House plants, their care and culture

Preface

While it is impossible to describe the many and varied conditions in which plants eke out an existence during the severe winter nights in our window gardens, yet it is hoped that the general consideration of such conditions have been touched upon and helpful suggestions made in this book.

Careful directions have been given as to the best possible place for a window garden, soil preparation, and general treatment of the cultural methods of growing common house plants, with minute directions as to the control of diseases and insects. With each plant described is a brief sketch of its history, as well as a careful description of propagation.

It is hoped that this book will aid in better and surer results in attaining the pleasure and other benefits in raising plants in the window or conservatory.

I am indebted to the following gentlemen for photographs : Frederick H. Southworth ; E. J. Kuhne ; Lord and Burnham Co., Rochester, N. Y. ; College of Photography, Syracuse University ; and to the Curtis Publishing Co. for allowing me to reprint the articles on Insects, The Rubber Plant, and Care of

vii

PREFACE

Porch Boxes, published in The Country Gentleman.

I am especially under obligations to my friend, Hon. John T. Roberts, for his careful and expert criticism of the book, and also to Peter Henderson for the information regarding the plant history as given in "Henderson's Handbook of Plants."

I also wish to acknowledge the kindness of my friends who allowed me to photograph their choice plants, and to Frances and Mary Allen for the frontispiece.

Hugh Findlay.

Contents

CHAPTER

I. The Home Beautiful .

II. Plant Windows and Conservatories

Chapter I The Home Beautiful

The chief end of labor should be human happiness, and so the effort that is piit forth in the cultural art of taking care of house plants not only brings happiness to the heart of the grower, but also to the passer-by who with a hungry soul admires this plant or that in the window and remembers.

Often after the chaotic condition of our minds, the battle of the day having been lost or won, we seat ourselves near the big window and look at our plants. What a peace comes over our hearts as our plant friends scatter flower memories over the barrenness of our souls. The corner stone of evolution itself is the home, and there is no occupation that will make this corner stone more beautiful than the culture of house plants.

The suggestions put forth in this book are from personal experience and observation. I have followed this chosen profession from boyhood and I owe much to my father's guidance as an expert gardener and florist and to my mother's tender heart in encouraging me in the love and study of plant life. So I have watched the evolution of the Home Beautiful and have taken part in the delightful occupation of caring for the window garden.

There are a number of books on house plants, and it is hoped that the detailed description of the care and culture of the various plants common to the home, as found in this book, will encourage the culture of more house plants and better house plants, and finally to create a greater love for the home, the community, and our beautiful country of homes and flowers.

Chapter II Plant Windows And Conservatories

Whether or not to keep house plants is a question that comes to every housekeeper once a year. Failure on previous occasions may decide for the negative, but with a large number of plucky and sanguine women it works the other way. Having failed once is a reason for renewed effort and improved method.

It may be found that the presence of the plants has been embarrassing in many of the homes. They have shaded windows that were needed for lighting the rooms. They have interfered with ventilation. They have caused no end of anxiety on cold nights. Yes, this may all be painfully true. Still why not keep them a little longer ? Keep them for patience' sake and for the children. But cannot something be done to improve conditions? Those windows — why not make a study of these things in the summertime and arrange special

Fig. 1. — A Beautiful Conservatory

plant alcoves in addition to the regular lighting windows? Much may be done even in the

WINDOWS AND CONSERVATORIES

old houses to make the plants feel at home. But when a new home is being planned then certainly a little ingenuity without additional expense can provide a charming solution of the plant question. Whj^ do not house architects take up this matter and help the perplexed housekeeper? Bearing in mind that certain plants need a south or east exposure, while others, like ferns, should always be shaded, let the architect specify two bay windows, each in some manner provided with heat and if possible separated from the rooms by glass doors. All of this will cost some additional money; so will the bathroom, the piano, the fireplace. We provide many things in our homes that could be dispensed with. Why not think of the winter lodgings of the children and those who used to be children?

One convenient plan we would suggest is a long bay window entered from two adjoining rooms, kitchen and dining-room, a glass door for each room. It should be at least five feet wide and if you are brave enough, insist on a glass roof. In such a room, which is really a conservatory, there are most beautiful possibilities.

