URGENT BUSH HOUSE WORK

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 768, 14 September 1929, Page 32

URGENT BUSH HOUSE WORK

This month is a busy, one in the bush-liouse, as it is now time to sow most of the seeds for autumn flowers. Most bush-house or glass-house seed should be sown on the top of a pot of soil, and pressed into it. but not covered. The pot can be watered when necessary by placing it in a receptacle of water and allowing the water to soak up through the soil to the seed. Such seed should, if posi sible, be covered with frosted glass I or some other similar material. Sow in the above manner seeds of Gloxanias, Ges.nerias, Begonias (both j tuberous and fibrous rooted sorts), j Torenia and all other fine seeds. Make a good sowing of Coleus seeds. | If you raise more than you want you will be able to select those with the brightest colour to grow on and the rest can be thrown away or planted out in the flower garden, where they will make a good show, though their colours will be much duller than those grown under cover. Next month we will tell you in this column how to treat the young seedlings. It will be time enough then to pick them out and grow them on. The Coleu,s seedlings, however, gerj minate very quickly, and grow rapidly, 1 and in order to get the best results ! they must be rushed on for all they are worth. As soon as the second leaves appear they should be pricked out —we find a quill toothpick very useful for this operation—about 2in. apart in seed pans in good soil. The soil cannot be too rich for Coleus growing. When well established, say in about a month’s time after pricking out, they should be potted up singly in Sin. pots when about Sin. high. Allow’ them to take root for a week, and then commence giving them a weekly i watering with liquid cow manure or i sulphate of ammonia, loz. in a twogallon can of water. For a change every other week give in addition a •watering of sulphate of potash—loz. in two gallons of water. If well grown about six weeks after shifting into the three-inch pots they can be moved into six-inch pots, in

which they can remain till the season is over. It will be found that they are inclined to throw up flower spikes, which should be removed as the bud appears, as if they are allowed to seed the -plant will stop growing. They should be encouraged to branch as much as possible. Don’t forget to sponge the Kentia Palms with soap and water to remove any scale. Palms should be repotted next month, and we will tell you in this column how to set about it.