The Care of House Plants
Who loves a garden loves a greenhouse too.
--_Cowper._
"IF you are one of those people who love flowers and can make them
grow," said a Fifth Avenue florist to me recently, "you can do almost
anything you please with them, and they will thrive." "So, then," I
laughed, "you think love has a great deal to do with the matter?" And he
replied, "I most certainly do!" Therefore, if you love to see "the green
things growing," enough to give them the least bit of intelligent care,
you can reasonably hope to raise all you have room for.
The main points to bear in mind are light, heat and moisture. Flowering
plants need sunlight at least part of the day, and generally do best in
a south window. Most of the decorative or foliage plants, on the other
hand, will keep looking well with only a reasonable amount of light, as
when near a north or east window, if they have the proper amount of heat
and moisture. But don't, please, set any plant back in the room, away
from the light, and expect it to succeed very long,--for it never will!
Select, then, growing things suited to your living quarters, and learn
their needs.
The heat of many living-rooms is too great,--and too dry,--for some
plants to do their best in, and they should be kept near the windows,
although out of draughts. They usually will stand as much cold at night
as they are likely to get in an ordinary house, so it is best not to
overheat them during the day, but instead, keep them in a cool part of
the room. Moreover, they thrive better if, when suitably placed, they
are allowed to remain undisturbed.
The atmosphere should be kept moist by means of water kept on stove,
register or radiator, but water to the roots should be applied to most
plants only when the soil is dry. This during the winter generally means
two or three times a week. With few exceptions, plants should not be
watered while still showing dampness.
"I often wonder," said another florist, "that women with gardens do not
try to save some of their flowering plants that might easily be moved
into the house. Perhaps they think it isn't worth while." If they can
afford to buy all they want to, that may be the reason, but the real
flower lover will delight in coaxing some favorite to go on blooming
indoors. Heliotropes cut back, petunias and salvias, by being carefully
lifted with a ball of earth so as not to disturb the roots, and then
kept in the shade for a couple of days, ought to continue to bloom for
some time. Begonias I have moved this way without affecting them for a
single day. A small canna, thus potted, will last a long time and help
out among the more expensive foliage plants. Geraniums, however, are the
old stand-by of window gardeners. If "slipped" during the summer, by
cutting off a tender shoot just below a joint, and putting it in a pot
of light, rather sandy soil, and kept moist, it should bloom during the
winter. It does best in sunshine.
The kind of soil best adapted to houseplants generally, is given by one
authority as two parts loam, one part leaf mould, one part sharp sand.
The variation of different growers simply proves what I have seen
contended, that it is the proper temperature and moisture that really
count.
The city girl, with little space to spare, will find the begonias, in
their many varieties, most satisfactory. They respond quickly to house
treatment, and a small plant from the florist's will grow so rapidly as
to soon need repotting. These favorites are of a large family, and some
will stand considerable shade. A large, lovely specimen now about three
years old, in my own home has developed from a little thing costing
fifteen cents. Get cultural directions for the kind you buy, as they
differ. A couple of stalks broken from an old plant early in the season,
and stuck in a small pot, if kept thoroughly damp, will soon root, and
blossom in a very little while.
Fuchsias are another old favorite easily grown from cuttings, and
thriving well in a window. Primroses are easily grown from seed, and
when started in February or March, should begin blooming in November and
under careful treatment, last through the winter. The crab cactus or
"Christmas cactus," as I have heard it called, is one of the most easily
grown houseplants, and sends out bright red flowers at the ends of the
joints, making an attractive plant for the holidays.
Of the ferns, I have found several varieties exceptionally satisfactory.
A little Boston, costing only twenty-five cents when bought for a small
table decoration four or five years ago, and changed from one pot to
another as growth demanded, today is five feet in diameter,--and the
despair of the family on account of the room it requires. It has always
stood near either an east or a west window during the winter, in a
furnace-heated, gas-lighted house, and been moved to a north porch
during the summer. This type needs considerable moisture, and does best
when watered every day. I have even seen it growing in a large basket
placed in a pan of water. The leaves of this group must be kept clean,
and I wash mine occasionally with a small cloth and warm water, using a
little soap and then rinsing, if I discover any trace of scale,--that
little hard-shelled, brown pest often found on both stems and leaves.
Both of the asparagus ferns,--the plumosus and the Sprengeri, I have
grown from tiny pots until they became positively unwieldy, by giving
about the same kind of treatment. None of these should be allowed to dry
out, as they then turn brown and wither. The asparagus plumosus can be
either pinched back to keep as a pot plant, or encouraged to grow as a
vine. The asparagus Sprengeri is especially valuable for boxes and
baskets, on account of its long, drooping sprays, and if allowed to
develop naturally during the summer, should be well covered with its
lovely berries at Christmas time.
The holly fern is especially beautiful, while also quite hardy and--to
its advantage--not so common as the varieties already mentioned. Several
small specimens found planted at the base of a Christmas poinsettia were
afterwards set out in small pots, and grew with surprising rapidity.
