50 
HOUSE & GARDEN 
YOUR ALL-YEAR GARDEN 
Opening the Spring Campaign in Greejrhouse, Frames and Out-of-doors—Garden 
Preparedness and What It Really Accomplishes—Vegetables, Flowers, Shrubs and Fruits 
F. F. ROCKWELL 
The Editor will he glad to answer subscribers’ questions pertaining 
to individual problems connected with the gardens and the 
grounds. With inquiries send self-addressed stamped envelope. 
When pot-started seedlings are well under way, 
transplant them to larger quarters, being careful 
not to injure the roots or expose them unduly 
during the operation 
Early started lettuce, beets, cauliflower, etc., can 
be set out in the frames as soon as danger from 
frost under the glass is over. Ventilate by rais¬ 
ing the sash at midday 
T HIS month’s activities in the greenhouse and 
in the frames take precedence over every¬ 
thing else. 
The first thing to he done in the greenhouse 
after the early seeds are carefully 
sown, tagged and covered with glass 
and put in a warm place to germinate, 
is to make a general overhauling of all 
plants which have been carried through 
the winter. A plant that is about to 
begin or has just begun new growth 
is in an ideal condition for re-potting, 
cutting back, trimming into shape, di¬ 
viding or whatever treatment it may 
need. Plants of the sort which can 
be kept for many years in the green¬ 
house or house, such as ferns, be¬ 
gonias, red leaved begonias, fuchsias, 
palms, etc., should be re-potted once a 
year, using until they have attained full 
size, a pot 1" or so larger in diam¬ 
eter than the old one. Usually a 
plant which has not been kept too long 
in the pot in which it has been grow¬ 
ing will slip out quite readily when 
the pot is inverted, the plant held be¬ 
tween the fingers of the left hand and 
the edge of the pot rapped sharply 
on the edge of the bench or table. If 
this fails to bring it out, give it a thor¬ 
ough soaking and try again after 
several hours when the surplus water 
has drained off. Always avoid break¬ 
ing the ball of root in getting the 
plant out. In the case of old plants 
which have to go back into the same 
sized pots, loosen up the ball of roots 
carefully with the fingers, shake off 
or wash off the soil, and re-pot. If it 
is necessary to use the same pot, wash 
and scrub it thoroughly inside and 
out. 
Almost as important as the re-pot- 
ting in the case of branching, semi- 
hard wooded plants, such as geraniums, 
is the thorough pruning or cutting back 
at the time of re-potting, to induce the 
production of new growth which 
should be kept as near the base as 
possible in order to avoid a scraggly, top-heavy 
plant. I often cut them back to a bare stub leav¬ 
ing perhaps a branch with a few leaves, and cut 
that branch back later after the other new 
growth has started and fresh leaves have formed. 
Beginning the Spring Campaign 
The various summer flowering bulbs, cannas 
and dahlias which you may wish to start 
early, and the tenderer things, such 
as calladium, “elephants’ ears,” and 
tuberous rooted begonias, should be 
started now. With these it is best to 
start the bulbs slightly before potting 
them up; then you will be sure which 
are alive and also sure of getting them 
right side up. For extra flowers put 
a few gladioli also in small pots. To 
start the bulbs, put them between two 
layers of damp moss in a flat and place 
them over hot water pipes or in some 
other hot place. The bulbs will usually 
start before the roots, but do not de¬ 
lay the potting long after the growth 
has cnce begun. All of these things 
need a good deal of moisture; the pots 
should, therefore, be sunk in the soil 
or packed in moss so that they can be 
kept sufficiently moist. Care should 
be exercised, however, to have them 
thoroughly hardened off before they 
are put out-of-doors, as a light, late 
frost will spoil their looks even if it 
does not kill them back to the ground. 
As soon as these things are attended 
to, see that you have on hand plenty 
of the things you will need when seed¬ 
lings, cuttings and bulbs are ready for 
transplanting and potting off. Get in 
your soil, manure or bone, mix it to¬ 
gether and sift it; it will be much 
better for having been prepared thus 
a week or two in advance of the time 
you want to use it. 
As the seedlings, cuttings, bulbs, etc., 
start into growth, they should be given 
a temperature sufficiently high to keep 
them growing evenly and rapidly, but 
in addition to this they need abundance 
of sunlight or else they will not be 
“drawn-up.” Plenty of fresh air is 
also essential. If you have to make 
a partial sacrifice of any of these con- 
(Continued on page 80) 
Attend to all necessary prun¬ 
ing before the warmer weather 
starts the sap. Later on the 
tree would “bleed” 
If you have not yet made up the hotbed, no time In pruning with a saw make a 
should be lost in getting at it. Straw mats or preliminary under-cut so that 
other covering should be provided as protection the branch will come off 
on extra cold nights cleanly and not “strip” 
