Horticulture.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 August 1910, Page 2

Horticulture.

SOMETHING ABOUT POTTING

PLANTS.

AND TOTTING COMPOSTS

(.Specially writ-ton for The Chronicle)

(By " Pnit.")

"Whatever the plant may be, one tiling is essential to its well-being, that is proper drainage. This must V. so arranged that surplus watci :oay have a free passage. No plant wili thrive in water-logged soil; that is, excepting water plants—and those we do not grow in pots, or only very rarely. The amount of drainage required varies with the plant. St rong-uooted plant's like asparagusspreiigeri, tor instance, requii'e but little f their habit is so coarse that the mots run so quickly through the soil as to provide their own drainage. Plants with hair-like (roots, those that are soft in wood and foliage, and tthoso. as a class—there are exceptions—that require much feeding with liquid manure—must all have-, elticient drainage. The material that is best, depends oil the plant. The manner of arranging it is always the same, the only other difference being a matter of degree. .In niv last contribution dealing with maidemhair ferns, charcoal is prescribed as the best material to use between the crock and the moss. This is because of its purifying effect; it keeps the compost clean by attracting impurities in water. It is a deodorizer, and as the soil will be in use a long time, it is of the utmost importance to keep it sweet. Thorough drainage is effected in various ways. Over the hole place a piece of crock, not a flat piece, hut a curved piece with the convex side up. Over that either a layer of several pieces of crock or a lot of small pieces should be put. Usually a few fairly large pieces is best; they are less liable to choke if worms get in. Over these pieces put something to keep the soil away from them; sphagnum, cocoannt fibre, or fibre from the turf used in potting. The two former are best for plants of long duration. It should be clearly understood that there is no drainage without the covering material, because a few times watering will wash soil into the crocks and seal them up. Some plants are such grass-feeders that every incili of pot space should be o I by feeding material, otheiwise, if you make your plant grow as it should, it. will require an unduly huge pot. Fuchsias are suoli subjects, and therefore for them 1 like green bones broken with a hammer for drainage, and no crooks at all. Use thein, and when the pot has got fairly full of roots turn the plant out, and you will see strong white roots running through the bone, that will toll you how they suit the plant. Colons, again, are very strong growing, and only temporary plants. A crock or two and some dry unfermented horse dropping is drainage enough, and by this means you may gnnv a dense bush •lit. through and as much high jn a 10 inch pot. Cinerarias are strong growing plants; such drainage would, however, be fatal to tillein; but as I may offer a special article on that plant in about tihree months' time- when it will be time to sow the seed--1 will not deal with them

I'OTTIXG COMICS

In most composts loam forms the staple. Loam as meant hy the horticuturist, is turf cut from an old pasture, and stacked, grass side down, till the grass is dead. Tho pasture should he old, because new pastures are deficient .in fibre; that is to say, the roots have not become mater togetlher; unless there is plenty of fibre in it, the loam is of little value. True, yon may grow plants in it, but your standard' of excellence must be low if they please you, always excepting a few rough matured: plants that grow in almost unythmg. The proper way to propare loam for potting is by breaking it up by hand, or chopping it with nn old butcher's cleaver. It is wrong to sift it, except it be foi the purpose of getting rid of the loose soil . if is the fibrous portions that should be used, not the reverse. The size to which it should be broken .depends on the size of pot it is intended for, the lumps should In larger as the pots are larger. No one ever grew a fine plant of the more difficult greenhouse plants m a mass of fine soil.

