Greenhouse Checklist for APRIL

Tulbaghia vinlacea is a bulbous, evergreen plant that is practically everblooming. Its star-shaped, bright lilac flowers borne in umbels of eight to 16 flowers, and completely simple culture, make it a valuable plant for every pot plant gardener. You may order divisions of this tulbaghia from a dealer in rare bulbs.

Amaryllis which have not already bloomed this winter may have buds now. Keep them in active growth. Every four big, strapping leaves should store up a bud sheath in the bulb for next season. They should be warm (70-80 degrees), well-fed and grown in a sunny place.

Wax begonia seedlings started in February should be potted now.

Anemnne coronaria makes a beautiful greenhouse plant. For the best blossoms grown, sow seeds now, When the plants are large enough, transplant to deep pots.

Procure the best tuberose bulbs available and pot two or three of them in a 5 inch pot. The delightfully scented Flowers make them worthwhile for the greenhousel

Vegetables and annuals should be well on their way for use in outdoor planting during the next two months. Some gardeners have tomatoes and sweet peppers to blooming size by the time the weather is warm enough for them to go outdoors. Smaller plants have a point in their favor because they will adjust to the outdoor weather much faster than large plants.

If space is available, try planting a few lima beans in pots for an early start. Plant one bean to a three-inch pot. Do likewise with cucumbers and cantalonpes, except in a two-inch pot.

Despite this being a busy season for gardeners, if you have the slightest notion of adding a greenhouse to your landscape or gardening projects this year, it is time to do research. Write for catalogs from greenhouse makers, and study the books available. Be sure to talk to other gardeners who have home greenhouses - theyll tell you many things theyre glad they did when they built, and theyll also give you handy hints about "the next time I build a greenhouse to add to my backyard designs, I'll do it this way..."

Easter Sunday afternoon is a good time to hold open house for your greenhouse. Plants should be at their best at this time of the year. If seedlings and young plants have your structure too crowded, move a few blooming plants into your house for the afternoon. Invite your friends, and be sure that garden. club members, and others who might be interested, are invited to come and "get acquainted.," and to talk about home greenhouse gardening.

Greenhouse Checklist for APRIL

Tulbaghia vinlacea is a bulbous, evergreen plant that is practically everblooming. Its star-shaped, bright lilac flowers borne in umbels of eight to 16 flowers, and completely simple culture, make it a valuable plant for every pot plant gardener. You may order divisions of this tulbaghia from a dealer in rare bulbs.

Amaryllis which have not already bloomed this winter may have buds now. Keep them in active growth. Every four big, strapping leaves should store up a bud sheath in the bulb for next season. They should be warm (70-80 degrees), well-fed and grown in a sunny place.

Wax begonia seedlings started in February should be potted now.

Anemnne coronaria makes a beautiful greenhouse plant. For the best blossoms grown, sow seeds now, When the plants are large enough, transplant to deep pots.

Procure the best tuberose bulbs available and pot two or three of them in a 5 inch pot. The delightfully scented Flowers make them worthwhile for the greenhousel

Vegetables and annuals should be well on their way for use in outdoor planting during the next two months. Some gardeners have tomatoes and sweet peppers to blooming size by the time the weather is warm enough for them to go outdoors. Smaller plants have a point in their favor because they will adjust to the outdoor weather much faster than large plants.

If space is available, try planting a few lima beans in pots for an early start. Plant one bean to a three-inch pot. Do likewise with cucumbers and cantalonpes, except in a two-inch pot.

Despite this being a busy season for gardeners, if you have the slightest notion of adding a greenhouse to your landscape or gardening projects this year, it is time to do research. Write for catalogs from greenhouse makers, and study the books available. Be sure to talk to other gardeners who have home greenhouses - theyll tell you many things theyre glad they did when they built, and theyll also give you handy hints about "the next time I build a greenhouse to add to my backyard designs, I'll do it this way..."

Easter Sunday afternoon is a good time to hold open house for your greenhouse. Plants should be at their best at this time of the year. If seedlings and young plants have your structure too crowded, move a few blooming plants into your house for the afternoon. Invite your friends, and be sure that garden. club members, and others who might be interested, are invited to come and "get acquainted.," and to talk about home greenhouse gardening.

Blow Wind Blow and go garden go! Wind always creates problems in the garden but in March in the South the problem becomes acute. All gardeners know of the damage that results from plants whipping back and forth, being bruised or crushed against each other, the cutting action of the fine soil, and the silting action of the blowing dust. All these are bad. enough, but the real damage comes from the drying action of the winds the dehydration of plant tissues.

In this area there has been more, moisture during the last year than for, any previous season. For this reason many gardeners will neglect to supply needed moisture to the top soil, the layer in which feeder roots of plants are present. Many gardeners rely on winter mulches to prevent excessive drying of the top soil, and rightly so! But in at least half of our area even the mulch material is blown away, therefore surface watering becomes absolutely necessary.

The easiest method to water the garden at any time is by a permanent sprinkler system. More and more of these are being installed each year by gardeners.

