Preparing for the Winter Windoiv Garden 



i' I 'HE month of August is a compara- 

 I tively leisure month with the plant 

 and flower lover. The lawn, vege- 

 table and flower gardens will not require 

 as close attention as during the growing 

 [ 



Wm. Hunt, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph 



I 



How to Grasp Pot to Remove Plant 



months of spring and early summer, thus 

 giving a little more time to attend to the 

 potting of plants from the house and win- 

 dow that have been enjoying a compara- 

 tive period of rest ; or possibly in some 

 cases plants that have been started spec- 

 ially for the decoration of window or 

 greenhouse for the coming winter and 

 spring months. Plants such as palms, 

 aspidistras, different varieties of decora- 

 tive asparagus, dracanas (cordylines), 

 rubber plants, Boston and lace ferns, an- 

 thericums and similar decorative plants 

 that have been enjoying a season of par- 

 tial rest in some shady out-of-door nook 

 will, in all probabilility, require repotting 

 to give them fresh life and vigor for the 

 coming winter season. Old plants of ger- 

 aniums in pots and winter flowering be- 

 gonias such as Begonia incarnata (Christ- 

 mas pink begonia), B. Paul Bruant, B. 

 Argetiteii gtittata, B. manicata and B. 

 manicata aurea (a conspicuous variety of 

 this thick fleshly-leaved type of begonia 

 and very enduring as a window plant) are 

 some of the most popular window and 

 house plants that will need repotting at 

 this season of the year. Callas also 

 should be repotted as early in August as 

 possible if they require it, to secure early 

 flowers. Chrysanthemum and salvia 

 plants, also coleus, iresine (achyranthes), 

 and ageratums that have been planted out 

 in the border, can also be taken up and 

 potted for stock or for decorative pur- 

 poses, towards the end of the month. 



The tendency on the part of the ama- 

 teur plant grower, as a rule, is to over- 

 pot plants, which means putting them 

 into a larger pot than is necessary. Over- 

 potting plants, especially for winter dec- 

 orative plants, should be avoided. The 



plants not only require more space, and 

 the pot also being out of proportion to 

 the size of the plant, but oftentimes the 

 soil becomes soddened and sour from the 

 large amount of water needed to keep the 

 soil moist before root action and growth 

 commences after re-potting. Soil for re- 

 potting at this season should be care- 

 fully prepared, and should be of a fria- 

 ble, open nature. Good drainage is an- 

 other important factor towards success. 



HOW TO PREPARE THE SOIL 



Good fresh loamy potting soil from a 

 compost heap of three parts sod and one 

 part cow manure or well rotted barn man- 

 ure, that has become well decomposed, is 

 the best basis for all potting soils. One 

 part of clean fine gritty sand and one 

 part of leaf mould mixed with seven or 

 eight parts of the loamy soil, will make 

 an ideal soil for almost all of the plants 

 mentioned. P'or potting chrysanthemums 

 and geraniums the leaf soil (or black soil 

 from the bush) may be omitted. The 

 soil should be put through a three-quar- 



Tliii Plant Requires Re-potting 



ter inch sieve and all dead pieces of wood 

 and stones removed. The fibry part of 

 the soil, unless too coarse, should be left 

 in the soil. 



HOW TO RE-POT PLANTS 



First of all, see that the soil around 

 the roots of the plant to be re-potted is 

 well moistened but not too wet and sod- 

 dened. Then knock the plant from the 

 pot it is in so as to examine the roots, to 

 see if it requires re-potting. To do this 

 successfully, invert the plant and pot, at 

 the same time placing the fingers of one 

 hand across the surface of the soil, so 

 that the plant cannot fall and be injured. 

 Grasp the bottom of the inverted pot firm- 

 ly with the other hand, and knock the 

 edge of the rim of the top of the pot on 

 the solid edge of a table or bench. If 

 the plant does not at once loosen itself 

 from the pot, turn the pot partially 

 around and knock it in another place a 

 few times until it becomes loosened. If 

 on removal the pot is found to be well 



filled with roots so as to have exhausted 

 the soil, it should be repotted. If it has 

 not done so, the pot can be carefully 

 slipped on over the ball of earth again, 

 the plant reverted to its natural position 

 and settled firmly in the pot by striking 

 the bottom of the pot on the bench or 

 table. It should then be watered at once. 

 An examination made in this way will not 

 hurt the plant if the soil and roots are 

 not disturbed very much. 



If the plant requires re-potting, first of 

 all remove the old pieces of drainage at 

 the base of the roots. Then scrape off 

 the top surface of the ball of earth about 

 a quarter of an inch in depth, as well 

 as trimming in the top edge of the ball 

 of earth just a little. In some cases, too, 

 a little of the soil around the ball of earth 

 may be picked out carefully with a point- 

 ed label or piece of stick or a skewer, 

 or the ball of earth may sometimes be 

 pounded with the hand, or on the bench, 

 so as to loosen up the network of roots 

 in cases where the roots have become 

 very dense and matted, the idea being to 

 remove all the old stale earth possible 

 without disturbing the roots too much. 

 All dead and decayed leaves or growth 

 should also be removed. The plant can 

 now bd laid on its side carefully on the 

 potting table or bench. Then select a 

 clean plain pot one or two sizes larger 

 than the original — one size larger will do 

 if the soil has been trimmed down much 

 as described — but usually a pot two sizes 

 larger should be used. Now place a con- 

 cave or hollow piece of broken flower pot 

 over the hole at bottom of pot inside hol- 

 low side down sufficiently large to well 

 cover the hole, place a few more pieces 

 also around this in the same way, so that 

 the bottom of the pot inside is well cov- 

 ered. An inch deep of drainage material 



Ready for Re-potting 



The Roots Have Been Loosened and a Small Portion 



of Soil Removed 



is not too much to ensure good drainage 

 in large seven- or eight-inch pots. Coal 

 cinders, coarse gravel or lump charcoal 

 can also be used for drainage material. 

 Over this material a thin layer of the fibry 



