EARLY ROSES IN POTS. 



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EARLY ROSES IN POTS. 

 By Harry G. Mount, F.R.H.S. 



My object is to explain as briefly and as clearly as possible the system 

 practised by my firm at our Canterbury Nurseries in growing early 

 roses, which commence to flower about the end of January or beginning 

 of February. 



To ensure getting good flowers in pots at this time of the year, 

 the first consideration is to have well-ripened plants to start with, and 

 plants that are also quite established in their flowering-size pots by 

 the preceding late summer or early autumn. We usually use 8-inch 

 pots, though a number are also grown in 7-inch pots, but the 8-inch 

 are best if they are kept over for a number of years. 



Some of the plants may be ten years old or more, though of course 

 the worst ones are being continually thrown away and young stuff 

 grown on to take their places ; but while a plant is healthy and vigorous 

 no particular notice is taken of the age of it. 



We commence the season's work by getting the plants into the 

 greenhouses from the outside beds where they have been standing 

 all the summer, about the first week in October. If they should be at 

 all wet or sodden by autumn rains at this time of the year, they are not 

 watered until the soil gets moderately dry again. This, under most 

 circumstances, should not take more than a week or so, and then they 

 are turned out of the pots so that the crocks for drainage may be put 

 in good order and worms discovered. 



We then put them back again into the pots and take off all 

 the old sour soil from the top to the depth of about half an inch or so, 

 and top-dress the plant with good loam mixed with a little horse manure 

 and bone flour, or something similar. This top-dressing is put on and 

 well rammed down, leaving a space of about a quarter of an inch from 

 the top of the pot for watering. This we find enough for this time of 

 the year, as they do not require much water at this season, though later 

 on this top-dressing gradually gets washed out, and it is possible to give 

 them more water by the time they begin to require it. 



Top-dressing is done before the roses are pruned, and during all the 

 month, of October full air is kept on the plants night and day. They 

 may require watering several times if the weather is fine during this 

 month, but of course everything depends on the weather at this time 

 of the year as far as watering is concerned. 



By the end of October the plants should be beginning to have all the 

 eyes well plumped up ready for pruning, just as outdoor plants would 

 be by the end of a warm February or early March. We usually com- 

 mence pruning early in November, and prune roughly to within 6 inches 

 of the top of the pots, though of course this is only an approximate 



