In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year Part 1

In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year.

by William Keane.

JANUARY.

FIRST WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Cinerarias.--The plants intended for large specimens must receive their final shift, and be allowed sufficient s.p.a.ce to expand their foliage without interfering with or injuring each other. The side-shoots to be tied out.

Epacrises.--As some of them will be preparing to burst into flower, a little arrangement may be necessary in tying them out to display their spikes of bloom more advantageously.

Fuchsias.--If wanted early, the plants that were first put to rest should be selected, and be fresh potted, cutting back the roots, beginning with a small-sized pot; to be shifted into larger when the roots have extended to the outside of the ball. Place them in a nice moist temperature of 50 by day and 40 by night.

Heaths.--To be looked over, and the dead and decaying leaves removed. The most forward in bud--such as the _Vest.i.tas_, _Vernix_, _Vasciflora_, _Aristata_, _Beaumontia_, and many others, to be tied out, and arranged for the season.

Pelargoniums.--When large specimens are wanted, tie out the branches at equal distances, and down as near to the rim of the pot as possible. Air to be given at all favourable opportunities. Water to be given but sparingly, and not overhead.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Be careful that the night temperature is not raised too high: if kept at 50 in severe weather no ill consequences will result. The atmosphere to be kept rather moist, especially if the weather is bright; and all plants indicating an appearance of starting into bloom to be removed to the warmest part of the house.

Clerodendrons.--To be shaken out of their pots; their roots reduced and repotted into small pots in a light sandy loamy compost. Sow seeds, and also of any hard-wooded stove plants.

Water to be given very cautiously to the Orchids, merely sufficient to prevent the plants from shrivelling; and to do this effectually it is necessary to look over them every day. The air of the house to be kept moist by sprinkling the pathways, floors, tables, &c., daily. If any plant is found not to have ripened off its bulbs it should be placed in the warmest part of the house, and the ripening process encouraged. The Bra.s.sias, Cyanoches, Coelogynes, Miltonias, and other such plants, when they are beginning to grow, to be repotted. The compost to consist of turfy peat mixed with a portion of charcoal or broken potsherds, and the pots to be at least half full of very open drainage.

FORCING-HOUSES.

Cherries.--Very gentle excitement to be given by fire or artificial heat, with kindly humidity, and abundance of air.

Figs.--Although they will bear a higher degree of temperature without injury than either Cherries or Peaches, it is advisable to begin cautiously, as it frequently happens that the more haste with fire the less speed with fruit, and that favourable opportunities of sun and light must be embraced for making sure progress with them.

Peaches.--Where the trees are coming into bloom it is necessary to be cautious in the application of humidity, and when they have expanded their flowers to withhold it altogether for a time. Fire or other artificial heat to be applied moderately--that is, from 45 by night to 55 by day, particularly when dark and gloomy weather prevails. The houses now commencing to force to be kept moderately moist, and in a sweet healthy state, syringing the trees pretty freely once or twice a-day with tepid water. Shut up early on sunny days, and sprinkle the paths, floors, flues, or pipes frequently.

Vines.--When they have all broken, the superfluous buds must be rubbed off, and the young shoots stopped as soon as they are long enough to admit the points of the shoots at one bud above the bunch being broken out. In vineries now commencing to force, adopt the practice of producing, where it can be applied, a kindly humidity by means of dung and leaves, or other such fermenting materials. If they are to be broken princ.i.p.ally by fire heat, either by flues or hot-water pipes, copious syringings must be resorted to with tepid water once or twice a-day. Fire heat to be applied princ.i.p.ally by day, with air at the same time, and very moderately at night.

SECOND WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

The plants will now require particular attention and a nice discrimination in the application of water: it may be comprehended by all persons interested in gardening operations, that when the soil on the surface of the pot looks damp it will not require water until it gets thoroughly dry at this season, and then it is to be given before the plant droops or flags for want of it. But when the plant droops and the soil on the surface appears damp, the cause is then to be discovered by turning the ball out of the pot, when it will be seen whether the whole or only a portion of the soil is wet; as it sometimes happens, when fresh potted with light soil, it shrinks from the sides of the pot when dry, and when water is given it runs down and moistens the outside, without penetrating the ball.

The evil is corrected by holding it for a short s.p.a.ce of time in a tub of water of the same temperature as the house. If the soil of any plant is sodden with water it should be turned out of the pot, and the drainage examined, and no water to be given until it becomes thoroughly dry.

