In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year Part 15

FORCING-HOUSES.

Figs.--Trees in tubs or pots still bearing to be a.s.sisted with a little liquid manure when dry. Withhold water gradually from the borders, to induce an early, but not a too premature, ripeness of the wood and an early rest.

Peaches.--The flues of the early house may now be cleaned, and, if not yet done, the lights washed and painted, if necessary.

Pines.--If there are some of the spring fruiting plants still remaining in the fruiting-house, they should either be placed at one end of the pit, or removed to a small house by themselves; the house should then be prepared for the best of the succession plants for the second crop next summer. Plants showing fruit after this time, although they cannot be expected to produce as fine fruit as if earlier in the season, will, nevertheless, be found very useful, and should have every attention given to them while the season continues favourable. To be placed in the warmest corner of the house, and to be supplied when dry with a little liquid manure. Continue to grow on the young stock while the weather continues favourable; for fine sunny days and moist growing nights are all that we can desire. A good portion of solar heat to be secured by shutting up early. On cold nights gentle fires will be necessary to keep up the temperature to 70 towards morning.

Vines.--The Vines that are to be forced early, if the wood is well ripened and all the leaves nearly off, may be pruned without much fear of bleeding, keeping the house as cool as possible; but if, from appearances, the sap is not considered to be sufficiently at rest, the pruning should be postponed. Continue to forward the Grapes not yet ripe by giving a little fire heat during the day. Air to be given to the house as soon as the sun s.h.i.+nes upon it, as the vapour that ascends, if not allowed to pa.s.s off by ventilation, will cause the Grapes to become mouldy and worthless.

FOURTH WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

The plants that have been in the open borders during the summer to be taken up, the roots carefully cut back, and repotted; to be placed in a gentle bottom heat, or in some close place, until they have made fresh roots, the better to resist the vicissitudes of the dull, dreary months of the approaching winter.

American Plants.--If a rich display of bloom is desired in early spring, the plants should be now potted in rather small pots, to be plunged in the warmest part of the garden, and introduced to the forcing-house from November until February, as they may be required.

The most suitable for such a purpose are the Azaleas of the _nudiflora_ cla.s.s with various hybrids, _Andromeda pulverulenta_, _Daphne cneorum_, Kalmias, of sorts, _Ledum latifolium_ and _L.

thymifolium_, _Polygala Chamoebuxus_, Rhododendrons, and _Rhodora Canadense_.

Calceolarias (Herbaceous).--Remove them to a shelf as near the gla.s.s as possible, with plenty of air at all favourable opportunities. To be duly supplied with water.

Camellias.--Water to be given carefully, to prevent the dropping of the buds. The late-flowering plants to be thinned of their buds, leaving not more than two buds on each shoot, and retaining the largest and smallest to get a long succession of bloom. The leaves, if necessary, to be washed clean.

Chinese Primroses.--Place them as advised for Calceolarias.

Cinerarias.--Protect them from the ravages of green fly by the application of the Gishurst infallible compound.

Fuchsias.--Continue to encourage the late stock for bloom. Seeds may be sown at once, where there is a greenhouse or other means of sheltering them from frost and damp; but if you have no such convenience, it is advisable to postpone the sowing until spring.

The seed is separated most easily from the pulp by bruising the berries amongst dry sand, and allowing it to stand in the sun, or in a warm place, until the moisture has evaporated, when the seed and sand will be intermixed, and in a fit state to be sown.

Heaths.--On fine mornings syringe them, and Epacrises and Pimeleas, and give all possible ventilation, both night and day, while the weather continues favourable.

New Holland Plants.--Place them in situations to enjoy a considerable share of air and light. All luxuriant shoots to be stopped, to maintain symmetry and uniformity of growth. A vigilant eye should be kept upon them almost daily, to see that neither mildew, green fly, nor other such enemies be allowed to injure them.

Orange Trees.--If they have been standing out during the summer, the sooner they are returned to their winter quarters the better.

Clean the leaves, if necessary, and fresh surface the soil in which they are growing.

Succulents.--Cacti, Euphorbiae, and other such plants to be gradually curtailed in the supply of water as they approach the winter and their season of rest.

Tropaeolums.--If any of this beautiful tribe, particularly _T.

tricolorum_ or _T. Brachyseras_ that have flowered early in the season, begin to grow, they should not be checked, but allowed to grow slowly through the winter; but if there is no appearance of growth--which is best for their future success--the roots should be kept dormant, in a cool place, with the soil about them quite dry, and protected from mice.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.

Stove plants cannot be too cautiously watered late in the autumn.

Nothing is now wanted but to keep the soil from getting quite dry.

Slight fires to be made in the forenoons of dull and rainy days, not so much for the purpose of raising the temperature as for drying the house. Air to be given at all favourable opportunities, to maintain a healthy atmosphere. Several of the Orchids--viz., Aerides, Dendrobiums, Saccolabiums, Vandas, &c., may be encouraged by the application of a high temperature, with much moisture and less shading, to make further and sometimes considerable growth.

