessive evaporation. Plant various kinds of spring flowering bulbs—narcissi (daffodils), freesias, babianas, tritonias. scillas, muscari, etc. It is still rather early to plant tulips and narcissi, however. Trim back excessive growth on climbing roses, but keep the new, healthy wood of ramblers. Tall plants such as heleniums, lilies, rudbeckias, lilies, monkshoods, etc., need careful staking.

SUB TER RAN E A N CATE R PILLARS An inquiry has been received concerning some big dark caterpillars which come out of holes in the lawn when it is flooded. The following information is based on an article by the leading Now Zealand entomologist, Dr. Miller. These caterpillars are the larvae of native moths belonging to the genus Porina. and when they become very numerous they cause even more damage to pasture and lawns than do the “grass grubs.” When full grown the greyish-black caterpillars reach a length of about three inches: they are soft-bodied and rather flaccid, and live in underground burrows of varying depth. After dark these caterpillars eetne to the surface and devour the gross, eating it close to the ground, much soil being swallowed by the grubs when feeding. The soil is evacuated, and resembles earth-worm castings, but is mixed with silk spun by the caterpillars. The emergence holes of the caterpillars, about the diameter of a lead pencil, are conspicuous on the surface denuded of its covering of grass. Pupation takes place underground, and when the moths emerge the pupae first move to the surface of the ground, and even project above it: these pupae are lArge and easily recognised by the wing-cases, which are very short compared with the length of the body. The moths are on the wing during spring and summer, the rest of the year being spent in the larval stage. The moths are night-flyers, and are amongst the largest species in New Zenlapd. their wings having an expanse of from one to over two inches: they are heavy-bodied insects and vary considerably in colour. One of the commonest species is brown-ish-yellow, or sometimes a smokygrey with a white streak bordered with black on the fore wings; the hind wings may be pinkish. Controlling the Qrubs The most satisfactory method of controlling the insects is to roll infested lawns after dark, in order to crush the caterpillars whilst feeding on the surface. Flooding an infested lawn with water will bring most of the caterpillars to the surface, where they can be collected and destroyed. Spraying or dusting grass in spring and early summer with arsenate of lead will poison the immature caterpillars. There are at least three species of insect parasites that attack Ihe.se larvae, and there Is also a fungus which invades and destroys the whole body, taking the shape of the insect. Such fungus-infested caterpillars are commonly called “vegetable caterpillars.” DIFFICULT PROPAGATION Scarcely a week passes but the writer Is asked how to propagate certain plants from cuttings. A few notes on a method to be adopted for difficult plants may help various readers. The method depends on the use of two flower pots, a large one and a small one. The small one should be of such a size as to allow an inch space between Its rim and that of the larger one, and the hole in the bottom of the inner one should be stopped with cork, as it has to hold water. The large pot should be one-third filled with sandy soil. No crocks are necessary, except one large one (arched upwards) to prevent the soil from falling through the drainage holes. Some leaf-mould should be added to the sandy soil. Into this soil In the large pot we must press the bottom of the small pot and set it centrally, to leave an equal space all round it. Make the soil firm (by ramming with a stick', and then fill the space between the pots with sandy soil. Into this sand the base Of the cutting is pushPd until it rests upon the more solid soil beneath. When all the cuttings are spaced between the two pots the sand should bo settled around them by pouring water on them. If the drainage hole In the bottom of the large pot is free all surplus water will drain away, leaving the interior of the pot in a condition favourable to rooting the cuttings. To maintain this condition *hp inner pot is filled with water. This will gradually soak through the porous side into the sandy soil arooitd it in sufficient quantity to ensure an even degree of moisture without saturation. Reyond keeping the inne - ’ pat filled, there is no other watering necessary. The method depends partly on the fact that cuttings always root better when set around the sides of a pot than when they are dotted about the central portion. The comparatively free passage of air and moisture through the soil is the real cause of th<» quicker routing. This method also avoids the common alternations of drought and excessive moisture. It should he employed chiefly for those plants which an- really hard to raise from cuttings by ordinary methods, f i frame or greenhouse is available he process of rooting will be still further aided. CALIFORNIAN TREE POPPY In the summer months one of the noticeable flowering shrubs is the Californian Tree Poppy, it thrives particularly in well-drained soils liko

those of Tauraflga and of many parts of the Waikato. The plant is easily recognised, because of its long, rather straggly growths, its greyish-green foliage, and its large, single, white, poppy-like flowers having a centre of golden stamens. The Tree Poppy is hard to establish, ns if seems lo su'k a Tier transplanting. The aspect should lie open and rather warm, and the drainage really good. The soil need not he rich, but in the case of a poor one some leaf-mould or compost may be added. The best way to establish the Tree Poppy is to buy in spring plants that have been grown in pots, and to set- them out with as little disturbance as possible. One way to propagate the Tree Poppy is to plant root cuttings. The soil round an established plant may he scraped away in early spring and some of the long roots or underground stems laid hare. One or two should he lifted and cut info lengths in sucii a way that each has a bud. These root cuttings should be potted in sandy soil and kept moist, in a greenhouse or frame. The ordinary Tree Poppy is Romneya Coulteri. but a very similar species is called R. trichocalyx. The latter is said to be of a more/compact habit of growth than the older and better known R. Coulteri. To Improve the shape of the plants some pruning can be done in spring; all Injured shoots should be cut back to healthy wood. CHAMPION GLADIOLI Last week the 2YA Garden Expert cave an account of the Gladiolus Show held at Wellington. The following lists are taken from his account; if anything is wrong, blame It on the mysterious “static.” Open Section, Class I.—Milford La Paloma, Miss New Zealand; Rewi Fallu, J. van Tets, Tainui, Pitlti, Tokina, Golden Goddess, Commander Koehl, Zuni, and Millie Parks. This entry of twelve distinct blooms also received the award for being the best exhibit of the show. Class 11.. six blooms: Several of the above varieties and Miss E. J. Toon and Tunia’s Triumph won the prize in this class. In Class 3, three blooms, the first prize went to an entry comprising Southport. Pititi and a dark seedling. In the Decorative Section the first prize went to an entry including Vagabond Prince (a Canadian novelty, bronze-red with orange blotches) and Picardy (salmon apricot). Picardy was raised in Canada and is now said to be the world’s most popular Gladiolus. Orange Butterfly showed up particularly in the Primulinus classes. In the Amateur Classes many of the above were shown, and so were the following: Mrs S. A. Errey, Mrs G. G. Errey, Corangamite, Narbethong, Red Lory and Rona. In the New Zealand-raised Section, the winning blooms were: Mrs R. Nash, Miss New Zealand and a seedling. Dahlias and Begonias* The dahlias also seem to have made a fine display. The winning varieties were: Russell Knight. Clara Carder, Daily Mail. R. W. Tressider, Pink Daily Mail. Darcy Sainsbury. Thomas Edison, Wotana, Marie Rose, Mrs Duncan Grey. Purple Prince, Croydon Lilac. Buckeye King and Golden Dawn. The begonias were all of the double type and most were giants. Some of the best were: A. R. Flint, Black Knight, John Mercer. Mrs W. Wilson, Queen of the Belgians.