And why do not our schools have their plant rooms or conservatories or even complete greenhouses? Many cities are spending yearly from $700,000 to $1,000,000 in constructing new school buildings in which they provide rest rooms, swimming-pools, kitchens, dance halls, sewing-rooms, workshops. Not one of these contains a suggestion of a plant room. What a beautiful feature of school life would be a twelve by sixteen greenhouse, costing one hundred and twenty dollars to build and no additional cost for heating! Why not let the church consider the construction of a plant room adjoining the auditorium or the Sunday-school room? Let it be twenty by sixteen feet at least. Make it large enough for the mid-week prayer meeting of winter nights. Suppose a few carnations or roses or a handful of heliotrope could go out from such a room to the home of a sick member or for a

Courtesy of Lord and Burnham Co.

Fig. 2. — Interior of a Well Filled_Conservatory Note the grace and beauty of hanging baskets.

birthday reminder or to enforce a thought strug-ghng for mastery. Would they not be suitable helps to the sermon ? Call them home missionaries.

And why should there not be a few municipal greenhouses where people unable to grow and watch plants in their own homes might get an occasional half -hour's joy of the summertime when winter is pressing down the spirit of man ? Probably there are in every city hundreds of persons, infirm, poor, cramped for house room, to whom a welcome at a greenhouse would be most enjoyable. It need not be large nor expensive. Common varieties of flowers could be grown, the more familiar the better. Cities are looking after the enjoyment of the youngsters more and more. They must have their playgrounds, their skating areas, their swimming-pools. Why should not their grandparents, banished forever from luxury, from rural delights, from participation in the pursuits of agriculture, have an occasional breath of garden air in the dreary winter days ?

WINDOWS AND CONSERVATORIES

Think what the great parks of European cities would be without their popular gardens and greenhouses. Our finest remembrances of

Courtesy of Lord and Burnkam Co.

Fig. 3. — Lean-to Greenhouse Heated from the Cellar

London and Paris have to do with the gardens maintained by the municipaHties. And how the people do love them! Yet no cooperative plan worked out in the lines suggested cpn properly take the place of the dear little plant corner in every home.

The plant window is subject to fluctuations of temperature on account of the artificial means by which it is heated, while the moisture and lighting may to a limited extent be governed. On extremely cold nights, close the windows tightly, pull down the shades and if necessary place a large lamp or oilstove in the window. Where a radiator is used a pan of water should always be placed on it so as to keep the air moist during the day, but this should be removed not later than three p. m. during the winter months so that the moisture is eliminated during the cold night. The temperature is best controlled bj^ having a small individual stove with pipes leading to the window greenhouse so that it supplies heat directly to it. This method of heating always

WINDOWS AND CONSERVATORIES

pays since the stove costs about twenty dollars and the piping* about ten dollars, while the cost of coal is small compared with the results rea-

Courtesy of Lord and Burnham Co.

Fig. 4. — Intekior of Lean-to Greenhouse with Vegetables and

Flowers Combined

Note plants under the bench. Every possible place utilized.

lized in the production of perfect plants and beautiful bloom.

The lean-to greenhouse is one of the most satisfactory of all simple and inexpensive constructions. It is certain that the reason more people do not have small greenhouses is because they have only a vague idea of their possibilities. A small greenhouse such as shown in Fig. 3 costs about two hundred and fifty dollars to six hundred dollars and the pleasure of tending garden in one of these thoroughly built, splendidly equipped houses is beyond estimation. I have seen in a small greenhouse, heated by a small heater in the cellar, lettuce, radishes and other vegetables and also many beautiful flowers grown at the same time.

If a piazza or bay-window conservatory, or one constructed over a cellar door, or a lean-to greenhouse is to be built, it is the general opinion that a reliable greenhouse firm should be consulted and if the directions advised are carried out regarding construction and heating, success is sure to follow.

Chapter III

God breathed the breath of life into the soil and it smiled back at its Creator in the form of a flower. — H. F.

The plants in field or wood, in garden or home depend not alone on oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen from the atmosphere, but also on a combination of elements found in the soil. It must be remembered from the beginning that the plants taken into the home are often handicapped by the various gases in the room or conservatory and also by the limited amount of soil in the pot or bench, and often by lack of the right type of soil for the particular plant.

