Clivia

Clivia minima is a greenhouse evergreen which was first introduced to Great Britain in 1823 from South Africa. Formerly it was called Imantophyllum, but in around 1866, when a new classification was introduced, it was re-named Clivia, after Charlotte, Duchess of Northumberland, nee G i v e , who is said to have been the first to flower the plant in England. It has the common names Kaffir or Caffre lily and Natal lily, which no doubt were used when it bore its former name, but the use of these has died out now: that it has such a simple generic name.

It has very fleshy roots and strap-like leaves of which when it is growing well, it will produce four to six new ones during the growing season. It flowers in the spring.

Clivias are not difficult to raise from seed, and once you have a plant propagation of further plants can be carrried out by means of offshoots, which frequently form on flowering size plants. The only drawback to raising your plants from seed is that you will have to wait three or four years before you see it flower. On the other hand flowering-size plants are expensive. In my ignorance of the length of time it takes the plant to flower, I bought a packet of seeds in 1956 for three shillings. It contained three seeds which I sowed on 9 April 1956, and all three germinated. It was four years before the first plant flowered, but the tremendous pleasure it gave me was worth all the time I had waited. I still have three clivias which have been propagated from time to time from these original plants. It is necessary to discard plants after a number of years, because they would require very large pots or tubs and take up too much room in the greenhouse.

CULTIVATION SMITHIANTHA

The time to start the tubers into growth is late winter or early spring, but the point to bear in mind is that a temperature of 6 5 ° F (18°C) is initially required, and when the shoots appear a minimum temperature of 55°F (13°C) is needed for growth to continue. Tubers started in late winter will usually bloom in late summer and early autumn. Tubers started in spring will bloom in autumn. If you do not have the facilities to maintain a minimum temperature of 5 5 ° F (I3°C) during early spring it is better to delay potting until mid-spring so that the shoots do not appear until the weather is warmer.

Make sure the compost is moist but not wet and do not water until absolutely necessary, as too much moisture at this stage before any appreciable root growth has occurred can result in tuber rotting. Place the pots in a temperature of 6 5 ° F ( 1 8 ° C ) until shoots appear, after which the plants can be moved to a slightly cooler place. A temperature of 6 0 °F (15°C) is ideal.

The tuber should be placed on its side in the compost about in (13 mm) below the surface, using JI potting compost No.2 or compost E6. Pot four tubers in a 5 or 6-in (12.5 or 15-cm) half-pot, which is quite adequate for the root run, and gives a better balance of pot to flower.

Apart from watering as required, the plants do not require any further attention until they have flowered. When grown in a greenhouse they should be given light shading in the late spring and summer months. When the plants have finished flowering, they should be allowed to dry off gradually until the leaves begin to wither away, at which stage withhold water altogether, and allow the compost in the pots to become completely dry. The pots can be stored under the bench in the greenhouse (providing you can maintain a minimum temperature of 4 5 ° F / 7 °C on average), laying each pot on its side.

The tubers will not come to any harm with an occasional short spell at 4 0 ° F (4°C) if the pots are bone dry, but should not be kept in temperatures below 4 5 ° F (7°C) for weeks on end. At the end of the winter knock the soil out of the pots and carefully sort out the tubers, which should then be started into growth as already described.

CULTIVATION PRIMULA

Primulas are grown from seed sown in well-drained pots using JI seed compost or a soilless sowing compost. The seeds are very fine and should be sown on the surface, after which tap the pots lightly on a solid surface, so that the seeds settle into the compost. Do not shade the seed pans but leave exposed to the light, but not direct sunlight, covering with a sheet of glass or a plastic bag.

As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle they should be pricked out into boxes, if you are growing a fair number, or alternatively into 3-in (7.5-cm) pots, using JI No.2 or equivalent. At this stage it is most important to ensure that the seedlings are planted at the correct height, i.e. the crown of the plant should be level with the surface of the soil. If the crown is below the surface the plant will rot, and if above the surface it will not stand upright. The crown is the junction of the leaves with the stem. When the small pots are well-rooted, pot into 4-in (10-cm) or 4'/2-in (11-cm) pots, or if you have pricked out into boxes, transfer first of all to З'/г-in (8.5-cm) and later to 4'/2-in (11-cm) pots. For this final potting use JI No.2 or compost E6.

