Evening star., 1953-08-02
This Week
in the
Garden

With the soil IN workable con-
dition again, many gardeners are
attempting to catch up on weed
control, start a fall garden, and
get insects and diseases under
control. The mild winter and
the long, wet. cold spring brought
insect and control problems into
many gardens. Normal control
operations were ineffective. The
Potomac Rose Society, long an
advocate Of busting as a means
of protecting their roses, is now
preparing a spray material that
will. during cold, rainy weather,
better serve the purposes in
tended.
The 30-day drought has To-
cused attention upon the value
of mulches, but moisture conser-
vation is only one Of their func-
tions. The preventing Of soil
crusting, improved aeration,
cooler soils, and weed control are
other results to be expected of
a good mulch material. Choose
a material that will remain open
to permit air and moisture to
pass through, is not likely to
mold and cake, and is free from
weed seeds. Peatmoss. SawduSt,
partially decayed compost, chop
ped hay, tan bark, peanut hulls
and many other materials may
be used. Even dried grass clip
pings will serve the purpose if
put on thickly enough.
The dry weather caused many
gardeners to water their tomato
plants. Consequently, when the
leaves began to "roll' up and the
fruit showed blossom-end rot. it
was impossible to name the
cause. Tomato leaves will roll
when the soil is too dry, and
when it is too wet. Blossom-end
rot also will show up under
either condition, also when there
is excess nitrogen in the soil. The
gardener should know when
either of these conditions appear
that he is doing something in
excess and correct that practice.
Excess nitrogen can be corrected
through the addition OF super
nhoSnhate
August is the month in which
to plant oriental poppies and
Madonna lilies. The poppies do
best in a sunny situation in a
well-drained soil. The Madonna
lilies will thrive in either full
sun or light shade, must have
good drainage, and do not need
more than two inches of soil
over the bulbs. Order them now
for planting this month.
Give the roses the last feeding
for the season. Fertilizing roses
after the first of August is likely
to result in immature wood be-
ing killed by an early frost. This
is standard practice among rose
growers, but it also is we'll
known that exhibitors at the fall
rose shows take chances and
fertilize to insure long stems and
large buds.
Azalea cuttings are rather
short this season. The dry
weather greatly reduced the
length of the new growth. How
ever, cuttings do not need to be
more than an inch or two in
length to root and grow into
normal-sized bushes.
Pole beans of the Kentucky
Wonder variety need protection
from the red spider mite. Nico-
tine sulphate is an effective ma
terial but it must be applied to
the undersides of the leaves.
Dodder on chrysanthemums or
other plants is serious pest.
The web of golden yellow
threads that envelops a plant is
the sucking part-reaches into
the stems of a plant-and weak
ems them as we'll as looks re-
pulsive. The only cure is to
hand-pick every bit and burn.
Do this before the seeds" ripen
and fall to the ground. Dodder
is saprophyte, but sprouts from
seeds in the soil. AS soon as the
new plant reaches tissue the
roots and stem die.
Several of the fall-flowering
bulbs may be planted when
available-Augu t-September
They include the fall-flowering
crocus, sternbergia and colchi-
cum. Most of these are grown
because they pop out" of the
ground and burst into bloom
with the advent of cool, moist
weather in the fall, not because
they are needed for color or for
cutting.
The recent cool nights were
ideal for mildew on garden
plants. Sulphur, either dust or
spray, is the best control for
mildew, but it cannot be used
safely when temperatures ap-
proach 80 degrees-burns tender
foliage.
w. H. Y.