The proper soil treated with sufficient air and water and with ordinary fertility will develop satisfactory plants, but why not make a study of the natural haunts of your plants, as far as possible, and the kind of soil in which they thrive best, and then apply your knowledge and be satisfied with only the best results ? There are many combinations of soil, but for general purposes the compost soil is the best. Do not start to build the heap in a low-lying place, but give it good drainage. Invert six inches of sod over the surface, then throw on six inches of loose garden loam, add six to eight inches of cow manure on top of this and then another layer of soil and manure. Remove the stones. After a heap of the desired size, not over four feet high, is built, cover with inverted sod six inches deep on sides and top. Allow this to stand for three months or more (winter), then chop the sods into small pieces, mix and turn the entire heap. This should be done at least three times before the soil is used, thus distributing all of the fertilizers evenly. It is also advisable to scatter bone meal over the soil, but never dump garbage or pour dishwater over the heap as is occasionally advised.

Another compost is made by using a foot of leaves on the bottom, six inches of soil and sod

Fig. 5. — Diagram Showing the Construction of a Compost Heap S, surface of soil; A, soil and sod; B, manure; C, sod, grass side down

and six inches of horse manure, straw having been used for bedding the horses. Add considerable bone meal ground fine. If the horse manure should be a little dry, give it a good watering.

A good compost for ferns is made by using one foot of leaves, one foot of dark rich garden loam and sod, a little sheep manure scattered over the soil and then repeated in layers until the heap is three or four feet in height. Turn

Fig. 6. — A Compost Heap of Sod, Garden Loam, and Horse Manure over a number of times after three or four months, leaving the compost loose and friable.

There is a general opinion that the black woods dirt is very rich. This is a mistake, and forest soil should never be used alone for any cultivated plant. Nevertheless the muck-land soil is fine to add to the fern compost heap, but see to it that vermin are destroyed by sterilizing. Many housewives put the soil in the oven. Be careful not to cook and kill your soil by leaving it in the heat too long — never more than twenty or thirty minutes. The soil is alive just as much as the plant, and there are millions of small organisms that live only a short period, die and become plant food as they decay in the soil. Too much heat will destroy all of this life which is of the greatest importance to growth.

The clay type of soil is suited only to a few plants, like the rose, but stiff clay should never be used. It is not a mistake to add the sod from the clay soil and also a little horse manure to the clay compost, especially for the rose. Bone meal should be added in liberal quantities to the clay soil because the plant food is not liberated all at once but gradually. Clay in itself is often rich, but the plant food is locked up and any fermentation will aid in liberating it.

Sand is the most desirable type for the propagation of plants. Clean white sand is preferable, but road sand is good. There is little vegetable matter in it. Any decay in the soil coming in contact with the wounded portion of the cutting will in turn cause the cutting to decay. Fungus growths of various kinds are retarded in clean sand because of the lack of plant food, and the looseness of the sand will admit the air.

Certain types of soils become sour by the use of too much water or from pots standing in vessels partly filled with water. The tips of the roots begin to decay and turn brown. The same condition is found on roots where the pots containing resting plants during the summer are left standing in damp, shady places.

Whenever leaf mold is used in the compost it is not a bad plan to scatter a little lime over the soil, but never over the manure or leaves, for this will tend to preserve them and prevent decay.

There is a great deal of discussion as to the kind of manure to use. Cow manure is the most desirable of all, because it mixes so evenly in the soil and there are fewer worms in it than in horse manure. It also has an evenly balanced food value for the plants. Horse manure is also valuable, providing the horse is fed grain (oats) and bedded in straw. The manure from horses fed solely on hay and bedded in pine shavings is never desirable, because the manure is poor in food value and the pine shavings tend to sour the soil as well as to keep it too loose. The shavings are slow to decay and have little or no food value, and since there is a limited space in the pot for soil every available advantage should be taken to favor the plant.

Chicken manure is very highly concentrated 19 and often burns the roots of plants where it is used too freely. I have successfully potted ferns in three parts soil and sod, one part leaf mold, a little chicken manure and lime scattered through the comjjost, but care must be taken in combining these. Never use hog" manure. The odor is offensive in the house even when the parts are well mixed. Sheep manure is more concentrated than either horse or cow manure, and when pulverized and used in limited quantities it is most satisfactory.

