Evening star., 1953-10-18

Il
many gardeners continue to water.
However, because the weather
has turned cool--there were hard
| froSts in the suburbs-we should
not water woody plants. With
holding water is one way to help
them into dormancy and they
should be encouraged to enter
that condition. This is important
for those kinds that are some
what tender in this area. They
should go into the winter in a
mature stage so that sharp
freezes will not injure. If the
growth is soft and tender because
of continued watering apply SUI
perhosphate in solution-a half
cupful in a gallon of water to
each shrub or bush.
Whenever frost blackens dahl
las the top should be removed,
but the tuberS need not be dug
for several days. They are bet
ter able to take storage with this
hardening-off process in the
ground. The tuberS may be left
in the ground for several weeks
if there is no danger of frost pen
etrating down to them.
GladioluS should be dug as
soon as the tops turn brown or
are killed by frost. Remove the
tops about two inches above the
corms Immediately after digging.
This is to keep the thrips from
migrating to the corms.. Dry the
corms for several days before
moving indoors for winter Stor-
age. It will take several weeks
for the cormS to mature to the
stage when they may be cleaned
remove the old corms and the
dried stub of top. This stage may
be recognized by the ease with
which the old CORN separates
from the new.
The Peruvian daffodilS (IS-
meme lily may be lifted at any
time. 1t is not necessary to
wait for frost to kill the foliage,
but many will want to wait for a
rain to soften the ground before
! digging to avoid injury to the
large roots. The roots should be
protected and left undisturbed
on the large bulbs. After the
foliage dries it should be re-
moved and the bulbs further
dried before placing in ventilated
sacks in a warm dry situation
for the winter.
Dig and store fairy lilies
(ZephyrantheS) and tuberoSeS,
tuberous-rooted begonias, calad-
iums, and other tender bulbs be-
fore the ground freezes. They
need not be removed from
the dirt ball before packing
in peat moss (dry) for the
winter. If the tuberose- rooted
begonias are in pots, the
pots may be placed on their
sides in a cool, slightly damp
place for the winter. The
soil should not be allowed to
become bone" dry.
If the amaryllis pots were
placed out-of doors for the sum-
mer. they should be brought in
and allowed to dry out. The
bulbs must go through a period
of dormancy before being started
into growth in January or Feb
ruary. The sooner they start
into the rest period the sooner
they can be started into growth
for blooming in the late winter.
Store the pots on their sides
under the laundry tubs in the
barsement where it is moist
enough to keep them from get
ting too dry.
Open the coldframe sash on
sunny days to keep it from get
ting too hot for the plants grow
ing there.
Green tomatoes will color and
ripen if wrapped in paper and
stored in a cool. moist. dark
place. This is one way to take
care of the green fruit gathered
just before frost kills the vines.
It is not too date to pot up a
few small marigold plants for
bloom indoors. Plant them in a
spot filled with soil prepared by
mixing compost and garden loan
in equal parts. Water we'll and
shade for a few days until they
have recovered from the shock
of transplanting.
This writer has received sew
eral inquiries as to the best way
to keep a gardenia over winter.
No information ,is available as
to out-of door protection. Per-
haps some one has succeeded?
Most gardenias are kept indoors
in a cool sunny situation where
a moist atmosphere can be
maintained. Obviously this re-
quires some effort in the mod
~nnem&snmmI