Page:The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory.djvu/109

Rh cuttings strike quicker if taken off with a thin slice of bark&mdash; not a clumsy heel, but cut so close to the stem as to take a portion of the bark with it. There is very little fear of them damping off when this is done. It must be borne in mind, at this stage, that the cuttings are necessarily tender, and further, that they will either root quickly or die quickly. The cutting-pots should be prepared previously, to enable the cultivator to get them in as quickly as possible. The pots, after the cuttings are inserted, should be plunged in a brisk bottom-heat of not less than 70°, and kept rather close until the cuttings begin to root, when more air will be necessary. The glass of the propagating frame will require wiping occasionally, otherwise they will probably damp off.

When the cuttings are nicely rooted, prepare the soil and bring it into the propagating-house a few days beforehand, to become of the same temperature as the house in which they are growing. This is an essential point&mdash;one that cannot be very well over-estimated in dealing with young tender plants of any description. For the first potting, the soil should consist of good fibry loam and peat in equal proportions, with plenty of leaf-mould and silver-sand, to keep it light and open. Use small 60’s for this potting, 4S’s for the next, and then 21’s. Though it will not be necessary to replace the young plants in bottom-heat, it is advisable that they should remain in a nice growing temperature until they get established. They do better when kept in a warm house until they have filled the pots with roots, been repotted into the next size, and established in their new quarters. At this stage the plants should be removed into the greenhouse, and after a little nursing be placed so as to get plenty of light and air. In August, if everything goes on favourably, repot the plants into 24’s, and use two parts loam, one of peat, half a part of thoroughly decomposed cow-dung, and a little leaf-mould and sand. The soil should be chopped up and well mixed together, and every particle of fibre preserved. It is necessary to exercise the utmost caution at all seasons in watering these plants. They require a plentiful supply when growing, and but little at all other times.

The proper place for statices through the summer, is undoubtedly the conservatory or greenhouse. Though they are very properly classed with greenhouse plants, it will be found that they do better in an intermediate house through