The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-06
INDOOR PLANTS

1VUUUn 1LnVAO
Throughout the winter the house
! wife, if she cares to take the neces-
sary trouble, may have compensation
| for the lack of her outdoor garden
| by growing various plants in window
| boxes or pots in the house. For the
| most part she will have to content
| herself with foliage, though she may
| be able to coax a few flowers to
| bloom. The following suggestions
| for preparations for the indoor gar
| den and for caring for it later are
| made by specialists of the United
States department of agriculture.
If an indoor box is decided upon.
a good depth for it is about eight
inches. The bottom Of the box should
be covered with stones and broken
pottery for drainage. This should
be covered with layer of moss to
prevent the soil from working down
and clogging the drainage and spaces.
The drainage and moss should take
up together about two inches. The
greater the body of soil above the
moss more uniformly moist it may
be kept. The soil should fail to fill
the box by from one and one-half to
two inches.
The top of the soil should be allow
ed to become dry occasionally. The
results of watering should be closely
observed and the supply regulated
according to needs. Watering may
be necessary in sunshiny weather, es-
pecially toward spring, every day or
at least every other day. In cloudy
and mid winter weather it will not be
necessary to water more often than
once week. In general it is better
to water lightly and frequently, al
though just the reverse is considered
best when watering is done out Of
doors in summer.
Only plants of the same general
character should be placed in win
dow boxes, since plants Of different
kinds require different treatment. Be-
gonias are about the only plants that
may be expected to flower in win
dow box. For the most part foliage
alone must be depended upon as the
contribution of the indoor plants to
the attractiveness of the room.
Among the plants which may be
grown for foliage for\ window boxes
are ferns, geraniuns, Kenilworth ivy,
sn1ilax, and aspidistra. The latter
plant is especially valuable as win
dow box plant as it will thrive in
spite Of considerable neglect,
drought and dust Direct sunlight
also is not required by this adaptable
plant.
An advantage in growing plants in
pots instead Of in boxes is that larg-
er variety can be grown since differ
ent treatment may b egiven. In adj
dftion to the plants already men,
toned for growing in window boxes,
palms, rubber plants and cacti may
be grown in pots. 1t is advisable in
growing all these plants to make use
of regular florists potting soil, made
up Of one part compost, one part good
loan, and one part sand. 1t is we'll
to add one-twentieth part bone meal
to the mixture.
From time to time examinations
should be given to see whether the
plants require reporting. This is
done when the soil is moist by invert-
ing the plants and tapping the pot
it can't be lifted off. If the surface
of the mall Of earth, is entirely COW
cred with roots, the plants should be
pladed in a larger pot, soil being
f1rnled into the spaces.
It is possible sometimes to force
potted geraniuns to bloom indoors
during the winter. To accomplish |
this it is necessary to pot them in
way to restrict root growth and to
keep them fairly dry.
Potted ferns require close care. |
They should be kept slightly moist |
at all times. but should not be over
watered Occasionally the. ported |
ferns should be placed in a tub and |
given a bath with weak suds made |
from a good grade of soap. Besides
removing Accommodations Of dust from |
insect parasites. The suds must be /
rinsed off Immediately.
Potted palms should be regularly |
watered but not kept moist. While |
small the plants should be washed |
like ferns. When too large for such |
treatment the tops should be sprayed |
frequently with clear water. Small |
quantities of bone meal and wood |
ashes should be stirred into the soil |
occasionally or the plants may be
watered now and then with manure
water or ammonia water Ca teaspoon
full of ammonia to quart of water.) |
Rubber plants should be treated
much as are palms, but the soil should
be kept somewhat more moist. Olean-e
ders may be treated practically like
palms. Aspidistras require less at
tention than the other plants mention
ed. They should be kept rather
drier than palms and rubber plants. |
A dry, sandy soil is required for
cacti