They stood the dry heat of a steam-heated house, and kept a lovely
glossy green when other plants were seriously affected.
Fern dishes are frequently filled with the spider ferns, though often
combined with the others mentioned. On a certain occasion, when a
neglected fern dish had to be discarded, I discovered in the center a
tiny plant still growing that looked so hardy I decided to repot it. It
grew and, to my surprise, soon developed into an attractive little
kentia palm, now three or four years old and eighteen inches high. I
think that one reason the ordinary fern dish does not last long is that
it is kept on table or sideboard all the time, too far away from the
light. Often, too, it is not properly watered. If every morning after
breakfast it were sprinkled in the sink, and then set near a window,
though not in the sun, it would soon be getting too big for its
quarters, and need dividing. It is well to remember that the container
is shallow and holds very little earth, hence its roots are in danger of
drying out.
All these ferns mentioned I have seen grown repeatedly, under varying
conditions, in a furnace-heated house as well as a steam-heated
apartment; and with a reasonable amount of light, and water enough to
keep them thoroughly moist, I have had them green and beautiful the year
around.
Palms and the popular foliage plants can be grown satisfactorily with
little or no sunlight. The kentia palm before mentioned is one of the
very hardiest, and will thrive where few others will grow. Both the
cocoanut and date varieties can be easily grown from seed,--an
interesting experiment. None of them require any particular treatment. A
place by a north or east window will suit them perfectly; they will
stand a temperature of forty-five degrees at night; but they do require
plenty of water, and cleanliness of leaf. Water them as the earth
becomes dry, but do not leave standing in half-filled jardinieres, (as
people often do,) as much soaking spoils the soil. A good plan for
plants of this class is to set them in a pail of warm water and leave
for a few hours or over night, about once a week, and then when they
become dry in between times, pour water enough around the roots to wet
thoroughly.
The rubber plant grows quickly compared with the palm, and requires very
little attention. It does best in good soil, and thrives on being set
in a half shady place outdoors during the summer. One that I have
watched for four years has stood during the winter near a west window,
only a few feet from a steam radiator. It would get quite dry at times,
but never seemed to be affected at all. When a plant gets too tall for a
room, and looks ungainly, make a slanting cut in the stem at the height
desired, slip in a small wedge, and wrap the place with wet sphagnum
moss, which must be then kept wet for several weeks. When you find a lot
of new roots coming through this wrapping, cut off just below the mass
and plant the whole ball in a pot with good soil. Keep in a shady place
for a few days, and in a short time you will have two nice, well-shaped
plants instead of the single straggly one.
A group of three long, slender-leaved plants are the next of those
easily grown for their foliage. The hardiest is the aspidistra, with its
drooping dark green leaves, each coming directly from the root stalk,
and it will stand almost any kind of treatment. From one plant costing a
dollar and a half five years ago, I now have two that are larger than
the original and have given away enough for five more. It has an
interesting flower, too,--a wine-colored, yellow-centered, star-shaped
blossom that pushes up through the earth just enough to open, and which
often is hidden by the mud of excessive watering.
The pandanus produces long, narrow leaves from one center stem, and can
be bought in plain green, green and white or green and yellow. It needs
good drainage, but takes a rich soil and plenty of water. It stands
exceedingly well the dust, dryness and shade of an ordinary living-room,
so is a valuable addition to any collection of houseplants. It is easily
multiplied by using the suckers as cuttings.
The dracaenas are quite similar to the pandanus, only they are usually
marked with a beautiful red. They are equally suitable for living
quarters, and will thrive under the same conditions. The umbrella plant
requires an unusual amount of water, and will grow nicely in a water
garden. Its tall, graceful umbrellas make it an especially attractive
plant. The Norfolk Island pine is another popular houseplant that asks
only to be kept cool and moist. Beautifully symmetrical, it fits
especially well in certain places, and will respond gratefully to even a
reasonable amount of attention. For a small plant, the saxifraga I like
very much, with its beautifully marked leaves and the runners which make
it so effective for a bracket or basket.
The "inch plant," or "Wandering Jew," as some people call it, in both
the green and the variegated, looks and does well in wall pockets or
when grown on a window sill in a fine, thin glass. Smilax is also
recommended for the window garden, and will grow in quite shady places,
though it needs to be trained up. All the ferns and green plants
mentioned are likely to prove more satisfactory than the flowering ones
to the amateur doomed to live in sunless rooms,--which, however, can be
made most attractive with what is suitable.
SIMPLE INDOOR NOVELTIES
The prettiest kind of a little hanging basket is made by cutting off the
top of a big carrot, carefully scraping out the inside, running a cord
through holes made near the rim, and keeping it full of water. It will
soon resemble a mass of ferns.
