THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18578, 28 September 1928, Page 16

THE GARDEN

NOTES FOR THE AMATEUR

BJ

D. COMBRIDGE

Plants in pots for inside decoration need attendin'- to this month, and amongst the most common is the aspedistra. It is not always necessary to put the plant into a larger pot, because often the plant will do better if it is pot-bound, but the plants need cleaning up, old leaves removed and the remaining leaves sponged with luke-warm soapy water. If it is not necessary to re-pot, the top soil may be removed and a fresh layer put on to feed the roots and encourage new shoots. Where the plant evidently needs re-potting, first run a knife round the pot to free the earth from the pot, invert the pot, holding the plant in the palm of the hand, the fingers being run amongst the leaves. Tap the pot gently on the edge of the bench until the plant leaves its pot. Loosen the roots and remove the exhausted soil and dead leaves. If the roots appear dry moisten them well before re-potting. The new pot must be perfectlv clean inside and out. If it is a new pot it must be soaked in water for twenty minutes so that it is thoroughly saturated with water, otherwise the earthenware which is porous and very dry after leaving the kiln, will absorb the moisture that the plant should be getting. The new pot, however, must be dry again before being used or when re-potting comes again the earth will not leave the pot.

The soil mixture for aspedistras should be three parts sifted loam, one part leaf mould, and a little sharp sand well mixed. It should be pointed out that soil from the garden is not suitable on its own as it cakes and clogs under pot conditions. The soil from a well matured twitch heap, with some of the dead twitch in it, is very good. Leaf mould is essential as a supplier of colour and stamina. The bottom of the pot should have a few drainage crocks put in first, and these should be covered with some of the soil. If the plant is to be divided use a sharp knife and sever between the root-stem, leaving enough leaves on each part to furnish the pot that is being filled. The root-stem, however, must not be buried deeply or the leaves will come up sickly. Shake the earth round the roots and ram it in with a blunt stick fairly firm l,r . Keep plants in the shade for a week or ten days, watering moderately until the hot weather comes. A very light dusting of sulphate of ammonia will do good both to old and newly-potted plants. Kentia palms are more tricky plants as they must never be left long in a draught, neither must they be allowed to become water-logged, nor should they get really dry. They often go off very suddenly through no apparent cause, but this may be traced frequently to one of the above causes, more especiallv the last. Kentias do not need re-potting frequently; the need for the work is determined by the height of the leaves and their profusion. When the work does need doing it should be done by the local nurseryman and the plant left with him for three or four months. The continual indoor conditions under which Kentias have to live tend to make them pale in colour, and thev are subject to mealy bug and red spider. The former condition mav be improved by a little sulphate of iron placed on the soil and watered in; the latter may be treated by sponging the leaves wuth luke warm soapy water in which is put a little Black-leaf 40 or some extract of quassia.

Asparagus fern is another house plant that is just getting over its winter resting stage. New fronds, or new grass as it is called, should be pushing their way through. The old fronds or grass should be removed, since, where a plant is healthy it will make bigger and better growth than it did last year. If it is pot bound re-pot as recommended for aspedistras with this alteration: The roots need not have all the soil shaken out of them, in fact it will not be found' possible since the roots make such a network. In this case shake the soil out of the bottom portion of the root svstem, and work some of the soil away at the top and edges, in order to allow of ne- soil being put in its place. In potting of course work new soil dowm between the ball of roots and the pot with a thin blunt stick. Begonia corms will be showing live -ves now, and these should be pre--ed for a new blooming season. Re-

ove them from their last season's ots and soil; prepare their new soil compost from good loam and leaf soil in equal parts, with a liberal addition of dried cow manure and sand. Place the buU>s on the top of the soil; they will take root properly without being buried. The" need only pressing into the soil, but it must be remarked that corms do not last for always; the best flowers always come on one-year-old corms. Propagation of these lovely flowers is by seed and cuttings, both the more or less, of the experienced gardener. There are, however a number of plants that may be grown in pots for inside decoration and home enjoyment that are never tried. A few four-inch pots of blue lobelia look very well on a verandah shelf, whilst they would be well set off with a few pots of mignonette. There is a special strain

