28 



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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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J|ANUA.BY 28, 1009. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



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Palms. 



Any repotting or retubbing of palms 

 can now be done. If delayed much 

 longer, the rush of many other duties 

 may compel its postponement. If the 

 foliage of the palms has not yet been 

 cleaned during the present winter, take 

 advantage of the general overhauling to 

 give them a thorough sponging before 

 repotting them. 



It is always wise to avoid big shifts 

 with palms of all kinds; overpotting is 

 often the cause of sickly foliage. For 

 ■compost, fibrous loam which has been cut 

 from an upland pasture, sand and broken 

 charcoal is suitable. It is better to avoid 

 the use of animal manures, but if the 

 plants will have to remain in the pots 

 some time, add a little bone meal. Where 

 they may be kept in tubs for several 

 years, work in a little bone of a coarser 

 grade. 



Pick away loose soil with a sharp- 

 pointed stick and use every care not to 

 break or injure the brittle roots. Press 

 the soil in firmly, but always leave a 

 good surface basin for water. Soak 

 thoroughly, then apply water more spar- 

 ingly until root action is again in evi- 

 dence. Plants which do not require re- 

 potting will be benefited by having the 

 surface soil removed and a topdressing 

 given. In potting or tubbing palms, 

 keep the roots below the surface. Too 

 often kentias are seen which have been 

 potted too high and as a consequence 

 the stems are held by the roots several 

 inches above the surface. 



Avoid syringing at this season, which 

 will drench the pots. Water directed 

 through a spray nozzle will keep the fo- 

 liage cleaner than if applied in a heavier 

 stream. 



With such palms as Cocos Weddelliana 

 and Geonoma gracilis, neither of which 

 makes many roots, it is necessary to avoid 

 overpotting. On the other hand, the 

 phoenix family are gross rooters. The 

 most useful member of the latter family, 

 P. Roebelenii, is now fairly abundant and 

 moderate in price and should be included 

 in every retail florist's collection. It is 

 a beautiful decorative subject and one 

 which succeeds specially well in the 

 dwelling house. 



Hippeastrums. 



Hippeastrums, perhaps better known as 

 amaryllises, are not so much seen in com- 

 mercial establishments as could be wished. 

 The newer hybrids are handsome and as 

 their culture is not diflBcult, there would 

 seem to be an opening for a moderate 

 quantity of these handsome bulbous 

 flowers with many retailers. We know 

 that farther south many of these ama- 

 ryllises succeed finely outdoors, but in 

 the colder states greenhouse culture is 

 necessary, except it may be in the plant- 

 ing out of seedlings during the summer 

 months. 



Where the bulbs have been resting for 

 some time, the flower spikes will now in 

 many cases be appearing and the plants 



should be repotted or at least given a 

 rich topdressing. They do not require 

 a warm house, but open better in a night 

 temperature of 55 degrees, moving them 

 to cooler quarters while in flower. A 

 good compost for amaryllises is one con- 

 sisting of equal parts of dry cow manure 

 and turfy loam, with some sand and fine 

 charcoal added. 



Seedlings are quite easily raised. These 

 require to be grown on continuously with- 

 out rest until they flower, which usually 

 takes two or three years, although they 

 can be bloomed in less time. Sow in 

 flats, pot off singly when they have made 

 a single leaf, and shift into larger sizes, 

 as required; 6-inch and 7-inch pots are 

 of suitable size to flower them in. The 

 seed requires a warm, moist temperature, 

 in which it will soon germinate, and until 

 June the little plants should have a warm 

 house. During summer .they will suc- 

 ceed well in. any ordinary greenhouse or 

 frame. In securing amaryllis seed it 

 pays, as with all other flower seeds, to 

 secure the best obtainable. Cheap mix- 

 tures will prove disappointing. 



Cannas. 



It is too early yet to start cannas for 

 spring sales, but if you want a few plants 

 to flower in pots for late spring, start 

 the roots" now. The possibilities of cannas 

 as pot plants are . not fully appreciated 

 in America, but in Europe, where the 



summers are cooler and the plants do not 

 succeed so well outdoors, they are popu- 

 lar indoor decorative plants. If you have 

 a few nice pots in flower, you wiU find it 

 a great help in selling your stock at 

 bedding-out time. Customers can see at 

 a glance what color or colors they want. 

 Have you ever noticed, but of course you 

 have, how geraniums or any other bed- 

 ding plants with a flower on are se- 

 lected in preference to bigger and better 

 flowerless onesf Therefore, start a cou- 

 ple of roots of each variety of canna to 

 flower before your sales start, and you 

 will be surprised how much it helps in 

 disposing of your stock. 



While it is much too early to start your 

 cannas for bedding, it is well to look 

 over your roots and remove any which 

 may be decaying. The present is a good 

 time to stock up on any you may be 

 short of. 



Seed Sowing. 



While it is rather early to sow a num- 

 ber of flower seeds, there are some which 

 can now be sown with advantage. These 

 include cannas, Begonia semperflorGns, 

 gloxinias, stocks for Memorial day use, 

 asters for an early crop under glass, the 

 best early variety being Queen of the 

 Market; petunias, verbenas. Lobelia Em- 

 peror William and speciosa, Primula ob- 

 conica, antirrhinum, berried solanums 

 for use at Christmas, Vinca rosea, im- 

 patiens, Pennisetum Bupelianum and 

 longistylum, two useful ornamental 

 grasses; Pyrethrum aureum, Cineraria 

 candidissima and violas. 



There is ample time yet for sowing 

 salvia, zinnia, balsam, stock, aster, ager- 

 atum, Drummond's phlox, dahlias and 

 other bedding plants. If started now they 

 will be drawn and stunted before bed- 

 ding-out time arrives. 



Azaleas. 



It is not yet time to start any of the 



Carnation O. P. Bauett. 