A lovely little water garden for the dining-room table is made by
slicing a 3/4-in. thick piece from the top of a beet and a carrot, and
laying them in a shallow dish or bowl, with half an inch of water,--to
not quite cover the slices. Set in the light for a few days and you will
have soon a beautiful mass of feathery green and sword-like dark red
foliage that will last for months.
Grape fruit pips will sprout in a bit of soil very quickly, and make a
mass of attractive green often where ferns have failed to grow.
WINTER BLOOMING BULBS
Of all the bulbs for winter blooming, the Chinese lily is one of the
most satisfactory, as it flowers in a few weeks, and is grown in a
shallow bowl in water, with pebbles to hold it in position. It is best
to set it in a dark place for a week or two until the roots start, when
it can be brought to a light window.
The paper white narcissus and the Roman hyacinth can also be grown in
water, or placed in soil if preferred. They will blossom in about eight
weeks. The other "Dutch" bulbs will take longer, although the hyacinths
are easily grown in water by setting each bulb in a hyacinth glass or an
open-mouth pickle bottle, with water enough to just touch the bottom of
the bulb, and then putting away in a cold, dark place (like a cellar),
until the roots nearly touch the bottom of the glass. A few pieces of
charcoal help to keep the water sweet. Bring gradually to a light
window, and when flower buds are well started, put in the sun. By
bringing out this way in the order of their best development, flowers
can be had for a long season. The hyacinth bulbs can be bought from
five cents to twenty-five cents apiece, according to their fine
breeding.
[Illustration: SPRING BEAUTIES,--TULIPS, DAFFODILS, CROCUSES, PUSSY
WILLOWS AND FORSYTHIA,--BLOOMING INDOORS AGAINST A SNOWY BACKGROUND]
Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths when grown in good soil in the shallow
"pans," should be set deeply enough to be just covered, quite closely
together if wanted in a group, thoroughly watered, and then put in a
cold, dark place (frost free, however). Keep moist for from two to four
mos.--when you can begin bringing them into the warm living-room as
desired, and place in the sunlight after buds form. With this method is
secured a succession of bloom from January until the spring flowers come
out-of-doors.
The freesia and the oxalis are of the "Cape" group of bulbs, and when
started in the fall should blossom in four or five months. Plant in
good, rich soil (half a dozen to a 5-in. pot), set away in a cool but
light place, and leave until some leaf growth has started. Then bring
into a light, warm room as desired for different periods of bloom. The
amaryllis is another foreign bulb that comes into market in the late
fall. Pot it in rich soil, rather sandy, do not cover the top of the
bulb, and keep rather dry until it gets a good start. When buds are
noticed, put the plant where it will get the sunlight, and water
regularly.
SPRING BEAUTIES
As I look up from my work, my eyes rest on the different spring bulbs
blooming this 28th day of February, in my south window, against their
snowy background,--purple crocus, both red and white tulips, and that
loveliest of daffodils, the white-tipped Queen Victoria. They were
potted last October, covered up in an ash-lined trench outdoors until
after the holidays, then carried into a cold but light attic for a week,
before finally being brought into a warm room. The daffodils cost but
three cents apiece, yet each fills an ordinary pot, and produces three
lovely blossoms, four inches across.
A new fibre is now on the market at a very low price that can be used
exactly like earth, only it does not sour, and consequently can be put
in any fine bowl or jar, as it does not need drainage. Once thoroughly
wet, it has only to be kept moist and the plants do as well as in soil.
I, personally, prefer to plant in soil.
The family living in an apartment with no cold place to start the bulbs
that take so long, could easily fix a box or egg-crate under the coldest
window and darken it with a small rug, hiding there for a few weeks the
Roman hyacinths and narcissi.
BOOKS FOR THE INDOOR GARDENER
However successful you are with your window gardening, you are sure to
enjoy knowing what other people have learned and written on the subject,
and a number of simple, interesting books are available. Your librarian
will be glad to point out the best she has to offer, and there are
several you may want to own. "Manual of Gardening," by L. H. Bailey,
formerly Dean of the Agricultural College at Cornell University, is one
of the most comprehensive, covering every phase of gardening, summer and
winter, indoors and out; "The Flower Garden," by Ida D. Bennett, devotes
considerable space to house plants, window gardens, hot beds, etc.;
"Green House and Window Plants," by Chas. Collins, is a little book by
an English authority, and goes quite fully into soils, methods of
propagating, management of green houses, and also the growing of house
plants; "Practical Horticulture," by our own Peter Henderson, while
especially valuable to the large commercial grower, contains much
interesting information for the amateur; "House Plants and How to Grow
Them," by P. T. Barnes, however, is one of the simplest and best, and
sure to suit the busy school-girl, in a hurry to find out the proper
way to make her particular pet plant do its very best.
And just as surely as she would not attempt to make a new kind of cake
without a reliable recipe, just so surely ought she not to expect to
grow flowers successfully without finding out first how it should be
done. Flowers, like friends, have to be cultivated, and consideration of
their needs produces similar delightful results.