Verbenas.--They require to be kept tolerably dry, as they are more susceptible of injury from damp than from cold; a top shelf near the gla.s.s in the greenhouse is a very suitable place for them. If mildew appears, to be dusted with flowers of sulphur.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Although all plants now at rest should be kept comparatively dry, they will require to be looked over daily to see that they do not suffer for want of water. The temperature not to exceed 60 by fire heat, and a fall of 10 may be allowed at night in very cold weather. Many of the stove plants--such as Aphelandras, Justicias, Poinsettias, &c.--may now be cut down altogether, and kept dry for a few weeks, which will cause them to make an early growth, and to come into flower a few weeks sooner next winter.

Gesneras.--Select a few roots of them and a few of the Gloxinias to start into growth to produce a succession of flowers.

FORCING-HOUSES.

Asparagus.--If the soil in the bed is dry, give it a liberal supply of water, so that it may descend to the roots, as unproductiveness is sometimes caused by the soil at the roots being very dry when the top is kept moist by gentle waterings.

Beans (Dwarf Kidney).--Sow every three weeks, if a constant supply is wanted. Keep the early crops well supplied with water, and give them frequent sprinklings overhead, to prevent the attacks of red spider.

Mushrooms.--An abundance of water to be thrown about the floors. If the beds are dry, to be syringed with lukewarm water, applying it like dew at intervals for a few hours. Temperature from 50 to 60, with air occasionally in favourable weather.

Peaches.--Continue previous directions. The trees in bloom to be artificially impregnated, and the foreright shoots to be rubbed off a few at a time before they become too large. Currents of air to be carefully avoided, especially when the trees are in bloom, as they have been sometimes observed to sustain injury from the two end doors being left open for a short time. Air to be given at the top daily in favourable weather.

Pines.--As the days lengthen and the light increases the plants that are swelling their fruit should be supplied with a gradual increase of heat (from 65 at night to 75 or 80 in the middle of the day in clear weather), water, and atmospheric moisture; while others that are in bloom and starting into fruit require more air or more moderate temperature, care in watering and less atmospheric humidity. Some of the strongest succession plants that are grown in pots to receive their final shift, that they may make their growth for fruiting in May or June. In old-fashioned pits or houses, where the flues run near the tan-bed, the plants should be closely examined, as they are apt to be injured by fire heat in such a situation.

Strawberries.--A few dozens more pots may be placed in a frame where there is a gentle heat and an atmosphere more congenial to their healthy growth than in a house.

Vines.--When they have made shoots two or three inches long, the night temperature to range from 60 to 65, with an increase of from 5 to 10 during the day.

PITS AND FRAMES.

Keep the plants in these structures as hardy as possible by fully exposing them in mild weather, but do not give any more water than is absolutely necessary. Remove all decayed and decaying leaves, and keep the atmosphere in as healthy a state as possible.

Make small hotbeds for sowing Cuc.u.mbers and Melons, Radishes and _Early Horn_ Carrots, Cauliflower and _Walcheren_ Broccoli, Lettuce, and various other things, which will be found useful where the late severe weather, or other cause, may have diminished the autumn sowings.

THIRD WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Ventilation is requisite in mild weather, as stagnant air is always unfavourable, especially to the plants blooming in the conservatory.

Water sparingly, and damp the house as moderately as possible, as water settling on the flowers will soon destroy them. When the plants, bulbs, or shrubs in the forcing-pit have developed their blossoms, let them be removed to the conservatory, where they can be preserved much longer in perfection. The plants to be looked over every morning, and every dead or decaying leaf and flower to be removed.

Heaths.--Fire heat should only be given when mats or other such coverings are not sufficient to exclude frost, as nothing so much injures the const.i.tution of the Cape Heaths as a close, damp atmosphere. Air should be allowed to circulate freely amongst them at all opportunities.

Pelargoniums.--The plants intended for specimens should be finally shifted. Air to be admitted at all favourable opportunities, and a slight increase of temperature given. To be kept near the gla.s.s, and free from green fly. If they have made no winter growth they will now be the better prepared to progress in a robust, healthy state.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Amaryllis.--Attend to the shifting of them as soon as they show signs of growth. Let them be placed in the stove, and give a little water, increasing it gradually as the leaves unfold.