ANAEMIA IN GARDEN PLANTS

Evening Star, Issue 21518, 16 September 1933, Page 18

ANAEMIA IN GARDEN PLANTS

To be successful with the cultivation of plants it is necessary to be able to render “ first aid ” in cases of sickness or accident. Plants are just as liable to become anaemic as human beings, and when they do so they need special treatment to bring them back to health (says ‘Popular Gardening,' London). The chief symptoms of anaemia in plants is yellowing of the leaves at the tips of the shoots. If immediate steps are not taken to remedy this state of affairs in the early stages, the trouble will spread all over the plant, which will eventually die. Anamiia in pot plants is due to overwatering or over-feeding, but the remedy is the same in both cases. The first thing to do is to bring the soil into sweeter condition. This is done by allowing air to penetrate easily between the particles of soil. Examine the drainage and remove any obstruction. Worms in the soil often deposit their excrements among, the “ crocks ” and cause a complete blockage, so that it is often necessary to remove the plant from the pot, pick out the crocks one by one, wash them, and rearrange them in the pot. Having made sure that the drainage is efficient, stand the plant on three inverted flower pots, so that fresh air can have free access to all parts of the pot. Do not water the soil, even if the leaves “flag.” because the, flagging is due in this case to the excess of water in the soil which has rotted the rooted tips. The root tips are the “ mouths ” through whch the plants obtain nourishment from the soil. Allow the soil in the pot to become bone-dry, then give a soaking of clear water and repeat this treatment until new roots are formed. Apply iron-sulphate solution once a week at the rate of £oz to a gallon of water, and the colour will quickly return to the leaves. Plants growing out of doors sometimes turn yellow at the tips, even though they are neither overfed nor have had too much water. This is duo to the lack of lime or to the presence of too much. Most of the ericacefe (heaths) and vacciniums will not grow in a soil containing lime. Alany plants, however, prefer a chalky soil, especially those whicli belong to the caryophyllacem (carnation or pink family), whilst most plants will not flourish without a small proportion of lime present in the soil. To ascertain the cause and treatment, test a sample of soil for the presence or absence of lime. The simplest way to do this is to take a small sample and place it in a jam jar. Make it into a solution with rain water or distilled water and pour on a few drops of hydrochloric acid. (This caustic liquid must be handled carefully as it burns the skin if it comes into contact with it.) If the solution does not effervesce, no lime is present; if it effervesces moderately an average proportion ol lime is indicated, whereas vigorous fizzing means an excess of lime. Prom this you must draw your own conclusions for plants growing on a lime soil which develop yellow foliage must be transferred to lime-free ground and those on a soil containing little or no lime, which exhibit similar symptoms, will require a dressing of slaked lime or ground lime stone at the rate of £lb per square yard.