2780 



POTTING 



POTTING 



3167. Repotting a sickly 

 plant. The "shoulder" is rubbed 

 off as at b, replaced by fresh 

 soil and the whole ball of earth 

 reduced in size. (Only a frac- 

 tion of the plant's height is 

 shown.) 



the shoulder or edge of the ball of soil with the thumb 

 and forefinger down to where the roots begin. (Fig. 3167.) 

 The object of this is obvious, to remove leached-out soil 

 and supply a fresh, nutritious portion in its place, so as 

 to get the greatest possible advantage from shifting. 

 Everything being made ready, the operator proceeds by 



putting a portion of soil 

 in the bottom of the pot 

 sufficient to raise the ball 

 of soil flush with the edge 

 of the pot. As this is 

 being done, reach for the 

 plant with the left hand 

 and put it in the center of 

 the pot; simultaneously 

 take a handful of soil in 

 the right hand and fill 

 the pot, then grasp the 

 pot between the index and 

 middle fingers of each 

 hand, place the thumbs 

 on each side of the plant 

 at right angles with the 

 body, lift the pot about 

 Yi inch and set it back on 

 the bench with a smart 

 rap, pressing with the 

 thumbs at the same time; change the thumbs to right 

 angles with their former position and press again, then 

 change so as to press where they have not touched 

 already; three pressures of the thumbs and the rap on 

 the bench, and the operation is done. A smart operator 

 with two boys will shift 5,000 plants in ten hours. 

 This amount of work is made possible only by elimi- 

 nating all unnecessary motions and making them 

 synchronous with each hand in reaching for soil, pot, 

 and plant as described. One hand should not be idle 

 while the other is employed. See Figs. 3168-3172 for 

 good and bad examples of potting. 



Be careful in shifting not to set the plants too deep. 

 The tendency of roots is downward, and only enough of 

 the stem to steady the plant in the pot should be in the 

 soil Plants set too deeply in the pots are easily over- 

 watered, because so much soil is not within the influ- 

 ence of root-action. A few plants which root from the 

 crown, like lilies, should be set deeper than such plants 

 as roses, geraniums, fuchsias, palms, and all plants 

 whose root-action is mainly downward. 



Do not give too great a shift at one time; that is, do 

 not attempt to shift from a 2-inch pot to a 5- or 6-inch. 

 As a rule, an inch at a time is best, especially for com- 

 mercial purposes, where plants are grown to be shipped 



some distance. In 

 private places soft- 

 wooded plants may be 

 shifted in spring from 

 2- to 4-inch pots and 

 from 4- to 6-inch, as 

 the question of ship- 

 ping does not enter. 

 But it would not be 

 safe even with these to 

 do the same in late fall 

 when growth is slower 

 and the days are grow- 

 ing shorter. Hard- 

 wooded plants, such as 

 palms, azaleas, and the 

 like, and even roses 

 should never be shifted 

 more than an inch at a time; in fact, it is better not 

 to shift them later than September in any case. The 

 spring is the best time to do it. 



Drainage is necessary in all pots over 4 inches and for 

 hard-wooded plants even that size is better drained. 

 This is technically called "crocking," i. e., placing pot- 



3168. Good and bad potting. The 

 cutting should be placed in the 

 center. 



sherds in the bottom of the pot to allow the quick pas- 

 sage of water and admit air to the roots. Place a large 

 piece over the hole in the bottom of the pot and the 

 remainder in smaller pieces. There are usually enough 

 broken pots around a place to supply the needs. Char- 

 coal is an excellent material for supplying pot-drainage, 

 none better. An inch or so of drainage is sufficient in 

 a 5- or 6-inch pot, 2 inches or so for all sizes above 



3169. Too deep. 



3170. Too high. 



these. A bottom of broken stone, cinders or gravel is 

 essential upon which to stand the pots, as such a 

 stratum accelerates drainage, while at the same time 

 providing a moist surface so beneficial to plants in a 

 greenhouse. 



A few words of caution may not be out of place 

 before closing this branch of the subject. Never shift 

 plants while the ball of soil is wet; it should be dry 

 enough to crumble readily to the touch. Never shift 

 into dirty pots; it will pay to clean them, especially the 

 inside. Never shift a pot-bound plant without loosen- 

 ing the soil on the surface of the ball. A few smart 

 raps with the closed fist will do it; or better still repot 

 as now described. 



Repotting is necessary frequently when plants have 

 become pot-bound, or when from any cause they appear 

 to require it; such, for instance, as debility from over- 

 shifting, over-watering or neglect of any kind. In 

 such cases the soil should be washed from the roots 

 almost entirely and the plant put into a pot a size or 

 two smaller than it has been growing in, taking care to 

 firm the soil well, and if a shrubby plant prune it back 

 according to its needs and conditions. Shade such 

 plants until danger of wilting is past and water spa- 

 ringly until new and vigorous growths appear, showing 

 that the subjects have regained their normal health. 



There are a few cultural details intimately associated 

 with potting which may with profit be added as a 

 closing paragraph. The high narrow pot shown on 

 the extreme right of the line of pots in Fig. 3160 is fre- 

 quently used for roses and palms by some, especially 

 for Cocos Weddelliana, which makes a long tap-root 

 and which it is almost invariably fatal to break. It is 

 feasible, however, to avoid this if the seeds are sown 

 in 6-inch pots, using 4 inches of clinkers as a bottom. 

 These check the downward growth and induce develop- 

 ment of fibrous roots in the soil, so that the tap-root 

 may be cut off below them and the ordinary 2-inch pot 

 used with safety. It is not necessary to use the deep 

 pot for roses in any case. Plants which exceed the 

 diameter of the pot should be given room to allow for 

 development. The best market growers plunge the 

 pots in soil to half their depth, as it is necessary in the 

 spring months because of the rapid evaporation of 

 water. This refers especially to geraniums, fuchsias, 

 heliotropes, petunias, and the like. Care must be taken, 

 however, to lift them occasionally so as to prevent the 

 roots from getting hold in the soil through the hole in 

 the bottom of the pot. Ten inches apart from center to 



