The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-12-11
TAKING CARE OF PLANTS IN
WINTER.

killed by injudicious watering than by
any other error of treatment. Most
frequently also the error is on the side
Of mistaken kindness in giving too lit
tie water too frequently.
The possessor of some handsome
house plants, comes with the question:
''How often should I water my plants?"
expecting to be told once or twice
day, or at all events some stated inter-
val. But such cannot be, and the only
answer that a conscientious person can
give the question is: cas- often as nee.
essary." In other words, this means,
give water so as to keep the pots wet.
1t is not practicable to lay down a
rule that all the plants should be given
water at one and the same time, each
single specimen must have its own par
ticular wants attended to, so much de-
pending upon the situation and the
general temperature of the apartment
in which it is growing.
The pot in which a plant is when
purchased from the florist is of a very
porous nature, and therefore the con-
dition of its surface is the best guide
as to the state of the "ball' of earth
and roots inside; if the pot be moist
on the outside the contents will be wet
enough. In rooms where furnace heat
is used the difficulty of maintaining
this condition is sometimes consider
able, but close attention and judgment
will overcome the problem and keep
the plant in a lourishing condition.
When plant is in pot the roots
are chiefly to be found at the bottom
and touching the sides, they are not
to any extent found near the surface
soil. This being the case it will be
seen very easily that merely giving a
dribble of water at the top does no
good, nay, indeed harm may ensue by
the subsequent baking OF the soil,
which is followed again by surface
damping for some time with the ulti-
mate result of souring of the soil; or
moss may be developed on it, leading
to the impression of general moist
state, which is certainly true of the
surface layer, but of that only.
The golden rule in watering is; give
water only when the plant needs it,
but then water thoroughly.
"How" to give the water is as i'm
portant point as "when." We ad-
wise people who have not a regular
plant room where water can be ap-
piled with perfect freedom, and some
allowed to splash over without fear of
damaging anything-as is the case in
the greenhouse of the forist-we ad-
wise that in such places (rather than
run the risk of the mere surface damp
ing just spoken of the placing of the
plants in tubs or pans with quantity
of water sufficient to mount up to
within an inch or less of the rim of the
pot, allowing the plant to stand there
some time, 80 that the water can soak
through the pot and rise up through
the ball Of roots and earth, thus max
ing sure that a thorough soaking is
given, for when the water has soaked
through it will be seen inside the pot.
This treatment may in some cases of
our dry, heated rooms be necessary
every day.
All plants are not the same in their
ihi' FOR perpetual heavy moisture or
saluration Of the soil. A palm or a
fern, for instance, if once allowed to
become dry at the roots will never re-
cover its pristine vigor, and there, in
deed, lies the whole secret of their sue
cessful culture. Some other plants
with very succulent leaves are not by
any means so liable to injury through
absence of water, but such plants are
not of decorative value. Then, again,
there are other plants which demand
perpetual apparent excess of water.
All these points the florist attends to
in the potting up, by making suitable
mixture of soils-some to hold water
a long time, others to let it pass
through quickly.
All plants which are grown for their
foliage effect and which are therefore
to be kept for any considerable time
in the home, must receive attention at
the tops as we'll as at the roots. In
the cleanest of houses dust will accu-
mulate and this, settling upon the
leaves, blocks up the breathing pores
of the plant. The only remedy is re-
moval of the dust, to which end a
sponging of clean water, at least say
once a week, should be. given; this
moreover aids the plant in other ways,
for it is natural for it to occasionally
have overhead watering when at the