The Garden Magazine, October, 1923 
77 
Salad Till Christmas Time 
Lettuce, planted now, will provide a supply of salad until Christmas, 
if protection can be given by banking leaves or manure around 
the frames and by covering with mats, etc., on severe nights. 
Pansies, English Daisies, Myosotis, Canterbury-bells, etc., being win¬ 
tered in coldframes, to be kept dry enough to avoid soft growth, 
which damps readily during warm periods in the winter. When 
severe weather sets in, cover with dry straw or leaves and put on 
sash to keep dry. When using leaves, place some small twigs over 
the plants to prevent settling down too solidly. 
As Chrysanthemums Flower 
Many varieties of Chrysanthemum will begin opening blooms this 
month and shading will improve the quality of the flowers. It 
is not good practice to apply whitewash to the glass, as the petals 
will damp off during moist, dark weather if the shade is too heavy. 
Portable shades are available which can be moved at will. Keep 
after the black fly and have the house fairly dry at night to pre¬ 
vent mildew. A light application of soot water improves the 
color of the flowers; all other feeding to be discontinued. Water¬ 
ing to be done only when actually needed, and then in the forenoon. 
Plants to be Brought Inside 
Field-grown Roses to be lifted, potted firmly, and placed in a coldframe. 
Spray on bright days. Cover the frames during rainy weather; 
get well-ripened wood and re-established plants which force well 
in early spring. 
Shrubs for forcing, such as Lilacs, Deutzias, Forsythias, Pyrus, Loni- 
cera, Spireas, etc. (see back issues of, this magazine) to be lifted 
and potted in readiness for spring forcing. 
Clumps of Chrysanthemum maximum, variety King Edward VII, can 
be lifted and carried along in a frame for forcing next January. 
Give Coreopsis the same treatment. 
Violets may still be planted; choose a dark day and avoid over-water¬ 
ing. An occasional dose of lime water will keep the soil sweet. 
Mignonette, Stocks. Snapdragons, and other plants of this type for 
forcing may still be benched. Water carefully until thoroughly 
rooted. 
Cold-storage Spireas for mid-winter flowering to be purchased and 
potted up. Place in a cold house or under the bench until growth 
starts; then give full sunlight and water freely. 
Tulips for forcing to be potted or boxed up as soon as possible. Give 
ample drainage. 
Canterbury-bells, Dielytra spectabilis, and the variegated Funkias for 
forcing to be lifted and potted up. Place in a frost-proof frame 
until needed. 
Cinerarias to be potted on as they fill the pots with roots. Space out 
to give a chance to develop fine foliage all around. 
Winter Gardening Under Glass 
From this time onward work in the greenhouse becomes of more im¬ 
portance in the current routine. 
Cold nights must be watched for, and the heating system got ready for 
use at a moment’s notice. A thermostat is really essential in a 
small house. 
Hardwood plants (such as Acacia, Genista, Azalea, and Camellia) 
to be given the protection of a cool house or pit until the middle 
of November. See that all such plants are free from insect pests. 
Pot fruit trees that were repotted a few weeks ago may remain out¬ 
doors for some time yet to ripen their wood and prepare for next 
season’s work. Keep free of scale and do not allow them to be¬ 
come water-logged. 
Planted-out vines in the greenhouse (such as Allamanda, Stephanotis, 
Bougainvillea, etc.) to have the water supply reduced gradually 
so as to give them a period of rest. Do not withhold the water 
until the foliage falls. Growth to be checked and the new wood 
ripened before they are started into active growth again. 
In the palm house, keep a drier atmosphere and give less water than 
when the plants were in active growth; too much heat and water 
result in the Palms losing color. 
Caring for the Carnations 
Carnation foliage to be kept dry overnight. Look out for rust; pick 
off and burn infected leaves; spray with copper solution. Thrips 
are more easily controlled as the weather gets cooler. Spray 
regularly for red spider. Do not close the ventilators at night but 
keep a “crack” of air until a little heat in the pipes fails to keep the 
temperature right. A light mulch of rotted manure along the south 
edges of the benches will protect the young roots from the sun. 