Cattleyas.--Young plants may also be encouraged to grow for some time longer; but older specimens should be reduced to a comparatively dormant state by a gradual diminution in the supply of water, and a decrease in temperature, with less shading.

Stanhopeas.--To be treated as advised for Cattleyas.

FORCING-HOUSES.

Continue to make fresh beds as formerly directed, and prepare fresh material for successional ones. To ensure success it is advisable never to allow the manure to be put together in a dry state, nor to get too far exhausted, but in that medium state when the strong fermentation has pa.s.sed off, and a moderate heat is likely to remain in it for some time. The temperature to be kept from 60 to 65, with the admission of air for several hours daily.

Cherries.--Whether they are in pots or in borders, and have arrived at, or are only approaching, a comparatively dormant state when but little attention will be necessary, still that little will be required to keep them clear of insects and of the leaves as they become sufficiently ripe, when they come readily off with a touch.

The old surface of the soil of those grown in pots to be removed, and the same quant.i.ty of fresh, in a rough state, put in its place.

Remove them without further delay, if not already done, as advised in the early part of the month, to the north side of a wall or hedge until wanted; or if not wanted until a sharp frost sets in, they should be protected from its icy grasp.

Figs.--Trees in pots to be treated as advised for Cherries.

Melons.--Although the weather may have been favourable for ripening the late fruit, they will in some places still require the a.s.sistance of a good top and bottom heat, and a large portion of air in the middle of the day.

Peaches.--Trees in pots to be pruned, and treated as recommended for Cherries. No time should be lost if fresh trees are to be planted in the place of any that may be worn out. The choice should be made of young trees that are in a bearing state, and all the better if they had been moved last autumn. In pruning the trees, after the leaves have dropped, be sure not to leave them too crowded; but if the summer pruning, as frequently advised, have been properly done, but very little, if any, will be required now. To remove the leaves from the trees in the early houses it is advisable to shake them daily, and sometimes to brush them gently with a few pieces of birch-spray tied in a bundle. All foreright shoots to be removed, and the trees in the late houses kept free from insects.

Pines.--Persevere in former directions as to general routine management. Whilst fine weather continues air may be given liberally; and shut up earlier in the afternoon to secure as much sun heat as possible. Plants swelling their fruit to be a.s.sisted with a brisk temperature, both at top and bottom, from 65 to 70 at night, allowing it to rise to 80 on sunny days with a steady bottom heat of about 80. When watering is necessary let it be given in sufficient quant.i.ty to moisten the whole of the soil. The suckers and crowns that were potted in the summer months should now be s.h.i.+fted, if they have grown freely; they should then be plunged in a brisk bottom heat in the succession-house or pit, from which the plants have been removed, to the fruiting-house. Any remaining suckers on the old stools to be taken off, potted, and plunged in a brisk heat in the nursing pit.

Vines.--The early house, or the first lot of Vines in pots, if it is intended to start them in November or December, to be pruned, that sufficient time may be allowed to heal up the wounds, and the buds to become more plump and prominent. The border of the early house to be thatched with straw, or covered with any other such material, to protect it from heavy rains. It is also advisable in some situations to cover the borders of the houses in which it is intended to keep Grapes late, to prevent the soil getting saturated about the roots. Continue to look over ripe fruit, cutting out the mouldy or tainted berries; applying gentle fires only when necessary to expel damps, with a free circulation of air--as a warm, close atmosphere is as injurious as damp. Where the long-rod system is adopted, the old shoots should be cut down as soon as the fruit is gathered; and, whatever system is adopted, if there are any shoots to remove they should be taken out as soon as they can be spared; the ends of the remaining shoots, if green, to be cut off. Continue to pay strict attention to late Grapes, look over them daily, and cut out every decayed berry.

OCTOBER.

FIRST WEEK.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

The plants when newly set in the house are very liable to lose a portion of their leaves: these should be removed, and the plants kept supplied with water, so as to preserve the soil moderately moist throughout. Air to be given every day, and also a portion at night, if the weather continue mild.

Bulbs (Dutch).--All kinds to be immediately potted and plunged in a convenient situation ready to be removed, when wanted, to the forcing-house or pit. If potted and treated as advised some time ago, a few of them may now be excited into growth.

Chrysanthemums.--Take up the plants from the open ground; choose a showery day for the purpose. After potting to be well watered and shaded for a few days, then placed in a cold pit, or removed to the greenhouse, and neatly tied to stakes. The buds to be thinned for a fine display.

Gladioli.--Pot them, and Ixias, Sparaxis, &c.; and to be watered sparingly until they begin to grow.

Lily of the Valley.--Pot some, to be treated as advised for Bulbs, that a regular supply of this favourite flower may be had during winter.

Shrubs.--Get in, if not already done. A supply of American plants to be potted, as advised a fortnight ago, and plunged in old tan until wanted for forcing.

STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.