Evening star., 1939-09-23
WALL Planted With Tiny Flowers Shady Bank
Leaves From
The Garden
Notebook
House Plants Need
To Be Repotted;
Add Fresh Soil

AAA IL CS1l OOll
Now is the time to think about
repotting the house plants. Some
need repotting; put them into larger
pots with as much fresh soil as can
be added without disturbing tho
roots. Some plants do better when
their roots are crowded, such as the
pandanus (screwpine), sansevieria
and geranium. These should not be
repotted frequently, and even then
90 not disturb the roots, but work
fresh soil around them. Some gar.
deners, however, scrape the surface
soil from the pots without disturb.
ing the roots and replace with good
potting soil each season.
Other plants, such as the poin.
settia, fuchsia, fern, etc., need fresh
soil each year, and, II they have
made suitable growth, shifting into
larger pots.
Incorporate quantities Of humus
in the potting soil. 1t is essential
to hold moisture and to furnish
plant food.
An interesting perennial for the
dry, sunny border is chrysopsis
mariana. 1t belongs to the COM
positae family, although it looks
somewhat like a dwarf yellow aster.
Flowering at this season it makes
an acceptable addition to the hardy
plant border. 1t is literally covered
with small bright yellow flowers on
stems about 2 feet high. The foliage
is good, and in many respects the
chrysopsis is better than the dwarf
sunfowers.
1t IS not too early to be planning
for the pansy beds. If seedlings
have been growing in seed beds they
should be large enough for planting.
The fewer times they are trans.
planted the better, but do not hold
them in a crowded seed bed where
they will be stunted. Buy new
plants early and set them out in
well-enriched beds. One bed should
be in a protected spot so as to
insure winter bloom. Others might
well be in a cool, shady situation
to prolong the season of bloom into
the summer.
Pansies like rich, moist bed and
well repay any extra care with free
dom Of flowers and size of bloom.
After the ground Is frozen the plants
benefit by mulching with peatmoss
or manure, but do not cover the
foliage.
To make cuttings of geraniums for
winter bloom cut off or inch
tips from the longer branches. The
cuts should be made just below q
leaf axil and on a diagonal. Re-
move all but the smaller end leaves.
Plant in sandy loan that is kept
moist but not wet. A light but not
sunny window is suitable until they
have started growth, when they
should be moved into a place where
they receive the sun. After the
cuttings are well rooted they should
be shifted to 3 or 4 inch pots. Pinch
out the tops to encourage sturdy,
bushy growth.
It is not too early to be making
plans for sowing the seeds of hardy
ANIMALS. Many Of them give better
results when sown in the fall
larkspur and bachelors button
(Centeurea) are two that may be
safely sown at any time now. It
is desirable to prepare the beds
now and SOW the seed before freez-
ing weather sets in. Seeds Of the
California poppy should not be
planted until late in the fall. Even
petunias will benefit from fall plant.
ing, although 1t is not advisable
to plant any but the common garden
varieties in this way.
In a cool, moist fall the newly
seeded lawn is very apt to be at
tackled by certain fungous diseases
that kill the tender young grass
plants. One simple but effective
method Of avoiding this trouble is
to cut the young grass, keeping it
not less than az inches and not
more than 4 inches in height. Ere
quent cutting tends to keep the
grass blades more mature and not
so soft and lush.
The second method Of control is
to sprinkle the lawn with q bichlo-
ride of mercury solution, using q
one to two thousand solution Zone
tablet to quart Of water). Sprinkle
the lawn with this solution, using
watering can with a fine nozzle.
Rinse out the can Immediately after
use, as this solution corrodes metal
quickly. It is poisonous.