FREESIAS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 82, 7 April 1934, Page 13

FREESIAS

It is wise to allow plenty of time for growth until the flowers are needed. It is a mistake to pot the forms late and then try to make up for lost time by forcing. Heat is not required at any time except to keep -lit frost and to open out the flowers. The best compost is yellow loam full of fibre, two parts, with one-third part of rotted manure, well sprinkled with bonemeal. Use this soil nicely moistened when potting. Such can be made firm without becoming pervious to moisture. Beware of shallow potting, which tends to drooping foliage and flower stems. The latter are so slender that substantial basal support is neressary, and even stakes cannot prevent weak stems from falling over the sides of the. pot. Mak,, sure that at least 2in. depth of soil covers the corms. Stand the pots out of doors in a sheltered position; shade the soil until the growth shows above it. and be sparii g with water. At. the first suspicion of fiost the pots must be taken into the greenhouse and the lightest position given to them. If a heated structure is available, the pots should be placed in the coolest and lightest part.