File:American homes and gardens (1912) (17968163378).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar91912newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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292 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS August, 1912 with which they can be grown and the long season of bloom, practically all the year through. Even the cutting bed, un- less bud-stalks have been removed, is frequently well starred with blossoms, and in the smallest pots it is not rare to find a truss of flowers almost as large as the whole plant itself. CULTURE INDOORS AND OUT. While the Geranium will live and blossom under very adverse conditions, it is one of those rank feeding plants which immediately shows the result of good care and ferti- lization, and repays any trouble taken along these lines in a very perceptible way. Plants to be set out in beds should be started late in the Fall or early in the Spring previous. The former are taken through the Winter in an almost dormant state, and started into more active growth as the warmer days of February come on. For Spring cuttings, the "stock" plants, such as one may have growing in the window, should be given more water and got into active growth, making fresh wood for propagating. Two such plants—one grown with the right shape and the other of the scrawny sort one so frequently sees—are illustrated herewith. They picture the Spring pruning, given both to keep the old plants in good shape and also to get a supply of cuttings, which are shown—fifteen from the two medium-sized plants. The cuttings are potted off into two-inch or two and one half inch pots, and grown on without a check—which means giving them plenty of sunlight, air, water and a tempera- ture as near 45 to 50 degrees at night as can be had, and repotting as often as the roots indicate that they are ready for a shift by forming a network of white working roots around the outside of the ball of earth. From the small pots they are usually put into threes and then later, during April, into fours. The soil used should be rather heavy for the last two pottings—say, one third rotted sods, two thirds heavy loam, with fine bone flour—half a shovelful to a bushel of earth—added. If one has on hand a sup- ply of regular potting soil, of course, that will do, though if it is light it will be better to mix it half and half with heavy loam. The beds should be well enriched with rot- ted manure, and spaded down to sub-soil, or as deep as possible. It is a common practice to make them in a mound shape, rounded over the top, but this is a mistake, as rain, or water applied with the hose, will run off instead of soaking into the ground where it is needed. If a raised bed is desired, keep the top as level as possible. After setting out do not leave the beds to shift for themselves, but go over the surface with a small hoe—the "onion" type is the most convenient to use—-every ten days or so. It will take only a few minutes at a time and is pleasant work. A light top-dressing with some fertilizer rich in nitrogen, applied during the middle of the season, and worked in well about the roots, will increase the quantity and quality of bloom. Nitrate of soda alone is excellent for this pur- pose, but it must be used in very small doses, a small hand- ful will be ample for a dozen plants. Plants for blooming in the house are best started in the late Spring, and grown on as described above. After being put in four-inch pots, "plunge" them pot and all, in the garden outside, that is, bury them up to the rim. This will make it very much easier to take care of them, and to keep the pots from drying out, but the precaution must be taken to turn the pot around frequently, at least every two weeks, to prevent the plant from rooting through into the cool, moist soil below. For the best results later on, also, all the buds should be picked off until late in the sea- son so that the full vigor of the plant may be utilized in getting ready for its Winter work. The soil used for the last potting should contain plenty of "humus" such as rotted sod or decayed manure, and some sand to insure good drainage—which is one of the most essential things about growing plants in the house in Winter, when very little (Continued on page 300)
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A mass of Geraniums forms one of the most successful decorative plant fillers for attractive garden vases

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