Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-24
CARING FOR PLANTS
IN THE HOME

Spring is the crucial time in the life of
house plants. 1t is then that their real
fate for the following winter is decided
For one thing, 1t is the best time to re-
pot them. Early April. when there is no
further danger of cold, is perhaps the
most satisfactory time. Replanting in
the winter generally brings disaster TO
plants, for they are unable to withstand
the shock which the change to new soil
gives. them. They are not doing much
growing in the winter and their roots
cannot grow fast enough to take hold of
the new soil.
plants to think that the larger the pot
the healthier the plant will be. In reality
too large pot is as bad one that is
too small. The plant in the larger pot
Will be given more water, genera lly, than
the roots can assimilate, and SO the soil
Will become sour.
Pots must be clean when plants aye put
into them If they are covered with
green algae this should be scrubbed off
with a brush and sand and water and
clots of dried earth should be removed
from the pots. The algae and earth i'm
pair the porousness Of the pots-a nee
essary quality for the healthy growth Of
ed in water until bubbles cease to form
This soaking fills the pores Of the pots
with water and helps keep the earth put
In them moist.
/ Most Of us apply the name jardiniere to
the watertight flower jars so often used
10 hoid potted palms and plants In the
house. The real jardiniere has drainage
ho.eS IN the bottom, and the palm or
plant is potted directly in It, The lar
dltlIere should then he
OF tray. in order to protect the table or
fioor where ii stands from moisture
When planting house flowers in the
garden Tor the summer put them in the
ground In bottomless paSteboard boxes
| They Will grow just as well this way,
and the pasteboard will keep the roots
from spreading and 50 being ungainly
when brought into the house again. If
house plants in window boxes are left
in their pots and these are sunk in the
earth OF the boxes the plants can from
time to time and without much trouble
be turned about so that all sides receive
the light. This keeps the plants sym
metrical in shape and in a healthy con-
dition.
Many persons throw away house plants
received at Christmas Easter or at
other times gifts as soon as they
have finished blooming. This is a mis-
take After suitable rest almost any
IL.
One woman who received a poipsettia
at Christmas told the maid to throw it
away when the blossoms were gone.
The maid carelessly tossed it under the
cellar stairs. 1t was group of leaf
less sticks then-for the leaves generally
disappear before the flowers do When
spring housecleaning time came about
the mistress was much surprised to see
the plant which lay its side in the
dark dry cellar, putting out signs of
Nfe. Small green shoots were putting
forth from apparently sap-filled stems.
She carefully planted these stems in
shady corner of the garden, where they
grew strong. They produced much foil
age last summer and were blossomins in
the house by Christmas time.
Primroses. cyc1amens. azaleas. cerani.
umS, heliotropes or any potted flowers
grown indoors should be put in the dark
after they have finished Towering, and
planted out in the spring when frost is
over Some of them will blossom again
in the summer.
olive oil is often used to bring health
10 people. Try IT. too, on plants-palms.
ferns and Towering plants-that look
dry and Sickly.