The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-10-12
Wintcring Plants.

Many of cur Horticultural readers who
love the companionship Of few plants to
break the dull niohotony Of the winter Ssa.
son, have not the means or desire to bur.
then themselves with the care attendAht on
greenhouse, yet they feel grievcd to part;
on the first frosty morning, with all that
was gay and beautiful in their Geraniums.
H.liotropas, Salvias, Verbenas, Lantanas,
and many additional fay o'itcs. Iti ques-
ton with some of them whether it may no.
be better to let them die, as it will only coss
few dollars to renew them in, the spring
- than to fret and worry over theln dtirit!g
the winter without any suitable place to
and cellars. While there are good reasctis
for this course, there are a number who pre-
fer the trouble, and who will spend largs
amount Of care to preserve them. To those
we would say prepare timely for the taking
up and potting OF any of these bedding
plants which you may desire to keep over
the winter. If allowed to remain until par
tally injured by frosts, general decay mag
ensue and your object be defeated. 4,
Prepare portion Of potting material,
composed of equal parts of rich loan and
sand. This will be quite rich enough to
winter plants in, as the object is to keep
them in state of comparative rest. The
plants may be removed at any time after
the middle of September, a dry day being
chosen to take them up, when the foliage is
dry and in as little of a growing state as
possible. This removal may be more easi
ly accomplished by watering the soil thor
oughly around the plant, to secure the root;
let's from being much broken, as well as to
secure the adhesion Of small portion Of
SOIL Many plants, such as Geraniunls and
Salvias, may be planted in boxes if pots are
less easily obtained-boxes one foot or a
foot and a half deep, Of convenient size,
will supply space for roots. ...
When removed from the border, prune
off good portion of the superfuous shoots,
which would demand more nutriment and
moisture than the disturbed rootlets could
Immediately supply. Place the pots or box
es containing the plants in an airy though
shaded place, for few days, until the roots
become settled, giving due supply Of wa
ter after potting, sufficient to wet the entire
soil thoroughly. The superAuous portion
will Of course pass off by the drainage,
which should be carefully attended to; in
deed we never think of plant being potted
without first placing in the pot a properly
adjusted supply of pothcrds, always taking
pains to cover the hole in the pot with one
broad piece. This prevents the water from
carrying the soil into and filling up event
ually this necessary passage.
After keeping plants in the air until frost
begins to indicate its proclivity, remove
them to their winter quarters, which must
depend on the convenicnces and means Of
our several plant nurses. Some will give
them quarters in dry boarded cellar where
little light may reach them, and occasion
ally supply of air, and from which the de-
position of culinary valuables secure the
exclusion of the frost thief. Give them a
very little water after being removed to this
retreat once a week for few weeks, and
finally withdrawing it gradually during the
severity of the winter. The temperature
of the place must not fall below 80 deg, or
at least very little below that point.
This treatment will not suit great varie-
ty Of plants, only such as have robust suc-
culent stems Of fleshy roots. Scarlet &C.
raniums, Salvias, Fuchsias, will winter sue
cessfully. But Verbenas, Lantanas, and
Heliotropes require different treatment.
Next to the greenhouse in economy, and
| far superior to this cellar or dwelling house
practice, is a greenhouse pit, or sunk pit,
for the reception of choice tender plants
during the winter. We have not in our
present article space enough to describe the
most convenient form of the pit and its
economy, but shall do 50 at an carly day
Country Gent.