Evening star., 1954-06-06
This Week
In the Garden

In the Garden
Propagating difficult plants?
The January issue Of the National
Horticultural Magazine published
by the American Horticultural
Society has the answers. The
whole issue is devoted to the sub
jects Of root-cutting. layering.
budding. grating, etc. ($l per
copy. National Horticultural
Magazine. 1900 Bladensburg
Road NE. Washington 2. DC.
Keep up succession sowings of
vegetable seeds so that you may
have delicious fresh vegetables on
your table all summer.
It is not too late to put in
glad" bulbs. Remembering that
they require from 70 to 80 days
to reach the blossoming stage. it
Is possible to choose varieties
that will give flowers for several
weeks in late summer and early
fall. 1t is a good time to give the
bulb beds a light feeding of bone
meal. Bulbs are building up their
strength now for next years
bloom. s.G
Keeping down weeds in the
garden lessons the need for wa
tering. Before the summer is over
we shall probably be wishing
and wishing for rain. If watering
is prohibited, as it sometimes is.
we shall certainly not want the
weeds to use the little moisture
in the soil.
The iriSes are nearly through
blooming. Time to transplant.
Be careful to cut out any diseased
portions and burn them. Dip the
part to be replanted in q solu-
ton Of corrosive sublimate $4,000
parts, leaving it for 80 minutes,
or simpler still, coat the rhizome
with dry sulphur.
Remember that iris like good
draining, neutral soil and want
to be planted almost on top Of
the ground where the rhizome
can sun itself. The roots will
spread out in all directions to
anchor the plant to the soil.
Usually we say. Dust roses
every ten days" but that isn't
often enough this spring. Be-
cause of the frequent rains we
have to be very vigilant If we
are to keep black spot away.
Have you noticed how intense
are the colors of most flowers
this season? Care with wet
weather has made peonies and
roses unusually colorful, rich and
lovely.
Keep pansies picked. If al
lowed to go to seed they will
soon stop blooming. Pansies. too.
have had beautiful coloring this
year and fine long stems.
Feed azaleas, camellias, and
rhododendrons again. Be care
ful not to disturb their roots.
Wash the fertilizer in with the
hose and then mulch heavily.
When the climbing roses have
finished blooming, cut them down
TO size. Do not allow long
branches to wave about in the
breeze. Tie up the new growth.
cut out some of the old, thus
forcing the climber to stay
within bounds, shaped accord
ing to the place in which it
grows.
Do not neglect the chrysan-
themums. If they were set out
three or four weeks ago it is
time to pinch them back again.
Time to feed them too.
Start stalking plants now be-
fore a heavy rain or strong wind
uproots them, or at least sets
them back by breaking branches
or causing them to hang their
heavy heads. If staked too late
the natural form of a plant is
often marred.
This is the time to spray for
weeds. Especially we should
spray to destroy poison ivy.
1t Is now time to set out
cannas, tuberous begonias, Gala
diui11S. and Ismene lilies in addi-
tion to dahlias and eladiolus.
II you are having trouble
growing beets in your heavy soil,
try this. Work some sand and
peatmosS into the trench in
which you plant the seed and
then cover the seeds with a thin
layer of peat. Or SOW the seed
in fine sphagnum and transplant.
Thin the plants as they grow
using both top and root on the
tables. DeliciouS --A.S.Y.