for pot culture. Blue forget-me-not is another subject that may be used very successfully, but it does not flower the first season. The variegated dwarf, dark crimson nasturtium is showy, and for a taller subject there is nothing finer than camellia-fipwered Balsam. There are many colours and they like good soil, so that potting soil makes them thrive. Coleus, the variegated foliage plant, is most interesting to grow from seed, as its foliage comes so many different colourings. Calceolaria is harder to strike and needs more than a verandah to grow it in, but it should be mentioned. Petunias in five or sixinch pots make a bright show, but, of course, the doubles are the best for pot work. In petunias never discard small seedlings; they are frequently the best flowering specimens. Schizanthus, the butterfly flower, do very well indeed in pots. They are easy n* cultivation and reward the grower with a fine display of dainty flowers which can be used as centre table decorations. Stocks are never thought of as a pot plant, but for seed saving purposes they are grown by the hundreds, and as the first spike opens out fully they make a splendid showing. They need a five or six-inch pot, and as they near flowering a liberal supply of water, with occasional applications of liquid manure. Many of the aforementioned subjects will benefit by this treatment. Pelargoniums and Fuchsias in pots will just be making a move. All of them need, cutting hard back and re-potting into fresh soil, if not into fresh pots. In our homes they cannot be expected to come away as quickly, as with our nurserymen, but they must receive just as drastic a treatment with the knife. Fuchsias are cut right back to the ground. Geraniums and pelargoniums are cut back to the base of last year’s wood. In the case of pot plants that are not being re-potted, the surface soil must be stirred with a small fork and a little artificial fertiliser forked in. This does not apply to ferns in pots. These resent manures, which burn the delicate roots. For them it is necessary to renew the top soil with a good compost of fine loam and leaf mould. During the height of their growing, season, however, a supply of w T eak liquid manure of cow liquor and soot, made so as it is a light brown colour, is all they need, in summer, but of course nothing like this in winter or early spring. Hanging baskets made up with some of our commoner things are very ornamental, but they must be well made and well watered. In our summers they need dipping twice a day- First the wire basket is lined with spagnum moss, in which is placed a good compost of potting soil. On the outside rim is planted lobelia, and tradescantia, or Wandering Willy, as it is commonly called. Inside is put one or two petunias, with a white or pink daisy for the centre. Another combination is pink ivy-leaved geranium, with dwarf asparagus fern and heliotrope plants for the centre. Verbenas and Blue-gem nemesia make a third combination.

Attention must again be drawn to the ravages of green fly on the roses and young plants that are growing just now. Frequent syringing with a good insecticide is the only remedy for what promises to be a very bad complaint this season.

In suitable warm spots tomatoes may be put out. Do not choose a place where they were grown last season without being careful to remove the soil and put in new. Tomatoes are so susceptible to so many blights that too much care cannot be taken in their cultivation. The ground should not be over-manured or it will cause the growth to be too rank and the early trusses will not set. The digging-in of fowl manure for tomatoes is a risky procedure. Fowl manure is so rich in nitrogen, which stimulates growth at the expense of fruit-bearing that it should only be used when mixed with five or six times its bulk of soil. Sulphate of potash is a far more serviceable manure at planting time for tomatoes, and it is mixed with the soil at the rate of two ounces to the square yard. The plants are put in twelve inches to eighteen inches apart, according to the space available, and protection from wind and frost is provided.. If a glass sash or frame is leant against the fence, the ends at ground level should be closed up to prevent draught. This side draught is very troublesome in some conservatories and cold greenhouses. It was thought at one time necessary to have side ventilation in order to have a current of fresh air moving under the glass all the time, to obviate dampness which would lead to mildew, etc., but experience has proved 4n the young stage that the tomatoes receive a" check that they never thoroughly get over if side ventilation is used. It is certainly useful in midsummer to control mildew, and may be useful in the hands of an experienced man in a heated house when the inrush of air passes over hot pipes, but otherwise it is not good. As a control for mildew on tomatoes in heated and cold greenhouses there is nothing more serviceable than potassium sulphide, used at a quarter to a half ounce to the gallon of cold water syringed on every > three weeks from now onwards.