should be watered very little until growth starts. Don’t water Ismene and Elisena 
before Feb. 1 and keep these two in a very warm room, as this will make them start 
more easily and more sure to flower early. 70° to 80° is not too warm. Amaryllis, 
Agapanthus, Ismene and Elisena like a warm room when growing but most of the 
others need a cool room. 
Clivias are among the most gorgeous of pot plants. I would place only Amaryllis 
and Orchids as more desirable. They need a cool room and not too much water in 
winter. Cymbidium Orchids are gorgeous pot plants. They should be potted in % peat 
and % sandy loam or nearly pure sand. Half and half will do. Leaf mould may be used 
instead of peat. Light watering but frequent, they must not become dry nor soggy. 
Billbergias make nice pot plants with attractive foliage. Water sparingly in winter 
unless flowering. B. nutans has a lovely flower in Feb. 
The following can be moved or potted at any time: Amarcrinum Howardii, 
Sprekelia formosissima superba, T ulbaghia violaceae, Clivia, Cymbidium. 
Haemanthus Katherinae, one of nature’s masterpieces, is a gorgeous pot plant. This 
bulb is almost evergreen and has only a very short appropriate season for moving and 
repotting, usually late Jan. to Feb. but not always same date. Use regular potting soil 
with peat added and a 12” to 15” pot. 
I have mentioned only the most outstanding bulbs for potting here. Dutch Iris, 
Allium neapolitanum and triquetrum, Brodiaea uniflora and many other bulbs listed 
in this catalog are also desirable for potting. For that matter one can grow about 
anything in a pot of appropriate size but I would not recommend a Sequoia gigantea. 
Potting Directions 
The pot for a 2%” Amaryllis bulb should be about 7” diam. This is about right 
for most bulbs of that size. Give larger or smaller bulbs, pots proportionate in size, 
Small bulbs like Freesias, Babianas, Tritonias, Sparaxis, etc., if about %” diam. may 
be planted 1” or 2” apart in pots up to 6” diam. Large sizes of these that are near 
1” diam. ought to be 2” to 3” apart. 
It is most important that drainage be perfect and the soil of a friable texture that 
allows water to drain perfectly. Cover the hole in the bottom of pot with reversed bits 
of broken pots and on top of that small pebbles then coarse sand will help. An 
imperfectly drained soil often causes bulbs to rot before starting and if they start they do 
not grow and flower well. Yellow tipped leaves often indicate poor drainage. The pots 
should be clean and scalded. 
The proper soil is a rich sandy loam with the addition of thoroly rotted leaf mould. 
Add peat or oak-leaf mould for acid loving plants. Use no fresh manure or other 
fertilizer at planting. Be very discreet even in using very old rotted manure. Rotted 
dairy manure is rather safe. A heaping tablespoonful of bone meal is good. Thoroly 
mix all ingredients. 
Most small bulbs should be planted just under soil surface. 
An Amaryllis and most large bulbs may have % of bulb above surface. When 
placed, the soil may be settled by a thoro watering, once. After that no more water is 
usually needed until after growth begins, altho the soil should not become quite dry 
at base of bulb. A wet condition very long often rots a dormant bulb before they start, 
or later. The soil surface may appear dry and yet be too wet for starting bulbs at 
center of pot. 
Most bulbs should have a cool room, about 60° while rooting. When a bud or 
foliage gives evidence that growth has started, bring the pot to living room temperature, 
of about 70° and water slightly. It is not time to water them freely yet. Do that only 
when flowering or in full growth. Do not overwater at any time. Sufficient time 
between waterings must be given to allow water to drain away, evaporate or be absorbed 
by roots so that air penetrates and bathes the entire root system. This is very necessary 
to plants and the roots need not be actually dry to permit it. But they must not be 
water logged. When in full growth and bloom feed the bulbs about every 2 or 3 weeks 
with very weak liquid manure. It should be only amber tinted, the color of weak tea. 
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