LKAF MOULD

The best comes from deciduous hardwood trees. Tihis is because they aro matured and ripen before falling. The mould resulting .firom them is clean and full of plant food. The proper state of it for potting plants is before the leaves have quite decomposed, and while portions of loaves arc still discernable; 'a that state gardeners call it "flaky," and the term well expresses its condition. in that state it is in a lit condition to mix witih oVhei material, and the act of decomposition generates plant food. Fotr use in seed pans, or for plants in small li'Ols, it must ho further decayed; it- niii,«t lie a fine mould free from flakes. The sweet chestnut gives the best loaf mould, but English oak, ash, elm and beccli are next best, ami good enough for anything. In Ibis part we must do our best with such as wo can gather from the ■rush. I find the best is that formed by fallen masses of asteliado — those bronil-biaded plants that grow in bunches far away up on the trunks ami branches of large trees. Avoid all decayed wood, which i.s liable to fill the soil with insects and gets sour. MANI/TCE A .YD SAND. Cow manure that has been staeKed lor two years, or stable manure of like age, are both good. Saml should be coarse, either from the sea-side or river bed. 1 prefer sensaud, becau.se river sand is liable u> got mossy; but that depends on iho purpose fo nvhiuh it w used. Sand. contains not one particle oi plant i(.od, and is of use only as a mechanical aid in keeping the soil ')|ien ; it is quite indispensable in any potting compost, but should not be used in larger proportion titan if> •ib'fillstfly necessary. LKAK MOCLD 'gUMSTITUTES. Cocoa nut fibre refuse is a fine thing to use in yoil for growing palms in lieu of leaf-mould. Leafmould is a very . evanescent substance ; r the material just mentioned is very lasting. It i.s also a fine substance for rooting cuttings that no a little extra difficult, ilke euphorbia javquini flora, prninsettias, allaniandas, erotonSj etc. Florists' stock the fibre refuse. •Jadoo nbr-e is first-rate as a substitute lor loaf-inould for enduring plants. When it was first imported a bale was spnt to me for trial and report; I found it good for all purposes if used in a way exactly opposite to the vendors' directions. la. iroi, r?h & 4-inch sieve; use what remains in the sieve for draining the pots ; mix the fine stuff with the soil. stock tibis also, I eat.—There is no natural peat in Aew Zealand ; it is imported from England. It i.s of great value for azaleas .111 pots, and you cannot grow heaths long without it. The proportions to. use of different material varies with the nature of the plant, and also its age. In g«neral practice the smaller (that is the younger) the plant the finer the compost, and tlie larger the proportion of leaf mould and sand; all you want at that stage is to encoulrage the formation.of roots. Rich soil does not encourage robts, for the simple reason that there is no jippcl

for them, food being found so easily. The plant does not require manj .roots and therefore nature does not ik provide tiliein. So yon keep tjie soil rather pow nt first, till the plants get a lot of roots, then >on pot on into richer compost. the lar< r e numhe rof leeding roots all get to work, and n-ivay yww •plant goes into fine growth, and that of a substantial character. lliis paragraph is worth studying, .'because it contains one of tilie mainsprings of success. uvcM'-fcodiing a plant is more -fatal than to hall starve it. Over-feeding builds up a flimsy structure; it may look wclii ** * ,no ) I'Ut has no stamina, and will collapse at some time. Thi.s is particularly the case when a plant depends on Its roots being in the best condition. If a coarse top is grown before roots are plentiful the iroots get crippled with the strain, and the plant fails. THE MANNER OF I'OTTTNG. Most plants should be potted firmly. somo very firm indeed. Those that arc termed hnrdwood greenliotuso plants cannot be potted too firmly, and the same applies to adiantum ferns. It is of the utmost importance that tlje compost he good, or 'hard! ramming would make it impervious to water and of course the plant would diie. Few plants wil thrive if tihe water runs through di" ectl.v the plant is watered; it sliou 1 pass through slowly, hut surely. A!' ter you pass this degree of firmness, wlvidli as I have said is necessarv. v<m have some power to order whether your plant shall grow fast an:' luxuriant, or slower and firmer, b\ tho mere force you use in j>rw-'*r dtown the soil. A fuchsia * potte 1 loosely will grow faster, ot' or thing: being equal, than a firmlv |K>tten' one, and the growth will h.> less and less the harder you pot. On this principle it is that you arc advise ' to pot your pelargoniums fi.mly < that you may avoid a gross gr tv''. linstead you will get a llorife*: ■ . . growth, which you will brini to perL faction by the aid of liquid man-