It is not alwaj'^s possible to have the combinations of soils and manures suggested, but with our modern methods of travel even the city folk may get into the country and secure a pail or basket of rich garden loam. Do not shake out the sod or roots, for fiber, if not too rough, will soon decay and aid in the growth of the plants. The roots and sod not only decay and liberate food, but they help to hold the moisture in the soil, which is of great importance. Your success is in the soil you use as well as in the care you give your plants, so there cannot be too much attention given to the prej)aration of the soil. No one can advise you as to the combination to use in your part of the country without first having some experience with the soil, because soils vary so much, but after a year's observation j^ou can easily select the best soil suited for the individual plant. This always adds interest to window gardening, for every plant lover is experimenting and hoping for the best results. When you can feel the heart throb of the soil you are in tune with nature and you will succeed in your attempt to grow house plants.

Chapter IV

There are two classes of plants to be considered when the pots are to be selected: flowering and foliage plants. The flowering plants in general do not require as large pots as do

Fig. 7. — Series of Practical Pots A series of shifts for a growing plant from a three- to a six-inch pot.

the foliage plants, for we find that the flowers are more abundant if the plant is a little pot-bound, while the foliage plants require more water and therefore more soil. The kind of plants grown often governs our selection of pots. Tulips and hyacinths do well in earthen bulb pans, varying from six inches to eighteen inches, while geraniums do better in earthen flower pots, which are much deeper, while the very large plants require tubs. The shallowest of all are the earthen fern pans and they vary in size according to the use they are put to. These pots range in size as seen in Fig. 7.

Before potting with new pots it is advisable to submerge them in water for at least an hour, so that they may be saturated with water, and this will prevent the pot from drawing the moisture from the soil. The new pots should be drained for a few minutes before using, otherwise it will be difficult to remove the soil in a ball when desired, the soil adhering to the side of the pot.

Of all the operations in the work of potting, the providing of drainage is the most important. Invert a piece of crock over the hole on the bottom of the pot and then put in one-half inch of rough soil in the bottom. This will insure drainage. Pots over four inches should always be treated in this way. In some cases (fern) lumps of charcoal placed at the bottom of the pot will aid drainage and also admit the air to the soil and in this way keep it sweet.

Fig. 8.— Pots and Saucers A, stationary saucer, seldom emptied and often a detriment to growth; B, portable saucer and pot. The saucer may be emptied after each watering.

If the crock is not used in large pots the soil is often washed out by the water and the continual displacement of soil from the roots injures the plant, and also keeps the bench or sill dirty. Where the amateur feels that plants must be watered every day, which is not always necessary, proper drainage is of the greatest importance to prevent an oversupply of water which shuts out the air and in turn sickens the plant.

Where the plants are standing on benches

Fig. 9. — Fancy Pots Fancy pots difficult to keep clean but attractive.

have an inch of ashes on the bottom and over these scatter a little lime. This will aid drainage as well as prevent slugs.

Plates, saucers and vessels of any kind into which the pots are set are dangerous if the water is not removed. The stagnant water will soon sour the soil and kill the roots.

Never use tin cans. While I have seen some fine plants grown in tin cans, yet they might have been finer had they been grown in pots. The cans rust and kill the tips of the tender roots. While iron is necessary to a limited amount in the soil, yet too nmch is very dangerous to growth. Glazed pots are objectionahle and wood fiber pots do not last long. The hand- or machine-made earthen pots are by far the best.

Do not give the young 2:)lants too much food. A small pot should be used at the beginning, to be followed by a gradual increase in size according to the habit of growth and the type of plant treated.

Hold the seedling between the first finger and thumb of the left hand, covering the heart of the young plant with the seed leaves.

With the right hand partly fill the pot with soil, place the seedling at the proper depth, being careful never to cover the growing tip, then fit the soil about the plant. Place the thumbs of each hand on both sides of the plant and firm the soil about it (Fig. 12), then lift the pot with both hands and strike the bottom squarely against the potting bench in order to firm the soil. Larger plants are firmed bytamping the soil with a flat stick. Always be

— C

Fig. 10. — Diagram of a Pot Containing Plant A, Drainage hole at bottom of pot; B, bench; C, ashes; D, broken crock, inverted to promote drainage; E, rough soil, sod and small stones; F, soil; G, rim of pot.

sure to give the roots freedom in position, but never allow an air space below the roots, for this means sure death to the plant.

