PREPARING PLANTS FOR WINTER. 



I would never advise putting- the plants 

 intended for winter use in the open ground 

 in summer, for these reasons : The g-rowth 

 of the season must larg^ely be sacrificed in 

 the fall, when the plant is lifted and potted. 

 This operation checks it severely, and in 

 consequence the plant is in a weakened con- 

 dition at the very time when it oug^ht to be 

 strong-est and most vig-orous. The chang-e 

 from out to indoor conditions is always a 

 trying one to a plant, therefore it needs all 

 possible streng^th to take it throug^h the 

 ordeal. If it lacks vitality when taken into 

 the house, it naturally follows that what 

 vitality it has must be greatly lowered by 

 the depressing- conditions it has to meet, 

 and the result is that if it survives the strain 

 put upon it it takes it nearly all winter to 

 g-et well established, or to recuperate, and 

 while this is being done it cannot be ex- 

 pected to produce flowers. By the time it 

 gets fairly to growing spring has come, and 

 the winter's experience has been a most 

 discouraging one to the amateur. There- 

 fore, the importance of having two sets of 

 plants will be readily apparent to the 

 thoughtful reader ; one to bloom in sum- 

 mer, the other to be held in reserve for win- 

 ter work. The same plants cannot be made 

 to do duty during both seasons. I make 

 it a practice to grow young, strong, 

 vigorous plants each summer for the com- 

 ing winter, and the older plants, those 

 which have passed their prime, are allowed 

 to bloom to suit themselves throughout the 

 summer, and are then thrown aside. But 

 good plants do not outlive their usefulness 

 in one season. If they are cut back well 

 each spring and kept as quiet as possible 

 until September, they can be carried through 

 several seasons and will be found more 

 satisfactory Avhen two and three years old 

 than when but one year old. This is es- 

 pecially true of the geraniums. I know that 

 young plants are often advised ; and some 



writers say old plants are worthless. These 

 persons do not know what they are talking 

 about when they say this. I never expect a 

 geranium to show what it is capable of 

 doing before its second year, and the third 

 year it will be more satisfactory if one has 

 room enough for large plants such as old 

 geraniums will be when properly grown. I 

 have in my greenhouse geraniums over 

 six years old, and they are as healthy 

 and vigorous as new plants and have a 

 score of flower-trusses when the yo'^ng 

 plants have one. Visitors often ask 

 me if they are not rare kinds. They had 

 supposed that these plants were worthless 

 after the first year, and are surprised to find 

 how far superior they become with age to 

 the ordinary small plants. 



If young plants of any kind are to be 

 grown from cuttings for winter use, they 

 should be started early in the season. Get 

 them to growing, if possible, in March or 

 April. Heliotropes, Begonias, Ferns — in 

 fact all plants except such as are grown from 

 seed — must have this early start if one wants 

 plants of good size. Late started plants 

 will be more intent on producing branches 

 than on flowering, for they will not have 

 reached that maturity which they must at- 

 tain before they get down to the serious 

 work of life. Roses should be cut back un- 

 til October. Then let them grow all they 

 will. The new growth will always bear 

 blossoms if strong and healthy. Geraniums 

 should have all buds removed up to the 

 time of bringing the plants into the house. 

 Then let them begin to flower, but remove 

 some of the buds that form, thus holding 

 the plants somewhat in reserve for the sea- 

 son when flowers will be more appreciated. 

 Carnations seldom begin to flower much be- 

 fore late fall, therefore some of the first crop 

 of buds can be allowed to develop. 



E. E. Rexford, 

 in How to Grow Flowers. 



