August 19, 1916 



HOBTICULTUBE 



241 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



)NDCCTEI 



CONDUCTED BY 



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QaestloDS by our readers in line with any of tbe topics presented on this page will be cordially received an d pr omptly answered 

 by Mr. Ruzlcka. Sacb commnnlcatlons sbonld inTailably be addressed to the office of HORTICDIjTUBBL 



Late Planting 



If there are any benches that are not planted by this 

 time they should be rushed right through so that the 

 plants will have a little chance to get established before 

 the cold and perhaps dark weather comes this fall. As 

 mentioned before in these columns care should be taken 

 to see that there is plenty of drainage in the benches so 

 there will be no trouble with the plants drying out un- 

 evenly. Also see that the benches are not filled too full. 

 Five inches of loose soil is plenty, as this will firm down 

 to four, which is enough to grow any rose that we know 

 of. If necessar}- more soil can always be added in the 

 form of mulch but it is very difficult to remove soil from 

 the benches once the plants are planted. Then there is 

 another side to it, and that is the wheeling in and out 

 and putting up the heaps. For a fair-sized place this 

 will be quite an item and every inch of soil means so 

 many dollars and cents. While the plants are being 

 knocked out of pots see that all spot that may be on the 

 plants is removed while the plants are still in the old 

 house. It is not a very good idea to clean them after 

 they are planted, as it will bring the disease into the 

 new house, where if things were done right everything is 

 clean. Care should also be taken to rub off all green 

 scum that may have formed on the ball of the plant 

 while in the pot. Do not take half of the ball away but 

 merely rub off the surface of the soil. Another thing to 

 watch with late planting is to see that the ball is not 

 broken when planting. Some growers have a habit of 

 pressing the plant into the soil. This is wrong and very 

 harmful, for as soon as the ball is broken, hundreds of 

 little roots are torn, and that is why some plants get a 

 severe check, while others planted carefully with ball in- 

 tact will start right in and grow like weeds. The proper 

 way to plant is to use a trowel, making hole in the soil. 

 plenty large enough, then setting the plant in and firm- 

 ing the soil in around the ball instead of pressing the ball 

 into the soil. Xo damage is done this way and in a 

 week the roots are away out in the soil. With old plants 

 care should be taken to see that the roots are spread 

 properly so that there will be no bimehed-up roots. It 

 is a poor idea indeed to bunch up all the roots in a ball 

 and then stick the plant in. It is only done through 

 ignorarfce or laziness, as the proper method means more 

 work. The difference is seen later in that while the 

 plants with bunched-up roots are setting and not mak- 

 ing a move, those that were planted right will be cutting 

 extras and fancies. 



Lime 

 It is not too early in the season to begin using lime at 

 night after each watering and syringing, more so in the 

 houses that were planted quite early and have made 

 some growth. Use dry air-slackod lime, well screened 

 to make it easy to apply with a pair of bellows. 

 Blow the lime in under the plants, being careful not to 



use too much power so that the dust will not be blown 

 away out on the other side of the bench and into the 

 walk where it will do no good at all. The proper way is 

 to blow gently to about the center of the bench and let 

 the lime slowly rise among the plants, taking moisture 

 with it and then settling down gradually, moisture and 

 all. It will also bo well to use lime on chilly rainy days 

 when there is no heat in the houses and the air naturally 

 is damp and cold. Lime alone will not correct condi- 

 tions but it will go a good ways to prevent mildew and 

 spot, both of which promise to be very destructive this 

 year because of the extremely wet weather, around here 

 at least. We have heard of dust up Xew York State and 

 rain badly needed in other parts of the country, but we 

 have had more than our share of rain this year. Growers 

 in the dry section cannot make a mistake by using lime, 

 as it will not harm the plants in the least and if properly 

 blown under the plants jui^t before sTinset will do a lot of 

 good. 



Spraying with Copper 



We would advise all growers who have even a little 

 trace of spot on their plants to use copper freely this 

 year, the ammouiacal copper carbonate mixture such as 

 has been recommended by us time and time again in 

 these columns. Twice a week will not be too often to 

 apply it and as it can be applied with Nicotine, it need 

 not take much extra time. To apply use plenty of pres- 

 sure, and a fine nozzle that will throw a fine mist rather 

 than send the spray out in fine drops. It is better to fog 

 all the foliage than to have a wet spot here and there, as 

 the idea is to hit as many of the spores as is possible and 

 destroy these. Growers should not think for a minute 

 though that free use of copper will make their plants 

 immune to attack, as the plants are liable to get spot 

 anyhow if everi'thing is not done to keep them healthy. 

 Because thev are sprayed with copper is no reason why 

 other cultural work should be half done or neglected. 



Ventilation 



Cool nights have already hit us and there is a feeling 

 in the air that fall will soon be here. On nights like 

 these the finest thing to have would be a warm steam 

 pipe in each house, but this is not always possible. WHiat 

 growers should guard against is the closing of the houses 

 down tight at night as soon as a cooler night comes. The 

 plants will stand up much better if they are a little 

 cooler with air than a degree or two warmer with no air 

 at all. In old leaky houses of the low type a crack of 

 air will be plenty biit in new wide houses that are tight, 

 as rose and in fact all greenhouses should be. at least 

 six inches of air should remain on all night. Even with 

 heat' it will be better for the plants to have plenty of 

 fresh air. With the wide high houses there is not much 

 danger of cold air hitting the plants and giving them 

 mildew. If the ventilators are shut down tight moisture 

 will condense on the glass as well as on the plants and 

 this is not ver}' good for bmltliy rose growth. Try to 

 avoid it by free ventilatioi:. 