After the plant has reached a certain growth it is well to examine the roots by placing the left hand over the surface of the soil, the stem of the plant between the second and third fingers. Invert and strike the rim of the pot on the edge of some solid object, remove the pot

Fig. 11. — Potting a Plant Position of plant in pot. Fill in the soil around the roots.

carefully, so as not to disturb the roots. After the roots have been examined, cover the ball of soil while it is in the same position in the hand ; when all the ball of soil is in the pot, turn it right side up and firm the soil by striking the bottom of the pot against the potting bench. When the operation of potting is completed the soil should be three-fourths to an inch below the top of the rim (Fig. 13), so that the

Fig. 12. — Potting a Plant Position of thumbs in pressing soil about the roots.

water may be evenly distributed over the surface. If the pot is too full of soil the water runs oif and the plant receives no benefit.

In repotting old plants or plants that have been resting during the summer, shake off the old soil, prune off all disfigured or decayed roots and a few of the good roots, then prune the top so that there is a balance between the requirements of the foliage and the supply

Fig. 13. — Potted Plant Complete Note the rim of the pot and the heart of the plant. Room for water.

through the root system. Always be sure to have the soil firm about the plant. Newly potted plants, seedlings, cuttings or old plants should be kept in the shade for a few days so that they may get established before coming to the light.

The soil becomes tired of water, gases and general conditions in the pot and it is to the advantage of the grower to take time and interest to repot at least once a year. Where the soil is rich, the pot large enough, and fertilizers used at various times, one potting a year is enough and with the large tub plants once in six or eight years. There are now on the market Krick's pot hangers, also the Eureka hangers. In this case the pot is used as a hanging basket, the air from the bottom, sides and top dries it out more quickly than a pot on a bench; therefore the plant requires more water.

Care should be taken to have plants, especially seedlings, placed in the center of the pot. I have never seen anyone careless in this small detail who was truly successful with plants.

Chapter V Watering

We have no set rule or time for watering plants, but all plants should be watered when necessary. This is determined by the grower, for on dull days the plants need less water than on bright days. It is not a good practice to allow the plant to flag or wilt before water is applied. The best practice for the general culture is to rap the pots, and should there be a hollow sound, the soil below the surface is di*3^ and if a dull, dead sound the soil is moist even though the surface may look dry.

Some overzealous persons usually water the plant every day and sometimes twice a day. If this practice is followed, the plants become sickly before long, the leaves turn yellow and the growth becomes spindling. Few flowers, if any, are developed on such plants. Judg-

WATERING

ment must be exercised from the watering of the seed bed until the harvest of the bloom.

In watering the seed flat after the seed is sown, it is advisable to use a fine rose or sprinkler, so that the seed is not washed out of position. The soil should be moist, not wet, from the surface to the bottom of the box. Covering these boxes with glass and then paper will prevent evaporation and this in turn will mean less watering. Too much water lessens the vitality of the seed and impairs the growth of the seedling. It also has a tendency to develop a green scum over the surface of the seed bed which is most dangerous, causing many of the young plants to decay. After the young plants are transferred to the first pot, which is small, little water is required, but the growing seedling should never suff'er from drought. In supplying water to larger pots be careful not to wash out the soil, which is often done in the center of the pot and the roots around the stem of the plant are exposed. After the water has drained thoroughly into the soil it is a good practice to stir the surface with a fork or stick, but do not go deep or the roots near the surface will be injured.

The main aim in watering is to get the moisture to the roots and this must be done with

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Fig. 14. — Watering Pots A, practical watering pot, especially for seed beds; B, rose to be placed on the spout of the watering pot so as to distribute the water like rain; C, fancy watering pot.

care. Water should not be allowed to stand in vessels in which the pot is placed, though fine seed sown in pots are often watered by plunging the pot in water and allowing the moisture to enter from below. This is a good

WATERING

practice with begonia or calceolaria seed. In the case of ferns and other plants standing in a jardiniere for several weeks the water becomes stagnant, the air about the pot foul and in general the plant will soon take on a yellow appearance, sicken and often die. In watering the plants with liquid cow manure the solution should be very weak, like weak tea. Water on days when the room may be ventilated, and shortly after applying the liquid to the soil stir the surface and there will be little or no odor such as might be expected. Never allow the manure water to come in contact with the foliage. The mixture should stand for a few days before applying and then be applied only in limited quantities. ,

In the summer plants are best watered in the evening. The open windows will allow the dews or moisture to enter and the water gradually works its way into the soil. Pots dry out quickly in the wind or a draft, especially when the air is hot and dry. Never wet the foliage in the summer when the sun is high.

In winter it is best to water the plants in the morning and on bright days, if possible, so that the foliage may become dry before night.