Evening star., 1951-04-29
7 his Week
in the
Garden


and daffodils are doing wonder
fully well and the blooms are last
ing. That is just another way oi
saying that cool moist weather pro-
longs the Towering season fol
those flowers which thrive in the
early spring. Even the forsythia
in some gardens is still putting or
a colorful display although nor
mally it should be well past. The
Towering crabs, Japanese cherries
even some of the magnolias are
still in good condition. And, these
conditions will favor good develop
ment of iris, peonies and other
spring bloomers.
The cool, wet weather is delay
ling the planting of flowers and
vegetables. The soil should not be
lspaded or worked while wet enough
Ito ball. It is better to delay plant
ing than to run the risk of ruin
ing the physical condition of the
soil, which might take several
years to correct.
Don't neglect the dehlia and
Gamma tubers-neglect at this sea-
son can ruin winters patient
care. Too much moisture will in
duce sprouting or rotting, too dry
will cause them to shrivel.
If the chrysanthemums have not
been lifted, divided and reset in
| a well-enriched soil that chore
should be undertaken as soon as
possible to provide abundant
bloom on strong growing plants
The same applies to physostegia
and Shasta daisies. Failure to
divide and reset usually results
in the loss of these two desir-
able perennials.
The commonly recommended
varieties of vegetables repeated
so frequently in horticultural lit
erature tends to defeat the pur-
pose of research and progress
both for the producer and to the
consumer. Interest in breeding
dwindles if the results are not
accepted and put to use. The
gardener who does not grow
and benefit likewise loses. For
example, the new hybrid cucum-
ber, Surecrop Hybrid, which Is
highly resistant to the MOSAIC dis
ease. is not to be found in the
seed displays in most stores and
yet it should be grown wherever
the cucumber vines are attacked
by this destructive disease. Un-
fortunately, however, it must be
ordered from a mail-order house
and not all Of them list it as yet.
The same may be said of most
other improved varieties of vege-
tables.
The frequent rains and cool
weather tend to discourage spray
ing and busting Of our plants, but
this important cultural practice
should not be put of. 1t is i'm
portant to have the poison and
the fungicide on the foliage be-
fore the bugs arrive to take a
bite, and the disease spores drift
into the foliage. Once they have
gotten in their work the pre-
yentative" can do little good.
Dogs can be nuisance to shrub
land flower border and many gar
deners need to take some steps to
protect their paintings. However,
most repellants are highly volatile
and Of short life. Nevertheless
they should be employed rather
than to let the neighbor's pets
destroy the beauty of the plant
lings. There are a, number such
products on the market and most
of them will give reasonable re-
suits if applied regularly. Small
barberry plants may be set about
the evergreens to provide more or
less permanent protection.
Methoxychlor seemingly is a
better bug killer than DDT. It is
toxic to more insects, does not per-
slst in the soil so long and can be
removed from flower and fruit by
washing (DDT is not soluble in
wateD.
It's time to make the second
planting Of gladiolus in the cutting
garden. BY planting several vari-
etles at the same time the cutting
season may be prolonged but, most
gardeners. will wish to make sew
eral paintings of their favorite
varieties so as to have cut flowers
throughout the season.
Shallow rooted plants such as
the hardy phlox, seem to benefit
by a good mulch. They are at
home in the north and when grown
In this area need the protection of
a deep mulch. Also, the phlox
needs frequent division and soil
enriching if they are to continue
to provide the masses of bloom
which are so well pictured in the
catalogues.
NaSturtiums are not as widely
grown as they should be. Produc-
ing flowers over a long season,
they are useful both for mass
effect and for cutting. The mas
turtium should be planted in q
sunny situation and do best in q
light soil but will grow in any
ordinary loan. Do not fertilize
the soil with nitrogen-it stim-
ulates leaf growth at the expense
of the flowers. Nasturtiums are
normally attacked by small suck
ing insects that clusters about the
stems on the undersides of the
leaves-a difficult place to reacf,
| with spray or dust, However, q
dishpan full of soapy water will
usually flatten the foliage and wet
the aphids sufficiently to kill them
Spring tulip shows start next