Evening star., 1936-03-07
BY ]. w. WELLINGTON.

o1 W. 4OiNs
= w YITH the passing of another
NA/ severe Winter. home gar
deners are again inspecting
their roses and other par
italy tender species in an attempt tt
estimate losses. Some gardeners re-
port killing of hybrid tea roses to
the soil but in other gardens there ap.
pears to be some live wood. The home
gardener who mounded his roses with
soil last November is now thankful
because such plants have a much
better chance for rapid recovery.
Since hybrid tea roses are customarily
pruned rather severely each Spring,
the partial killing of the top growth
Is not serious. However. If the wood
root stock, the variety as such is
dead even though shoots push up
from the roots. If only four or five
buds are alive on the top growth,
they will often form a strong new top.
Mounded plants are rather certain
to have these necessary living buds.
Roses bloom on new. young shoots
and not directly from old growth as
Is the case of the apple and pear.
What can the home gardener do
with injured roses? 1t is advisable to
wait until after the middle of March
and then cut out all dead wood. Later
in the month, the soil mounds should
be leveled and the soil spaded lightly
about the plants, at the same time
applying handful of complete ferti-
liZer around the base of the plant.
Spraying the growth remaining after
pruning with lime sulphur is we'll
worth while even though there is
little living wood. The lime sulphur
kills aphid eggs and spores of the
black rot, which may be present on
the wood or on the soil surface. Lime
sulphur Is, as its name suggests, a
combination of lime and sulphur and
can be purchased from garden supply
stores. either as concentrated liquid
or powder. Directions for diluting
with water are on each container.
After these cleanup operations, there
Is little that can be done except to
await growth renewal. If the plants
are dead. replacement is in order.
The deep snow was of distinct
benefit to low growing plants, such as
primulas, forget -nots and pansies,
and there should be good survival in
all low growing species. Many species,
such as tulips. narcissus and crocus,
will actually benefit by the low tenn
perature which has kept them very
dormant
All in all, it was not a hard Winter
for plants that are adapted to cold
Home gardeners must reconcile them
selves to the fact that many of the
fine new roses are not fully hardy
Mistaken notions that were built up
during a series of mild Winters will
have to be discarded. Meanwhile,
rose breeders are diligently working
on the creation of harder races of
equally beautiful roses.
Indoor Gardening.
THERE was a time, some years ago
when the Summer flower garden
at least that part which included the
annual plants-got its start in warm
sunny window in late February or
early March. but this practice has
largely disappeared as commercial
growers have learned to supply the
home gardeners needs. There are,
however. many people who still enjoy
raising some of their own plants.
partly for the fascination of seeing
something grow under their care and
partly because they know that they
are going to have the quality of
flowers and vegetables that are really
desired.
Many different types of containers
are used for growing seedlings, tobacco
boxes. empty fruit cans and flower