WATERING NEWLY-POTTED PLANTS 73 



as our example. We shall need a potting stick, otherwise a small 

 rammer, with which to press the soil home, and this is made from 

 a smooth stick about i inch in diameter, with the sides slightly 

 flattened and about a foot in length. The pot being well crocked, 

 we take a good handful of the coarsest of our compost and with 

 the stick we ram this firmly. Next, we turn the plant which is 

 to be potted out of the 48, break away the crocks, round off the 

 top edges, liberate the lower roots which are usually in a coil, 

 then standing it on the firm bottom we hold it in position while 

 with the right hand we partly fill in with compost. Then 

 holding the foliage in a left-hand grip, we take the rammer 

 and run it down inside the pot, making the compost as firm as we 

 think it advisable, then, filling in more compost, keep firming 

 till the pot is filled to within an inch of the top. It is important 

 to see that the same degree of firmness runs through the whole 

 pot, and this is more difficult to guarantee if sufficient compost 

 is put on at once to fill the pot ; safer and better is it to fill up 

 at twice. 



WATERING NEWLY-POTTED PLANTS 



It is a disputed point whether it is better to give newly-potted 

 plants one good watering to settle the soil and afterwards sprinkle 

 lightly each day until root growth begins, or to omit the heavy 

 watering altogether. We have tried both ways with equal 

 success, though probably the latter is the safer. In practice it 

 works out with us that during the winter half October-March 

 we omit the soaking, but from March onward we find it best to 

 give it. Be that as it may, the watering of newly-potted plants 

 must be done carefully. There is no activity in the roots to 

 absorb any of the moisture, practically the soil is inert, and if it 

 becomes too wet it cannot function properly. On the other hand, 

 extreme dryness must be avoided or the plants badly flag and 

 have no reserve of energy left to help themselves to recover. 



