Pelargoniums After Flowering.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 8

Pelargoniums After Flowering.

Most j.la!its are pretty well attended to during the flowering and growing period. Ifc is when plants enter into the sere and yellow Jeaf state tha!; thf-y are roost generally neglected. As their beauty wanes, the inttrest, especially of ladies and amateur g'-rdeiien*, di<s out. The plants are often left to shift for themselves when they mo^t need the greatest attention. In regard to pelargoniums, one of the most) common mistakes is to force them into flowering too lotig. Most of thf m can be forced into more or lefs of perpetual fl >wering. Tl at is by keeping theaa under &lass or under liberal treatment ss regards food and water; the plant? will push new growth and flower again. This, however, at lea&t risks the future health or the next year's beauty of the plant for a second or a third crop of bloom. It requires much ekill to fore- sucees ive crops of blossom without undermining the health or ruiniug the strength oF the plants. Amateur gardeners had far better content thenmlves with one fine display of bloom. Aa so m as this begins to fade the (lints should be f.l*ced in the open, and be kept somewhat dry to prereut a second growth. An open partially-shaded place h best for them at first. The two expressions '• open " and •• shady " may seem contradictory, but they are not really so. Place a number of p>lirgo»iums close kgether behind a south wall, as is often doce, and they are iv a densely-shaded, bufc not an open, place. Set them a good distance from each other on an east border, and they are partislly shaded, and ye& in an open place. The two extremes of aa excess of shade and of sun are to be avoided ; the former draws the plaata snd induces a second growth — wenkly, worthless, and injurious. The latter often scalds and burns leaf and stems. After being a week or fortnight in the open air, pelargoniums vru\ bear the direct rays of the euu with impunity or positive beutfib. The sun then becomes a powerful agent in hastening and heigbteniug maturity. The leaves become firm in texture and mature in colour, and the wood assumes that light brown colour the sure sign of maturity. Careful watering is needful during this period. Some give too little, attempting to force maturity by almost wholly withholding water. This is a mistake, and causes weakoers, disease, and probably many a sudden death among choice specimens of pelaigoniums. The plants during the flowering period have piobally been freely supplied with manure water. The roots are still active in number, and in full force in regard to growth.

It therefore follows that to cut off their usual supply of water must be injurious. But, on the other hand, during the period of woodripening plants need less water than at other time*. And it requires much skill and care to give them just tufiicienr, and no more.

As-soon as the wood is brown and hard the plants should be cut down. This may be called the master stroke of pelargonium culture. It must be done with judgment and skill. First of all, with a sharp knifd Pelargonium shoots are somewhat brittle, as well as bard, and unleas the knife is sharp the shoot may break off lower down or further back tban it was intended to cut it. Many specimens have had their symmetry marred by careless cutting back with a blunt knife. Much also turns on the point to which the plant should be cut back. Some cut back almost close to the old wood, leaving from two to three eyes, or buds, only at the base of the current yew's shoot. Others recommend fiom five to seven or even eight eyes. A good deal turns on the age of the plfint, and a'so the variety. In general terms, French and show varieties bear severe cutting back or spurring in much better than fancies. Some of these latter break clow ly, or irregulaily, or not ab all if very hard cut in. They should, therefore, seldom be cut back closer than from four to &ix buds from the base of the shoots. Of course, the young plauts tbat want filing up and bulking out into siza should not bo tut so closely back as old, well-estab'ished specimens. Pelargoniums live to a great age if skilfully managed, and as long as they continue in hc-alfch the older they are the more profusely they bloom. We have Keen plants of show and fancy varieties over a dtzen years old a yard or more through and as much high. Of course, such large plants must be cut in pretty close to keep them within bounds, so that they may be taken through dooiwayg, &c. ; and most of them will boar ifc, too, if specially managed afterwards. Such huge specimens are hardly to be desired unless as curiosities of culture. §[ice, tidy plants are

far more desirable, and more easily managed, especially in removal from place to place. The 'shoots should be cut eff at a sharp angle, almost straight across the stems. Ftw things are more unsightly or injurious than the loug, sloping cuts otten seen on pelargoniums. These iuvite d»mp or condensed water to lie upon them, and prove fruitful causes of damping.

After cutting back, the plants should be placed under glass until the young shoots break from tte eyes left at the base of the shoots. This is to protect them from rain, and also for a week or so from the direct rays of the sun from 11 to 4- o'c'ock. The san often burns the b~.se of the divided branches, and full exposure to it results in sunstroke that may destroy the plant at once or many months afterwards. One chief cause of the myatetious going off of £O many pelargoniums in winter and spring is the reckless exposure of their divided branches and stems to the midday sun's broad glare, which should always be avoided by slightly shadiog with tiffany or other light material.

In fine weather, however, the lights should be dtawu off afc night to obtain the full benefit of the dews, and also in the early morning and late in the afternoon. The plants ruust not by any means be ktp(- to :> warm or c'oae with the view to induce them t> braak into bud. This course would only tend to cau»e them to break weakly. As soon as the young shoots have made about lin of new growth is the brfst time to reduce tbe'roots and re-pot the plants. This is done by turning thim out o£ their pots, shaking and picking neatly all the old soil away from the roots, pturvng back theUttev, if needed, and altogether causing such a reduction that a. plant grown in an B>n pot may readily be repotted in a 6in. This is another of the crucial step? of pelargonium culture, for upon this reduction, re-potting, and fre'h rooting the entire future of the fl uit may be said t» depend. For this re-potting the drainage can hardly be too ample nor the soil too light. Kqual parts of peat, loam, and silver sand is a good mixture for the first potting after the plants break. After potting, close treatment is desirable nutil the process of new root-making is fairly begun. As soon as the roots are in active growth a more open and airy treatment must bs adopted in order to fit; the plants for their winter campaign. Early ia f.pring the plants should be shifted into their flowering pots, using a compost of twoparts fibrous loam, one part well decomposed horse dtoppinga, and sufficient sand to keep it porous.