In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year Part 11

FORCING-HOUSES.

Cherries.--When the fruit has been gathered from the trees grown in tubs, or pots, it is advisable to place them in some open, airy quarter, to make their wood for next season's bearing.

Figs.--Give liberal supplies of water to the trees now throwing up their second crop. A top dressing of old cowdung would now be useful. Pinch out the top buds, if the shoots are growing very long.

It should be a practice to manage the trees during the summer that nothing more than a slight thinning out should be wanted at the winter pruning.

Melons.--Give attention to the crops now growing, in thinning out the shoots, stopping, &c.

Peaches and Nectarines.--When all the fruit is gathered, and the wood seems well ripened, it will be best to take the lights quite off, and place them under cover until wanted again. Plenty of air to be given to the trees that are swelling off their fruit. Also, stop in succession many of the strong shoots about the period the last swelling commences. Use the syringe freely over the leaves early in the morning and again in the evening.

Pines.--Give abundance of air to the fruiting and succession plants, and during dry, hot weather, saturate the paths and every open s.p.a.ce with moisture, to prevent the leaves of the plants becoming brown. If such a practice be regularly adopted during hot, bright sunny weather, shading will seldom or never be necessary. Be at the same time particular in maintaining a mild, genial bottom heat.

Vines.--The houses containing ripe fruit will require to be kept dry and well ventilated; those swelling will still require attention to keep a regular steady temperature with regular supplies of air.

_Muscats_ very frequently require fires during the night and on wet, cold days.

SECOND WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Achimenes.--They delight in a steady, moist heat; to be shaded in the middle of hot days, to prevent the sun from scorching the foliage; and never to be watered overhead.

Cacti.--Remove them to a dry, airy place as soon as they have finished their growth.

c.o.c.ks...o...b...--They can be grown with strong, short stems, and very large heads, if they are allowed to remain in small pots until the flowers are formed, then potted in large pots in a compost of one-half rich loam, one-fourth leaf mould, and one-fourth sand, and supplied with as much liquid manure and moist heat as possible.

Fuchsias.--As the plants progress in growth give them plenty of air and moisture, occasionally moistening the paths, walls, and stages with clear manure water, and syringe the plants both morning and evening overhead.

Globe Amaranthus.--To be potted into 48-sized pots, in which they will flower in a soil composed of peat, loam, and leaf mould, or rotten dung. They should be allowed to stand near the gla.s.s, and be subjected to a moist heat of not less than 75.

Heaths.--If mildew appears, dust them with flowers of sulphur. When watering, give them a good soaking, so that every part of the ball is thoroughly wet, and then withhold further supply until it is again completely dry.

j.a.pan Lilies.--As they are succulent in growth, keep them well and liberally supplied with water. The flower-stems to be properly sticked, so as to keep them in due bounds, and also to a.s.sist in presenting a large ma.s.s of flowers to the eye at once.

Pelargoniums.--If the plants have been exposed to the open air, as advised in a previous calendar, they will now be fit to cut down.

After the plants are cut down, place them in a shady place until the most forward young shoots are one inch long; then shake them out, and repot into small pots, using sandy loam and peat only, and placing them in a close, cold frame until they begin to grow again; after which freely expose them to the weather until heavy rains in autumn, or the approach of frost, renders it necessary to house them for the winter.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Cleanliness is indispensable amongst the Orchids, use a sponge to remove filth from the leaves. See that no plants are neglected in standing in corners or behind large plants; arrange and re-arrange frequently, as it tends both to promote the healthy growth of the plants and a pleasing variety in the house.

FORCING-HOUSES.

Cuc.u.mbers.--Although bright hot weather may prevail, it is advisable to keep up a brisk, regular bottom as well as top heat.

Strike cuttings of choice sorts for winter bearing.

Melons.--The same as advised for _Cuc.u.mbers_, as they both delight in plenty of heat to keep them healthy and in regular bearing. Give them good soakings of weak manure water occasionally, and shut up early on all fine days, sprinkling the sides of the pits or frames, and the plants at times overhead. When watering the plants never allow any to fall on the main stem. If gum, or canker, appears, apply lime to the parts affected. Old plants cut back should be stimulated to grow freely.

Peaches.--Any tendency to premature decay in the leaves of those from which the fruit has been all gathered to be arrested by liberal waterings at the roots and by syringings.

Pines.--Keep up the temperature from 90 to 95 by day and from 70 to 75 by night, with plenty of moisture among the growing plants and swelling fruit. s.h.i.+ft the successions as the roots fill the pots.

Vines.--Uncover the house, or give all the air possible night and day as soon as the Grapes are gathered, unless the wood is not fully ripened, in that case the house should be closed in the afternoon at a good heat. Stop the laterals on the later Vines, thin and tie up the bunches, and maintain a steady, moist temperature, with plenty of air, but do not syringe the bunches.

