STOPPING PLANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 21

STOPPING PLANTS

By stopping or the growing tip of a young plant, the root'energies are concentrated on the production of lateral growths. A plant so treated naturally develops the even, compact habit ideally suited for bedding work. , The operation has foif long been universally practised with practically every kind of bedding plant, but, to-day the hybridists' efforts to improve their natural habit have largely reduced its necessity. The advantages for \ and against its use can now, be said to be fairly evenly balanced. There is no doubt that by pinehing the fines# spike the plant will develop is sacrificed. Gn the other hand the lateral spikes on a stopped plant are noticeably larger and stronger than the secondary growths on a plant which is allowed to develop naturally, and there is not the slight . but inevitable blank' season after .the. main spike finishes and before the laterals begin to bloom. Each grower must decide for himself the relative importance of these points as applied to his own particular case, and decide accordingly. ■ 1 ' ■ With bedding plants, pinching must be done at an early stage of growth. Am soon.as the plants have developed their third pair of true leaves is the ideal time with most subjects, and the growing tip can then be easily pinched out between the finger and thumb. The plants must never be allowed to dissipate their energies by growing on beyond the stopping point, _ It is most important'with unstopped plants to cut away the main spike or flower as soon as the flowers begin to fade, and before it has a chance to set seed; Once a plant is allowed to;fulfil its natural function in. ripening pdds, it is an extremely difficult task to coax it into flower again. Sweet peas are an example of a plant which is stopped to encourage the lateral growths, but not for the sake of improving the plant’s habit. The main stein of. a sweet pea is very liable to go “blind” on reaching a height of three to four feet, and even when the plants are to be grown on the cordon system, they must be stopped after the second, or third pair of leaves. The strong basal shoots' from the leaf axils are then trained on in place of the main stem. This is an important item in the good cultivation of this popular annual. Often, even if no stopping is. done, the first stems make little headway, and bdsal shoots are produced which form the main growth of the plants. Many greenhouse subjects, such a* fuchsias and pelargoniums, grown as specimen plants, are largely trained by ifieans of , a systematic stopping of the lateral growths, as they reach the desired length, but it is. with exhibition chrysanthemums that the operation reaches the level of a fine art. As the chief means of timing the blooms, it naturally assumes considerable importance, and most nurserymen publish in their catalogues a list stating just, when and how often the different varieties should be stopped to have them in flower at a given date. • Only a very few are allowed to break naturally by forming a “ break ” bud, which stons the further development of the main shoot. Thus the stopping of the chrysanthemum lias the merit of not being entirely, an artificial cheeking of the plant’s natural growth, but an adaptation of its own method of branching. , Antirrhinums are sometimes stopped to ensure bushiness, and so, too,, are schizanthiises when pot-grown, or they would become tall and thin. —W. Y. M. in Amateur Gardening.