The sowing and potting culture already described applies to all six of the primulas with which we are concerned, but the growth requirements differ slightly, and at this stage it is necessary to differentiate. P. nialamides, P. kewensis and P. sinensis are best sown from early to late spring; P. obconica from late winter to mid-spring; and polyanthus and primroses late spring to early summer. All the primulas should be kept in a frame throughout the summer, and shaded from direct sunlight. At the beginning of autumn remove from the frame into the cool section of the greenhouse at first, until the weather becomes colder, then move P. obconica, P. kewensis and P. malacoides into the warmer section, where an average temperature of 45°F (7°C) is maintained. A drop to 4 0 - 4 2 ° F ( 4 - 5 ° C ) on very cold nights will not damage the plants. On the other hand P. sinensis requires a higher temperature, about 5 0 - 5 5 ° F ( 1 0 - 13°C). Polyanthus and primrose plants are kept in the cool section throughout the winter, as they are both hardy plants and will in fact stand frost.

Primulas are very useful plants for house decoration because not only are they attractive and colourful, but they flower from late winter to spring, a period during which flowering pot plants are not easy to find.

P. obconica will flower for months, but unfortunately has the disadvantage that it causes a skin rash to people who are allergic to the chemical secreted in the hairs on the underside of its leaves, and if you are one of these people always wear gloves when handling the plant.

A l l these primulas are treated as annuals and the greenhouse varieties are scrapped after flowering, but the polyanthus and primrose can be planted in the garden where they should bloom for years.

CULTIVATION LANTANA

The best way to start with lantanas is to buy a plant, which will usually have been raised from a cutting taken the previous year. If the plant consists mainly of new green growth it will have been a summer cutting, but if the growth is woody it will be a cutting from the previous spring.

If necessary shorten the shoots back to two pairs of leaves, assuming that your purchase has been made in spring, to give the plant a good shape and to make it bushy. Lantanas have a tendency to make straggly growth, and any weak growths are better removed altogether. The pruning of the plant is most important if you wish to produce a well-balanced attractive flowering plant, and if it is done in late spring you will be rewarded with more prolific flowering in summer.

Lantanas are propagated by cuttings which are taken in the spring or autumn. They are taken in the usual way by cutting immediately below a node about 3 - 4 in ( 7 . 5 - 10 cm) from the growing tip. Remove all the leaves except the top pair and root in a suitable cutting compost using a hormone rooting powder to ensure success. Cover with a plastic dome or a polythene bag for about two weeks, and when it can be seen that the cuttings have made some top growth they should be potted in 3'/2-in (9-cm) pots in compost E6 or JI No.2.

CULTIVATION OF KALANCHOE

Kalanchoes are grown from seed and can be raised quite easily; and should you wish to retain a particular plant it is possible to take cuttings, which are not particularly difficult to root. Sow seed in spring in any type of sowing compost, covering the seed very lightly, in a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C) and enclose in a plastic bag or cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass, and remove these coverings at the first signs of germination. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, pot in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots; they are slow-growing plants and this size of pot will probably suffice until the end of the summer or even the following spring. Dwarf varieties never require more than a З'/г-in (9-cm) pot and will grow for two years in this size, after which it is usually better to discard them.

Cuttings can be taken during the summer months. If left in the cutting medium for six to seven weeks, they should be well rooted and ready for potting in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots.

For cuttings, select strong shoots about 2 in (5 cm) long, and cut below a node. Remove all the leaves except the top five, and, after dipping in a hormone rooting powder, insert about Чг in (13 mm) deep in a cutting compost. Keep the cuttings enclosed inside a plastic dome or a plastic bag for about three weeks and then expose them to the air for another three or four weeks before potting.

Kalanchoes tend to grow a single stem, and to obtain bushy plants it is necessary to stop the growth by removing the tip of the stem. This should not be done until the cuttings have made at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of growth. Side shoots will appear in due course, and when these have made sufficient growth remove the growing points of these as well. If you only wish to grow a few kalanchoes it is probably better to buy the plants and propagate your requirements by cuttings, which are very easily raised, rather than grow them from seed, particularly as it takes about eighteen months to grow a good flowering plant.

Kalanchoes require a minimum temperature of 45°F (7°C) during the winter but they w i l l not thrive if kept at this temperature. To make satisfactory growth they require a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C); consequently they need to be kept in a propagator in the greenhouse if they are to flower satisfactorily during the winter months. Once they have been brought into flower they can be put in a cooler temperature to retard growth and prolong the flowering period.