THIRD WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

If any of the stove plants, as lately recommended, have been brought into the conservatory, they will require a free admission of air at every favourable opportunity to keep the atmosphere of the house dry. The plants must be kept clear of decaying leaves and flowers.

Some judgment is also required in watering recently repotted plants, that they may not be injured by saturation in cloudy weather, nor by drought in hot sunny days.

The growth of twiners should be carefully regulated, allowing them sufficient freedom to develope their natural habits as far as other considerations will permit.

Continue to s.h.i.+ft the hardwooded plants as they require it. A turfy compost of three-parts sandy heath soil of a fibrous and rather lumpy character, and one-part loam, will suit the majority.

Particular attention should be paid to the drainage, more especially to the crock at the bottom; for if that is flat, and not hollow, it matters but little how much depth of drainage material rests upon it, the soil will soon become saturated and sour. Remember that the final s.h.i.+ft should be given in good time to those intended to flower in the autumn.

Calceolarias (Herbaceous).--Sow seeds; the compost to be equal parts of peat or leaf mould, loam, and rotten dung, with a small portion of sand. Place a layer of broken crocks two inches thick at the bottom of the pot; then fill up within half an inch of the rim with the compost, pa.s.sed through a fine seive. After the pot has been gently struck on the potting-bench to settle the soil, the surface must then be made level with a flat piece of wood, or the bottom of a small garden pan or saucer. Sprinkle the seeds regularly over the surface, do not cover with soil, and water with a fine rose; then to be placed in a cold frame, and be kept shaded from the sun.

Chorozema.--The beauty of this genus for early spring display is generally appreciated, and, therefore, requires no commendation from me. They delight, like most other New Holland plants, in sandy peat containing plenty of fibre, and require plenty of air at all times, and also to be kept constantly moist, but never very wet. A large pot and frequent stopping will soon produce a fine specimen.

Chrysanthemums.--Continue to top the plants that have been planted out in the open ground.

Epacris.--The varieties of this genus are most useful for the adornment of the conservatory in early spring. They delight in fibrous peat, broken rough, mixed with fine white sand. The young plants to be frequently stopped by pinching off the points of the shoots while growing, to induce them to throw out laterals; those again to be stopped until the plants have attained a size sufficient to warrant their blooming.

Gardenias.--If any have been removed to the conservatory while in bloom they should be returned to heat as soon as the bloom is over, to encourage growth and to allow them sufficient time to mature their growth.

Eutaxia myrtifolia.--It is a profuse and early bloomer. During the summer and autumn every new shoot should be stopped as soon as it has attained two or, at most, three joints: by such treatment it can be easily formed into a neat, compact specimen.

Winter Flowers.--The Cinerarias, Chinese Primroses, Heliotropes, Perpetual, Tea, and other Roses, will require frequent and diligent attention as to watering, s.h.i.+fting, &c.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Give immediate and regular attention to the young stock of stove plants intended for winter blooming. Keep up a moist temperature at all times; with air during the day. When a few days of gloom occur, the humidity that sometimes becomes stagnant and injurious should be dissipated by a free circulation of air when bright weather returns.

Keep a free circulation of air amongst the Orchids by day; endeavour to supply an abundance of atmospheric moisture during the latter part of the day; and dispense with shading as much as possible by using it only during a few hours of the hottest part of the day.

Pay every attention to specimen plants in the stove. Keep them neatly tied to sticks, or trellises, as the case may require. Give them a plentiful supply of water, and, if not in flower, syringe them frequently overhead.

Stanhopeas.--About the end of this or the beginning of next month is the most proper time to remove and repot them. Persons who wish to grow fine specimens ought to put them in large baskets, or pots, so that they may not require to be s.h.i.+fted for several years, as then the plants grow much finer and flower better than when annually s.h.i.+fted. Now, as soon as they have done flowering they commence growing, when they should have plenty of heat and moisture until they have completed their pseudo-bulbs, when they should be reduced to a comparative state of rest by gradually withholding water until they show flower; then to be supplied with atmospheric moisture, but should have no water at the root, or at least but a small portion, until they begin to grow. As all the plants belonging to this genus push their flowers downwards, it is advisable to have them elevated, or put in baskets, where the flowers can get through and show themselves to advantage.

FORCING-HOUSES.

Figs.--Supply with plenty of water the roots of the trees that are swelling their second crop; ply the syringe frequently amongst the foliage, and sprinkle the paths, &c., to keep the atmosphere moist.

Shut up early in the afternoon. As the fruit of the first crop ripens, curtail the supply of atmospheric moisture--otherwise before they reach maturity they are apt to turn mouldy. The roots to be regularly supplied with water, and some liquid manure added about once a week to a.s.sist the second crop. Keep down red spider by the application of sulphur in the manner so frequently advised of late.

Give the fruit that is ripening the benefit of the sun, by fastening on one side the leaves that shade it.