THE GREENHOUSE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21326, 29 October 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE GREENHOUSE

FLOWERING PLANTS From this time throughout the whole summer, there should be little difficulty by judicious care in their selection and cultivation in maintaining a good supply of flowering plants for greenhouse and conservatory decoration. Up to the present, the various varieties of primulas, cyclamens, cinerarias, hardy-flowering bulbs and other early-flowering plants have kept up a fine display. To maintain a succession, however, later free-flower-ing varieties, such as herbaceous, calceolarias, gloxinias, tuberous begonias, achiemenes and other free-flowering plants should be given special attention. Among early-summer flowering plants, few varieties are more interesting and attractive or flower more profusely than the herbaceous calceolarias. These are naturally coolhouse plants, and succeed best when in a cool frame until the plants are well-advanced or until they commence to throw up their flower stems. Although these plants are susceptible to green aphis and on this account require to be carefully watched, and the pest kept under by fumigation or other methods, they amply repay for any extra trouble taken in their cultivation. GLOXINIAS Gloxinias are extremely showy and last » long time in flower. There are several varieties in cultivation, the upright, drooping and others. The erect-flowering varieties, however, make the best display, as the flowers are produced on strong stems, well above the foliage. The soil best suited for gloxinias is a good fibrous ,loara and leaf mould, in equal parts, with a little sand added. It is safesb not to use manure in the soil, but to administer it in a liquid state when the plants are established. After potting, and during their earlier stages of growth, careful attention must be paid to watering. The same applies to the temperature in which they are grown. The plants thrive best in a regular moist temperature. The plants cannot stand sudden changes, as the foliage soon becomes injured by rust, when the plants quickly deteriorate, and often die, When grown in a nice, genial moist temperature, there is little difficulty in growing these lovely-flowering plants to perfection. TUBEROUS BEGONIAS Tuberous begonias that have received reasonable attention will now be starting into growth. These are among the most useful and floriferous of summer and au-tumn-flowering plants, and are popular for greenhouse cultivation. Being comparatively hardy subjects, and of easy culture, they may be successfully grown in greenhouses or on verandahs, or in the open borders. There are few flowering plants that under fair treatment will continue to flower over a more extended period than these begonias, while the siie of blossoms and wide range of colours obtained has made them one of the most popular of summer-flowering plants for greenhouse decoration. In potting the plants succeed well in a compost of turfy loam, leaf mould, or other decomposed vegetable matter, with a. little silver sand incorporated with the soil. NECESSITY FOR WATER As the season advances, increased attention will have to be given to watering, shading and ventilation. Attention to watering is one of the most important operations in plant-culture, for as the heat increases, more ventilation becomes necessary with the result that the soil in the pots dries up quickly, necessitating the plants being looked over more frequently, and water kept supplied. All quick-grow-ing plants will need potting from time to time, as they require more root-space. Clean pots, and ample drainage should always be provided, as constant watering during hot weather is apt to result in the pots becoming waterlogged. IMPORTANCE OF MANURE Manure water plays an important part in the successful cultivation of plants, more especially of free, rapid-growing varieties. Discretion, however, is required in its Use so as not to give strong stimulants to plants until they sre well-estab-lished, and the roots are in such condition as to enable them to benefit from the food supplied. Avoid applying solutions of too strong a nature, as it is always safer to apply at weaker strength, and more often, than to risk failure.