GREENHOUSE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9603, 18 December 1896, Page 2

GREENHOUSE.

"To re-pot or not to re-pot" is a question often sadly puzzling to the amateur gardener, hence some hints on the subject by one of the skilled contributors to the Garden are well worth our perusal. " When plants of any kind remain in a pot long enough to become badly root-bound, giving them a shift into larger sizes or planting out is very frequently attended with unsatisfactory results. The roots are so much entangled and so enterlaced, that they are very slow in striking out into the fresh soil surrounding them, and a mistake in watering may lead to the eventual loss of the plant. When pot plants generally are shifted with the ball of soil and roots intact, the latter ought to be in a thoroughly moist state when turned out of the pots they are in, and where difficulty comes in is in keeping these sufficiently moist afterwards without saturating and souring the fresh soil. It is in the case, of hard-wooded plants that most mistakes are made and a greater per centage of losses, after repotting, occurs. ,. The author then proceeds to refer to a theory propounded by previous writers on the subject—tbat of •• letting well alone, ,, saying, "in the case. of large Azaleas, Camellias, Orange trees, Palms and Ferns there is much'to be said in favour of it. I, too, have kept plants or trees of the kinds earned "for many years, and by good' attention in the way of watering and feeding they have continued in a healthy serviceable state. "It is possible to be over-timid in the matter "of repotting plants, especially those in. comparatively small pote. When they once become badly root-bound and much stunted In top-growth, the rubbish heap is their not far distant destination. This should*be prevented' by timely repotting. Hard-tfdoded 'plants',' if growing at the rate, those in a healthy state should move,,do not stand in need of re-potting every season, and in some instances they may even be left undisturbed two or three seasons, not however if much root-bound. "My plan with these of any other class of plants is to unhesitatingly plough up the sides of the balls of the more robust of them, and to loosen the side of the choicer kinds—such,, for instance, as Heaths and Azaleas—with/ pointed sticks. This may seem to be a barbarous proceeding, but it is a safe and, I think, right practice. The loosened roots are not all broken, and in any case fresh roots take possession of the new soil lightly packed about them much more quickly than happens when the balls are left intact. Soft-wooded plants, or those that usually receive one or more shifts each season, or which it is desirous ehall be grown to their full size from either seed or cuttings in a few months, ought never to be kept in their, smaller sizes till they become badly rootbound, otherwise the chances are such a check will, be given that they will fail to make much further satisfactory progress. When the roots are not matted together they quick spread out into fresh soil, and no noticeable check to the top growth occurs. It is much the same with plants that are to be turned out of pots into open borders. Take, tuberous Begonias as an instance., Turned out from pots in a root*, bound state they are remarkably slow in growth, but when they are started in boxes or beds of soil in frames, they transplant with a comparatively loose ball of soil-and roots and soon strongly established in thejr freeh quarters. Feme that were repotted early in the year may be given a little! weak liquid manure. Baskets of terns, or indeed of any other plants, now require abundance of water. The baskets should sometimes be soaked in a'tub of water, mere watering with a can not being sufficient. Jn hot, dry weather Tree Ferns should be frequently syringed, going over the stems so as to wet every part of them. Glosinias and Achimenes will probably be found to require re-potting. A 6in pot will hold a very fine Glosinia/ arid the same size will contain half-a-dozen Actiiinenes. ' Do not allow Alosias to become pot-bound; by pinching, good bushy plants may be obtained.