ZONAL PELARGONIUM SORGERANIUMS

P. hortorum

By 1860 hybridists were producing hybrids which could be said to be the forerunners of the modern geranium. A race of double flowers was produced in 1864 by the famous breeder Victor Lemoine, in his nursery at Nancy, which was the result of a sport. By 1869 Lemoine was listing 70 varieties of doubleflowered geraniums. In 1871 a considerable cash prize was offered for the first double white, which gives some idea of the interest and the demand for geranium varieties. The most famous of all was raised by Monsieur Crampel at his geranium nursery at Nancy. Realising he had raised a plant of considerable commercial value, he commenced propagating a large stock from cuttings, without allowing any of the plants to bloom, thus keeping secret the beauty of this new variety and reducing the possibility of theft. When he had filled several greenhouses and was ready to market the plant, it was allowed to bloom and introduced to the public in 1903. The plants were sold at over £1 each. At the time the red-flowered ' H e n r y Jacoby' was the most popular variety and Covent Garden was, as often, rather conservative, with the result that it was a few years before 'Paul СгатреГ took pride of place, but eventually by 1910 it was recognised as the finest geranium in the world and has remained popular even to this day, despite the many superior cultivars which have since been raised.

CINERARIA part 2

Seed sown in spring, as described, should produce plants which have been potted into their final pots by mid-summer and these will bloom from the beginning of autumn onw-ards. Plants from the same sowing do not all bloom at the same time, and if you grow, say, a dozen plants from a spring sowing, they will probably cover a period of about three months, i.e. from the end of the summer until early winter. Seed can be sown any time between mid-spring and early summer inclusive; consequently, by sowing at different times, plants can be had in flower throughout the autumn and winter months.

Cinerarias can be grown in soilless compost, but in my experience they grow better in compost E6. Having large leaves, they require frequent watering in hot sunny weather and should always be shaded from direct sunlight. Even so, the leaves will nearly always flag during the heat of the day despite the compost being well watered, but in the cool of the evening they will recover and will be none the worse. It is, however, better to grow the plants outside in the summer, as soon as all danger of frost has passed. Any situation where the light is good, but out of the direct rays of the sun, is suitable. Before the end of the summer the plants should be taken indoors or preferably into a greenhouse.

As the plants make considerable growth in their growing period, feeding should commence after the plants have been in their final pots for some four or five weeks.

Cinerarias tend to attract greenfly and whitefiy in the summer months so, from time to time, inspect the undersides of the leaves and spray with a suitable insecticide if it is necessary. After the plants have finished flowering they should be discarded as they do not make satisfactory flowering plants in the second year.

FUCHSIA - part 2

It would seem that James Lee was informed by one of his customers that they had seen a very pretty and unusual plant in the window of a cottage in Wapping. His curiosity aroused, he went to see for himself and when he saw the plant he quickly realised the commercial value, and was consequently keen to acquire it. The woman who owned it was, however, reluctant to part with it because it had a sentimental value for her, having been brought home to her from South America by her sailor son (some versions of this story say it was her husband). However, terms were agreed; here again versions vary, as some say James Lee gave her all the money in his pocket, about eight guineas, and others that he came back the next day and kept increasing his offer until she finally accepted a price of eighty guineas, but this latter version would appear less likely. One thing is certain and that is that she would not part with it until he agreed to let her have the first two cuttings. By 1790 James Lee had raised 300 plants from the original fuchsia, and these he sold for one guinea each. It is not recorded which species it was.

The first known record of a hybrid was in 1832, being a cross between F. coccinea and F. magellanica, after which many hybrids were raised. Towards the end of the nineteenth century there were 1,500 or so named varieties, but, like many plants, hundreds of these were lost during the two world wars, and nowadays it is doubtful if a third of these old varieties still exist, despite the fact that varieties have kept turning up, from many amateur growers, which have been passed on from one grower to another. As with all groups of popular plants, such as pelargoniums and chrysanthemums, many new varieties have been bred during the past thirty years, and the modern hybrids are usually superior to the old ones. There are two main groups of fuchsias: hardy fuchsias, which are grown as permanent bushes in the garden, and greenhouse fuchsias which are grown in pots and need protection in the colder months, as they are not frost-hardy. As we are only dealing with greenhouse and house plants, it is the cultivation of

the latter group which is described.