If the stems are weak, apply a dressing of lime. Give supports. 
Roses Now in Benches 
Early planted Roses will have given a fair crop of bloom by this time, 
and as the breaks show again, a little bonemeal may be applied, 
followed by a mulch of manure. After watering well allow the 
soil to become a little dry before another watering. Avoid a wet, 
stagnant soil. Lime water will help. Be sparing in the use of 
manures rich in nitrogen just now when the temperature is bound 
to fluctuate on warm days; an over-dose makes soft plants. 
With an Eye to Easter 
Lilium formosum planted in August will now be making roots, and some 
shoots will be pushing. They need not go to the greenhouse yet, 
but remove the soil which covers the pots to avoid lanky stems. 
Place in a frame with a sash over. Lilium Harrisi planted for 
early winter flowering will be pot-bound enough by this time and 
ready to be taken in a warm house with temperature of 70 degrees 
if plenty of water is given to keep the soil moist at all times and 
early bloom is wanted. Syringe the foliage several times a day 
and keep down green fly. 
Rooted cuttings of Geraniums intended to flower round Easter time 
to be potted up as soon as they are ready and kept growing right 
along. Or grow along in a frame with proper protection, where, 
with favorable weather, they might remain until the Chrysanthe¬ 
mums are out of the way. 
Cuttings of Mrs. Sanders Marguerite for Easter flowering to be rooted 
now and carried in a temperature of 50 degrees. Small plants 
in 4-1’nch pots, well pot-bound, will flower earlier than larger plants 
that have been given plenty of root room. 
What the Snapdragons, Oranges and Other Things Need 
Othaheite Oranges to be given a place on a sunny bench in a tempera¬ 
ture of 54-58 degrees at night with the usual rise with sun heat 
during the day. Strong plants need a great deal of water, some 
more than others. Syringe to control scale and mealy bug. Give 
liquid manure weekly when the pots are well filled with roots. 
Side shoots of Pandanus Veitchii to be taken off when a fair size is 
attained (and then always with a heel). Place them in a warm 
propagating case, with a brisk bottom heat, and pot up when they 
have made roots about half an inch long. A good soil is three 
parts fibrous loam, leaf mold two parts, and one of sand. Give 
temperature of 65 degrees at night. 
Specimen winter-flowering Begonias need space to develop. Elevate 
on inverted pots or blocks of wood as close to the glass as possible, 
and so that every overhanging branch is fully exposed to the light. 
Keep temperature not below 55, nor above 79. 
Snapdragons, planted early and making strong growth, to be supported 
with stakes as needed. Disbud. Have the foliage dry overnight, 
or rust may develop. Spray with suitable fungicide, as a pre¬ 
ventive. 
Bedding-plant cuttings now' rooted to be potted up and grown along 
in a cool temperature. 
Seeds to be Sown Inside 
Main sowing of Sweet-peas to be made this month. Tie up the early 
sown batch and keep the flowers picked clean. Maintain temper¬ 
ature evenly at 45-50 degrees during the night, and up to 60 during 
the day. Stir the soil carefully, and water regularly. Cut out 
the laterals, and tendrils. Strong-growing Spencers may be 
nipped and two growths taken up. 
Early sown Mignonette benched last month needs supports. Seeds 
may be sown now for January and February flowering. 
Calceolaria leaves to be inspected for insect pests, and sprayed. 
Succession sowing of Beans, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Spinach, and Rad¬ 
ishes can be made at various intervals. 
Pansies for wintering over in coldframes may still be sown. Those 
sown last month may be set outdoors where they will winter, if 
given protection with salt hay or similar material. 
Continue planting Paper-white, Grand Soleil d’Or and Trumpet Ma¬ 
jor Narcissus. Some of the early planted stock that is well rooted 
may be brought into a carnation house temperature. 
