104 Milady's House Plants 



coarse sand. A few cracked pots that may be 

 broken up for drainage, a little moss out of the woods, 

 also for drainage, two or three potting sticks from a 

 piece of shingle to a section of a broom handle, will 

 complete the equipment. 



Chop up the loam and rub it through a coarse 

 sieve, say three-quarter inch mesh, all the grass roots 

 going through and only the stones being thrown 

 away. Sift the leafmold to remove stones and sticks 

 and mix the two together on the bench. 



Best Periods for Repotting 



Taking the foliage plants as the first group (see page 

 117;, commence with the largest plant; take it carefully 

 out of its pot; examine the roots and soil. If the plant 

 is in a very healthy condition, the roots should by this 

 time occupy every bit of the bole of earth and be 

 quite matted around the bottom. In that case, it 

 may be taken for granted that the top has grown in a 

 corresponding way and the whole plant is in a healthy, 

 hungry condition, also that the pot is relatively small. 

 Seldom does a house plant reach the time of year in 

 question in good condition, if it has been in an over- 

 sized pot, for reasons • previously explained. Now, 

 however, it has got to a point where it must be put 

 into a larger pot and this is the best time of year for 

 the purpose. The reason for this is simple, although 

 contrary to the popular notion, that plants should 

 be repotted just before bringing them into the house 

 in the Fall. Spring and< Summer are the periods of 

 greatest energy in the plant world. In the Spring, 

 especially, the vitality of most plants is abundant, 

 enabling them to withstand the shock of repotting 



