8 HOME FLORICULTURE 



Another reason for providing drainage is this : 

 Many persons are very careless about watering their 

 plants. Often they apply so much that the soil is 

 saturated all through, and they do not wait for this to 

 evaporate or be got rid of in some other way, but 

 perhaps the next day they repeat the operation. If 

 there is no drainage, such a course of treatment will 

 soon result in disease among your plants, but with 

 good drainage, the danger of overwatering is avoided 

 in a great degree. Therefore, be sure to see that all 

 pots over four inches across are drained well. Smaller 

 pots do not require it, because there is but little soil 

 in them, and evaporation is much more rapid than 

 from a larger pot. 



When you get ready to pot a plant, fill the pot 

 to within an inch or two of the top with the loose 

 soil, and give it a jar to settle it somewhat. Then 

 remove some from the center, and in this hollow set 

 the roots of the plant, taking care to have them 

 spread out naturally. Sift the loose soil down among 

 them, jarring the pot from time to time to firm the 

 soil well. When nearly full, press down with the hand, 

 and then water thoroughly to settle the soil. It is 

 not a good plan to have the pot full to the rim of 

 soil, because the water which is applied will run off 

 before enough is taken up by the soil to penetrate to 

 all portions of it. Have the earth about an inch 

 below the rim when well settled. 



In repotting old plants, remove as much as 

 possible of the old soil without disturbing the roots 

 too much. Some shake all the old soil off the roots, 

 but I find that a plant starts much sooner and does a 

 great deal better if the roots in the center of the ball 

 of earth in which they have been growing are not 

 interfered with. Roots must take hold of the fresh 

 soil before the plant can become thoroughly estab- 