Two thorough soakings given the garden during March at two week intervals should prevent dehydration damage. Root activity has already begun in the soil since the soil temperatures have reached 62 and stabilized, so water is vitally important now. Unless moisture is available when the plant needs it for proper development, the quantity and quality of the plant will suffer.

Summer flowering bulbs or tubers such as dahlias, cannas, caladiums, and tuberoses should be started now. These bulbs are usually stored during the winter through our area although in some parts they may have been left in the ground. If so, these should be lifted, divided and replanted now. In the case of the dahlia make sure that each tuber has a section of the old stem attached.

Unless this is present there cannot be any growth. For cannas and greenhouse bulbs, take them out of storage and cut the tubers into four-eye divisions. For early flowers from these, A pre-grow them in flats of sand to establish the growing points. When one leaf has reached six inches in length, plant the cannas outside the greenhouse in the permanent location. Many gardeners plant cannas just for the foliage. It is excellent for arrangements. Fancy-leaf caladiums may be sprouted by placing the growing point downward in a flat of wet moss for ten days.

After sprouting they may be potted in containers and replanted outside after they have become established. For sheer summer beauty try a planting of all white caladiums in front of Burford holly. This combination really looks cool on hot summer days. The crinums are a fascinating group of summer bulbs that should be given more place in our garden.

"Great balls of fire in the morning" Youve often heard that expression. But this morning it was literally true at our house. Maybe you can learn from our experience and avoid what might have been serious. The motor on the hot water circulating pump for the cool section of the greenhouse was put in close to the ground under one of the benches. Dirt was scooped out, a board put under it to keep it out of the dirt, and a piece of plywood put over the top to keep out any drip.

But this morning the motor shot out flashes of fire, then shuddered and died. I thought surely the motor had burned out. Upon examination, however, I found that dirt had filled in under the motor, it was all wet around there, and the lead-in wires had shorted out, blowing a fuse fortunately.

So cleaning out under the motor and retaping the connecting wires was all that was needed. But you may rest assured that this will have a periodic checking. This was one of those just below freezing early spring or late winter mornings, so it wasnt bad. But I shuddered to think what it might have been.

It seems that for several months now I have been so busy spouting off about various things that I have failed to report on the feathered company weve had all winter. In late summer we seldom saw anything of the blue jays and the cardinals. But with the first cool days, they showed up looking for their handouts.

The bird feeder was back in the wind-break shrubbery border. This has now grown into a thick mass that really does give the birds protection from the icy blasts. But the bird feeder was practically covered up, so we did move it out in the clearing. It is easier to get to now, and the wind can turn it to keep the open side away from the wind. The feeder is mounted on a metal post to keep out squirrels and cats.

Speaking of cats. After the excitement of the motor, I got my laptop out and sat down with a coffee in front of the window overlooking the back yard. Suddenly I became conscious of something out of the corner of my eye and looked out.

There was a HUGE black Angora cat with long, long hair at the edge of the pool. He was magnificent and had limpid amber eyes. I had never seen him around here before, but he was beautiful, and moved gracefully, slowly and very dignified.

He came up and lapped at the thin scum of ice to get a drink. Then as he walked along the edge of the pool, he spied a gold fish just under the surface. I almost thought I could hear him say to himself, "Ah! a tasty, after breakfast snack." He cautiously stepped out on the ice with one foot, the other raised to land his meal. Of course he broke through. He backed out, settled on his haunches and vigorously shook first one foot, then the other.

Frankly, I laughed uproariously. But Mr. Black Kat resumed his dignified stroll on his way across the yard. He seemed to shrug and mutter to himself, Oh well, it was all full of bones, anyway?

After years of discussion we finally decided to make another rose bed. There are just too many new roses on the "must" list. We prepared this in late fall, but there still is time to make one. You can dig up almost any place and plant roses, but I like to give them special treatment.

The area decided upon was four feet wide by 28 feet long, and ran at right angles, making an ell to the present bed. First the sod was tilled to break it up. Next the soil on one half was spaded 18 inches deep, sand thrown on top of the other half. Then in the bottom of this trench bone meal, leaves, peat moss and sand were mixed with the soil.

Some wide boards were laid along the edge to hold the overflow. The other half of the bed was prepared the same way. The added material left us with a raised bed. It would have been nice to line the outer edge of the bed in some way. We decided to use a decorative landscape brick.

I am happy that roses cant read. Some place I once read that it was a waste of time and material to use steamed bone meal. All I know is that whenever we have used it, roses and other plants have always seemed to do exceptionally well. It is true, bone meal is not high in nitrogen one to three per cent.

Steamed bone meal is of organic origin, and its real value lies in the fact that its 23 to 25 per cent phosphorous becomes available slowly, and over a long period of time. Dont expect quick action. Just like expecting a healthy landscape color it takes up to a year for it to become available in any appreciable quantity. But it sort of takes over when the landsape plant has exhausted the normal phosphorous in the soil.

For long, happy plant life use 5 pounds of steamed bone meal to 100 square feet, and get it mixed up well, deep down in the soil, where the roots will be searching for it in a year or so.