March 16, 1922 



The Florists^ Review 



39 



GET READY FOR BIG DAY 



FIiANTS FOB EA&TEB TRADE. 



Timing Lilies. 



Easter is the holiday, par excellence, 

 when plants fill the center of the stage, 

 and their number increases annually. 

 It is a fairly safe guess that more flow- 

 ering plants will be sold the coming 

 Easter than ever before. Many inquiries 

 reach The Review at this season con- 

 cerning Easter i)Iants, and these notes 

 are written in a desire to assist some of 

 the smaller and less experienced grow- 

 ers, who may find difficulties in handling 

 certain plants, and to whom a little ad- 

 vice may be of value. 



Easter comes somewhat late this year 

 and the higher temperature in April, as 

 compared with March, must be consid- 

 ered. A late Easter is not the best for 

 florists, as the lapse between April 16 

 and Memorial day, Maj' 30, is only about 

 the same as the pre-Easter period of 

 Lent. 



Of course, lilies are one of the great 

 leaders at this holiday. If buds were 

 just visible when Lent came in they 

 are all right; if, however, they are still 

 small, they will need all the heat you can 

 give them. There is always considerable 

 variation in the flowering period in any 

 batch of lilies and a certain amount of 

 moving around is generally necessary to 

 time them properly. Plants with buds 

 now hanging down are in ample time 

 and will not need a higher temperature 

 than 50 degrees at night; laggards need 

 lots of heat and moisture, with spraying 

 several times daily. 



There are general complaints of gi- 

 ganteum lilies being dwarf this year. 

 They can be lengthened somewhat by 

 shading the glass for a week or two. 

 Dwarf plants are desirable, but there is 

 a possibility of their being too dwarf. 

 A plant six to eight inches high is not 

 desirable; one double that height is far 

 more salable; while, for many purposes, 

 plants eighteen to twenty-four inches 

 high are far the best. For church deco- 

 rations plants three feet high are pref- 

 erable. 



Give late lilies 65 degrees at night and 

 reduce the heat a little as buds show 

 color. Do not put them in a cool house 



at once, as the sudden check may cause 

 buds not to open. 



Formosum lilies naturally flower much 

 earlier than giganteums and grow taller. 

 They vary in type a little, are far better 

 for cutting than giganteums and show 

 little disease. Where fairly tall lilies are 

 wanted, they are immeasurably supe- 

 rior to giganteums. 



Flowering Dutch Bulbs. 



Dutch bulbous plants are sold in great 

 numbers for Easter. It is not easy to 

 keep some varieties as late as the mid- 

 dle of April, unless it be in the coldest 

 states, and those who are in the habit 

 of keeping their Easter stock outdoors 

 covered with soil are at a disadvantage, 

 for, as soon as frost leaves the ground 

 and the soil starts to warm, the rate of 

 growth becomes much accelerated. For 

 that reason, I have found it better to 

 store bulbous pots and pans on the floor 

 of a cold cellar rather than outdoors, or 

 even on shelves in a cellar or frost-proof 

 shed, kept just clear of freezing. The 

 rate of growth is slow and the plants do 

 not become drawn as do those buried out- 

 doors. 



It will not take long to flower hya- 

 cinths, early tulips or most of the nar- 

 cigsi for a late Easter, and two weeks 

 will suffice in a cool greenhouse, on the 

 average. In order to keep plants as 

 stocky as possible, I always find it a 

 good plan to utilize one or two cold- 

 frames, on the bottom of which is spread 

 a layer of coal ashes. The pots and pans 

 of Dutch bulbs are placed here and 

 sashes put over them. On hot days mats 

 are laid over the glass to keep the plants 

 cool and to check growth, but on over- 

 cast days the sashes are ventilated well. 

 Grown in this way, plants do not become 

 leggy and drawn, as they are apt to be 

 in a heated greenhouse. Plants coming 

 on too quickly can be held a long time 

 in a cold cellar, or even in a coldfram'e 

 if well ventilated and protected from 

 sunlight. 



Hydrangeas Popular. 



Hydrangeas are now grown by almost 

 everyone and are most satisfactory 

 plants, the new French race especially. 

 as these flower much earlier than the 



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old otaksa, which remains in great favor 

 for Memorial day sales. Hydrangeas 

 need considerable spacing apart, much 

 water and a soaking with some liquid 

 manure once a week until flower heads 

 start to color. Never on any account 

 allow them to become dry, or they are 

 liable to lose some foliage and the 

 flower heads may become shriveled. 

 Flower heads should begin to show color 

 l)y March 20, in which case the plants 

 will be on time in a temperature of 55 

 to 60 degrees at night. If later than 

 this, give more heat. Avoid cold drafts 

 if placing the plants in a lower tem- 

 [lerature, as the leaves are susceptible 

 to mildew. 



Boses. 



Roses of all kinds come along fast 

 now. The polyanthas, or so-called baby 

 ramblers, are much in favor. Both these 

 and the true ramblers should show buds 

 plainly now. The hybrid perpetuals and 

 hybrid teas come along rapidly and a 

 month from the time buds just peep is 

 ample for them. Be careful not to over- 

 syringe and avoid mildew by careful 

 ventilation. Give all roses the fullest 

 possible sunshine, and do any needed 

 forcing now. They can be kept in good 

 condition for a good number of days in 

 a cool greenhouse or shed. See that they 

 do not suffer from want of water. When 

 the buds start to show is a good time 

 to give the plants some liquid stimu- 

 lant. Do not continue it after the flow- 

 ers open, or it will help to take the color 

 out of them. 



Other Holiday Plants. 



Herbaceous calceolarias promise to be 

 numerous this Easter. You cannot force 

 them. Grow them as cool as possible 

 and shade from strong sunlight. Avoid 

 overhead spraying, especially after the 

 flowers start to open. There is a charm 

 and attraction about these flowers which 

 appeals to many flower lovers. 



Fewer spiraeas are grown now than 

 in pre-quarantine days, but still a good 

 number are seen at some establishments, 

 although more are held back for May 

 ."^O. Plenty of heat, water and manure 

 water and spacing apart frequently are 

 needs of spirteas. Be careful not to fu- 









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House ofJHydrangeas on Their Way to Make Easter a Harvest Day. 