CHRISTMAS CACTUS

Originally this species was known as Epiphyllum truncatum, and in the nineteenth-century gardening books it was always referred to by this name. Later the name was changed to Zygocactus truncatus, commonly known as the Christmas cactus, because it will flower naturally at Christmas (in the northern hemispere), given the right conditions. According to modern classification the species is now called Schlumbergera truncata, but as with many species which are widely known under a name which has been well established, it is easy enough to change the name but very difficult to get the majority of gardeners to use the new nomenclature, and consequently most gardeners still refer to the Christmas cactus by its old name of Zygocactus truncatus.

The species is a native of Brazil, but nowadays all the plants offered for sale are hybrids. Much hybridising took place in the nineteenth century and plants were usually sold as named varieties in quite a wide range of colours, such as deep rose, reddishorange, purple, and whites with coloured edges (e.g. white edged with rose, white with purple margin). Today, plants are not usually offered in named varieties and mostly only red shades are available. The Christmas and Easter cacti do not have true leaves. The leaf-like portions are really flattened stems and, as the plants grow larger, they gradually become cylindrical.

As plants grown from seed take some four to eight years to reach flowering size it is usual to buy plants already in flower which w i l l , of course, be during the winter. During the winter months plants will require a minimum temperature of 35°F (2°C) to survive, but to maintain growth require 5 5 - 6 5 °F ( 1 3 - 1 8 ° C ) .

The flowering period is during early and midwinter, after which the plants should be kept watered until late summer. During this period feed the plant with a weak liquid fertiliser, and in the summer months it is best to keep the plants outside but protected from the direct rays of the sun. The plant makes growth at the tip of each segment or pad, and as the stems grow longer they tend to droop; therefore it should be staked at an early age to encourage a more upright growth.

Watering of the plants should be discontinued at the beginning of autumn and the plants kept on the dry side until flowering buds appear, when watering should be recommenced. The purpose of withholding water is to allow the plants to rest; and it also seems to stimulate the initiation of flower buds. Bring the plants indoors at the end of the summer but keep them in a cool place until the buds are well-formed, when they should then be given warmer conditions - minimum 60°F(15°C).

The best time to repot is shortly after the plant has flowered, using a soilless compost suitable for ericaceous plants, because schlumbergeras like an acid compost. Repotting is usually only necessary every other year and the plant should be left undisturbed unless it is pot-bound. Always use the smallest size of pot possible.

This is also the best time to take cuttings. Sever the top three segments at the end of a branch, and insert Уг in (13 mm) deep in moist peat, covering the pot with a plastic dome or bag until the cutting has rooted, which should be in about three to four weeks. Allow the cuttings to dry for two or three days before inserting in the rooting medium, otherwise they tend to rot.

Rlupsalidopsts gaerineri, the Easter Cactus, with its bright red flowers, will bloom freely in the house.

CINERARIA

Cinerarias have been very popular plants since early Victorian times and during the latter part of the nineteenth century, when many professional gardeners were engaged in raising new and improved cultivars or hybrids, there were many named varieties offered by nurserymen. It is not surprising that they have always been popular plants because not only are they attractive and colourful flowering plants, but with careful planning they can be flowered from autumn to spring; also, in a cool atmosphere of say 45 - 55 ° F ( 7 - 13°C), some varieties will remain in flower for six to eight weeks.

Although they are perennials, cinerarias are usually treated as annuals and are grown from seed each year, the plants being discarded after flowering. Most seed growers or merchants offer their own strains, which are usually mixed colours, and these vary from dwarf plants, about 10 in (25 cm) in height, to large plants, 18 in (45 cm) tall. It is, however, not so much the height as the width which makes the plant large, because the taller varieties have large leaves and well-grown plants measure about 2 ft (60 cm) in diameter, taking up a considerable amount of room on the greenhouse bench. Unless you have a lot. of room to spare it is better to grow the largeflowered dwarf varieties, which are in any case more useful for house decoration.

Sow the seed in either a soilless compost or in seed compost covering lightly with a fine layer of the compost or fine sand. Cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass or enclose it in a plastic bag. Seed sown in mid-spring should be kept in a temperature of about 60-65°F (15 - 18 °C) and germination should take about seven days, in which case a fortnight after sowing the seedlings should be ready for pricking out into trays using compost E6.

In a further three to four weeks the seedlings should be ready for potting into 3-in (7.5-cm) pots and when these are well rooted in mid-summer pot on into АЧг or 5-in (11.5 or 13-cm) pots, depending on the size of the plant.