March 22, 1913 



HOETICULTUEE 



421 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



%/^%9h. Pa^A^^ 





Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on tills page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communloatibns should Invariably be addressed to the office of HOETICULTDKIi. 



Boronias 



Now is a good time to put in some cuttings of 

 boronias. Cuttings of half ripened wood can be inserted 

 in three-incli jjots filled with a compost of sifted loam, 

 peat and sancl in equal parts. Give them a thorough 

 watering and then plunge in a moderately warm propa- 

 gating bed where they should be kept shaded and moist. 

 It takes some little time for them to root. When they 

 have formed roots they can be gradually brought to the 

 sunlight. As these pots become filled with roots they 

 can have a shift into 5-inch pots, using a compost of 

 fibrous loam three parts, fibrous peat two parts and 

 enough sand to make it porous. Give ample drainage 

 so the water will pass off freely. Place in a house that 

 runs from 50 to 55 degrees at night. When the plants 

 become well established they will require plenty of ven- 

 tilation and when hot weather sets in they can be placed 

 in a frame where they can have plenty of air. They can 

 be grown here until September. As the older plants go 

 out of flower they can be repotted in a mixture of fibrous 

 loam three parts, fibrous peat two parts, cow manure one 

 part and a little sand. 



Dendrobiums 



Dendrobium nobile and its various forms, together 

 with many hybrids will soon be through blooming. 

 Before the young joseudo-bulbs make too much headway 

 they should be rebasketed or potted. Do not give them 

 receptacles too large as many growers err in this. They 

 will make excellent growths in such, but a large body of 

 compost holds moisture too long and thus it frequently 

 happens, when the resting period comes in fall, that 

 there is just sufficient moisture held in the compost to 

 start many of the nodes into growths, instead of iiowers. 

 For compost we find equal parts of sphagnum moss and 

 fern fiber good. Many plants will probably not require 

 that anything be done to them; others will be benefited 

 by a little surface dressing. A good position in the 

 warm house on the south side, where there is plenty of 

 light is most suitable at first, watering carefully and 

 keeping the compost only moderately moist until the 

 roots show signs of activity, after which water may be 

 more freely used; careless watering at this stage often 

 causes a loss of new growth by damping. Those hanging 

 near the roof should be of a larger size, allowing the 

 small plants to stand on the benches. Damping down 

 will now be necessary, morning, noon and night, and 

 the plants should be examined each day and watered 

 only if they need it. for even whilst growing they should 

 not be kept in a saturated condition. 

 Dipladenias 



When well-grown and managed there are but few 

 plants that equal the dipladenias in the beauty of their 

 flowers. In the cultivation of dipladenias one point 

 should not be lost sight of; that is, the necessity of a 

 brisk temperature. To do well they want a night tem- 

 perature of from 70 to 75 degrees, while in growth with 

 a day temperature of from 85 to 90 degrees with sun 

 heat. Syringe them overhead every morning getting 

 the water well to the underside of the foliage as they 

 are subject to red spider as well as to scale and mealy 



Pie /> 

 »OTANi^ 



bug. Care in watering is the most important consider- •*«»&• 

 ation in growing dipladenias. When in active growth 

 they will not continue in a thrifty condition unless they 

 get water abundantly. When done flowering they re- 

 quire to be rested, but never should be subjected to an 

 absolute drying off process. Very little water is neces- 

 sary, however, when they are at rest and it may be safer 

 to err on the dry side than on the other. A temperature 

 of about 55 degrees suits them in the winter, while at 

 rest. Dipladenias are easily propagated from cuttings 

 of wood with one or two joints. When the roots are 

 aljout one inch long they should be carefully removed 

 from the sand and carefully potted into small pots. 

 The material for the first potting may be composed of ■ 

 peat and sand in equal proportions and for subsequent 

 potting porous, lumpy peat two parts and sand and 

 charcoal one part will do. 



Outside Sweet Peas 



Sweet peas should be sown just as soon as the frost 

 leaves the ground and it has dried out sufficiently to be 

 plowed or spaded without being pasty. Give the ground 

 a good sprinkling of wood ashes and fine ground bone 

 as they doubtless form the best elements in potash and 

 phosphoric. Points to remember in sweet pea culture 

 are : Liberal enrichment of the soil ; burying the seeds 

 at least three inches deep ; care not to sow thickly, and if 

 you have done so, thin in good season; give them brush 

 and other supports before they start to climb ; remove all 

 seed-pods as soon as formed, give persistent cultivation 

 and mulching to assist in keeping them cool and moist 

 at the roots. Watering in dry weather, keeping the 

 flowers cut as they open and a hosing on warm summer 

 evenings will all help to make sweet pea culture a suc- 

 cess. A short time before you begin to pick you should 

 spread two or three inches of stable litter entirely over 

 the ground between the rows. This will help keep the 

 ground moist and be of the greatest benefit when you 

 water. 



Pricking: Out Seedlings 



There will be lots of seedlings coming on now and 

 many of these will require pricking off into flats. As 

 the days lengthen and the sun increases in power it will 

 be necessary to watch the many flats and pans of 

 seedlings closely. Use for all seedlings a compost with 

 a good proportion of leaf-mold in it. If some well 

 broken up cow manure or the manure from a spent hot- 

 bed or mushroom bed is added the seedlings will grow 

 all the better. Shade all newly pricked off seedlings 

 for a few days. A neglect to do this may mean a loss of 

 many of the little plants. Careful and thorough water- 

 ing and a moderately close and moist atmosphere for the 

 first few days will reduce losses to a minimum. In 

 addition to seedlings, there are many small cuttings 

 which are just as well, or better, in shallow flats than 

 in pots. Never leave them in the cutting bench to 

 become hard. When the roots are quite short is the 

 time to transplant and not when they have matted the 

 whole bench with roots. See that all seedlings are kept 

 as near the glass as possible, as it insures a stocky and 

 robust growth. 



