THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19197, 10 October 1930, Page 11

THE GARDEN

NOTES FOR THE AMATEUR.

*y

Plants in pots for inside decoration need attending to this month, and amongst the most common is the aspidistra. It :s 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 plant needs cleaning up, old leaves removed, and the remaining leaves sponged with luke-wama 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. here the plant evidently needs re-potting, first run a knife round 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 perfectly clean inside and out. If it is pot it must be soaked in water for twenty minutes so that it is thorough!}’ 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. The soil mixture for aspidistras should be three parts sifted loam, one part leaf mould, and a little sharp sand well mixed. 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 essentia! 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 firmly. Keep plants in the shade for a week or ten days watering moderatelv 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. When the work does need doing it should be done bv the local nurseryman and the plant left with him for three or four months. 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 trends or grass should be removed, since, where a plan! is healthv it will make bigger and better growth than it did last year. If it is pot bound re-pot as recommended for aspidistras vith this alteration: The Aiots need not have all the soil shaken ou.t of them, in lact 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 ■ystem, and work some of the soil aTva ! at t^c fop and edges, in order

D. COMBRIDGE

| to allow of new soil being put in its place. . In potting, of course, work new soil down between the ball of roots and the pot with a thin blunt stick. There are 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 oft with a few pots of mignonette, i There is a special strain for pot culture. Blue forget-me-not is another subject that ma}' 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-flowered 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. Calcealaria 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. Scliizanthus, the butterfly flower, do very well indeed in pots. They are easy of 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 live or six-inch pot, and as they near flowering a liberal supply of water, with occasional applications of liquid manure. Geraniums, 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. Fuchsias are cut right back to the ground. Geraniums and pelargoniums are cut back to the base of last j r ear's wood. In the case of pot plants that are not being repotted, 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 weak 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 used 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 oink daisy lor the centre. Another C 6m- j bination is pink ivy-leaved’ geranium, with dwarf asparagus fern and heiiotrope plants for the centre. Verbenas ' and Blue-gem riemesia make a third combination.