24 



The Florists' Review 



May It, 1921 



dead and decaying foliage. Give them 

 all possible sunshine and keep rubbish 

 away from below the benches. Perfect 

 cleanliness, careful watering, keeping 

 the plants rather on the dry side, full 

 sunlight and plenty of fresh air are the 

 conditions that geraniums need. Avoid 

 a close, stuffy atmosphere, which would 

 breed such diseases as you have. 



C. W. 



INSUTFICIENT PROTECTION. 



We have some geraniums from cut- 

 tings taken last fall which were outside 

 all winter in frames. They were taken 

 from pits, repotted into 3-inch, 4-inch 

 and 5-inch pots and placed out in the 

 open without covering other than wind 

 breaks all about them up to the height 

 of the plants. In addition to this, they 

 were protected from the north and west 

 by buildings, and when the weather 

 was severe at night, they were covered. 

 When potted they were given a pinch 

 of bone meal. The stalk is apparently 

 in good condition and they bloom and 

 bud easily, but their leaves turn yellow 

 and drop off, leaving the plants almost 

 denuded of foliage. Previous to this 

 we have hasdled the plants for three or 

 four seasons with good results. What 

 is your opinion as to the cause of the 

 trouble! W. A. S.— Kan. 



It is Hot at all surprising that the 

 plants are losing foliage. Your method 

 of culture is far from an ideal one. 

 To take plants from pits where they 

 had been wintered, to repot, place out- 

 doors and plunge pots half their depth 

 with no protection but a low wind- 

 break seems sufficient to account for 

 the plants doing badly, but a spell of 

 cold and rainy weather which would 

 chill the plants and stagnate the soil 

 was no doubt the main reason for their 

 losing foliage. Had plants, after pot- 

 ting, been kept in the frames or pits 

 for some time, until they became estal) 

 lished in their new pots, and were then 

 moved outdoors, all probably would 

 have been well. To improve your plants, 

 it would bo advisable to put them back 

 in the frames for a time and water 

 carefully. Also loosen the soil with 

 a pointed stick. C. W. 



POTTING THAT CHECKS GROWTH. 



I am sending you a 4-inch geranium 

 with which there is something the mat- 

 ter. The geraniums are potted first in 

 2-inch pots, being taken from a bench 

 under which there are steam pipes. 

 They grow well, have a good color and 

 show no sign of disease until thoy are 

 potted in 3-imch or 4-inch pots. Then 

 they turn red and look ,is though tlioy 

 were dried up. H. R. — Pa. 



Doubtless, the trouble witli your gerii- 

 niums is caused by the trcatiiu'iit yon 

 arc giving them. T Jiave liad to grow 

 geraniums in quantity for s\ number of 

 years, and this experience teaclies that 

 it is not good policy to carry pl.Tiits 

 over from the fall of the year to well 

 toward spring in 2-iiicli ]iots and tlien 

 to pot them directly into 4-inoli ])ots 

 and expect them to do well. They re- 

 ceive a severe check and the roots suf- 

 fer because they are not in condition to 

 assimilate the substance of the new soil. 

 If the same plants were given a shift 

 into 3 inch pots early in .Tannary and 



then into 4-inch by March 15, you 

 would not have this trouble with your 

 plants. M. P. 



GERANIUMS DISEASED. 



We have mailed you three geraniums 

 which are diseased. Our entire stock is 

 getting in the same condition and we 

 do not understand the reason. 



C. F. S.— S. C. 



CULTURE OF PTERIS TREMULA. 



Will you inform me as to the best 

 method of culture of Pteris tremulaf 



F. P. H.— Can. 



The plants arrived much shriveled 

 and it is not easy to tell from these 

 specimens what the trouble is. I should 

 throw away all badly diseased plants. 

 In potting avoid using manure which is 

 not old and well decomposed. Fresh 

 manure is a fertile cause of such trou- 

 bles. Keep the house well ventilated, 

 with a dry atmosphere, and avoid spray- 

 ing the plants overhead. Keep the 

 plants well spaced apart and remove 



This vigorous-growing pteris, Pteris 

 tremula, commonly known as the Aus- 

 tralian bracken, is of easy culture. All 

 ferns, of course, prefer some shade and 

 this variety cannot be suecessfully 

 grown in full sun. Use a compost of 

 leaf-mold and loam in equal parts for 

 young plants. For those of larger size, 

 loam with a little quite old and well 

 decayed manure, such as is to be found 

 in a spent hotbed, and a dash of sharp 

 sand, makes a suitable medium. Pot 

 firmly, water well and place the plants 

 on a side bench where the glass is 

 shaded. This variety does not need 

 much artificial heat and grows well in. 

 a temperature of 50 degrees at night, 

 but by all means keep it shaded mod- 

 erately. ' C. W. 



PELARGONIUMS DROP PETALS. 



Can you tell me any reason for 

 Pelargonium Easter Greeting dropping 

 its flowers as soon as it is taken into 

 a home? I have had several complaints 

 last year and this year. 



W. K.— N. Y. 



This is an old complaint held against 

 pelargoniums as a class. It has, I be- 

 lieve, caused someone to invent a var- 

 nish to drop in the center of the flower 

 in order to hold the petals together. 



The first Easter Greetings that we 

 shipped were sent to a store as an ex- 

 hibition. The flowers dropped. At an- 

 other time some were sent to decorate 

 a banquet, with the same result. We 

 attributed this to sudden change to 

 cold air, for, when we put them in a 

 cold room for two days or carried them 

 out in the cold, the petals would not 

 drop. A great many of our flowers of 

 this kind are carried in paper to dist.nnt 

 points, but we never seem to hear com- 

 plaints about the petals dropping. On 

 the contrary, we have had reports 

 about their keeping qualities after they 

 are cut. 



We make many sprays by stemming 

 and using Easter Greeting blooms as 

 carnations, for Memorial decorations 

 on graves. They have met with gen 

 eral favor because of their keeping 

 qualities in the open air. 



We mention these facts to show the 

 complexity of the problem. Everything 

 considered, we are led to believe that 

 sudden changes in temperature and 

 moisture, or possibly cultural condi- 

 tions, may be the cause. We have 

 noted that occasional fumigating with 



tobacco stems will cause a shedding of 

 the petals, while in many other in- 

 stances heavier fumigating will not 

 affect them. 



We have had so few complaints re- 

 garding petal-dropping that we hardly 

 consider it ap objection, because Easter 

 Greeting is g^ch a profuse bloomer that 

 there are always flowers to quickly 

 take the place of those that have 

 dropped. 8. C. T. 



TIMING PELARGONIUMS. 



I have been growing l£artha Wash- 

 ington geraniums for a number of 

 years, but I cannot make them bloom. 

 They have much foliage and are rich in 

 cuttings, but, at the best, they have had 

 no more than one blossom apiece. Will 

 vou advise me as to what I can dot 

 A. L. & S.— Mich. 



Pelargoniums, or Lady Washington 

 geraniums, are spring-flowering plants 

 and should be grown with that object 

 in view. They have more than one 

 blossom, but after the cool days of 

 spring are gone and the weather be- 

 comes hot, the plants start into growth 

 again and will not flower until the fol- 

 lowing spring. The variety Easter 

 Greeting has become a valuable plant 

 for Easter, when it can be had at its 

 best. 



The best method of culture is to take 

 the cuttings late in September or early 

 in October and, as soon as rooted, grow 

 tliem along in a light, cool house, shift- 

 ing them into larger pots as they need 

 it, with the object in view of having 

 them at their best about Easter time. 



M. P. 



