ROCK GARDENS

Rock, Marsh, Shrubs in the Garden
Plants 10

No cutting should be set too deeply but, as in the case of seeds, the depth will depend mainly on the size of the cutting; a good general rule is to set about two-thirds of the length of hard-wooded cuttings in the soil, with soft-wooded cuttings only one-third or one-half should be inserted. Leaves should not be permitted to touch the soil; if they do, they will "damp-off." Water well after insertion. When using pots or boxes, it is better, but not necessary, to sink these nearly to their brims in ashes or coconut fibre, which will keep the soil at an even temperature. Whether the cuttings are covered by plates of glass, "eye" from which a pair of leaves have sprung. When no "heel" is taken, the cut must be especially clean and just below a joint, but the joint itself must be left intact. The "heel," from which all ragged edges should be trimmed, when placed in contact with the ground provides a larger surface on which roots can form. The length of the cuttings is decided by the distance between the joints; when these are, say, an inch apart, the cuttings must be from three to four inches long and over half this length must be buried in the soil. Where the distance between joints is less, the cuttings may be shorter, but all hard-wooded cuttings should have at least two or three inches in the ground, and all cuttings must be inserted right to the bottom of the hole prepared for them. Cuttings. of hard-wooded shrubs, such as the Broom, Heath, Helianthemum, or Myrtle, are more difficult to strike than those of soft-wooded plants. Such cuttings are better if taken with a "heel" of the old wood attached, and kept fairly short and it should prove easy if the method mentioned on the previous page be used. Cuttings of free-growing hardy plants strike easily without care or attention after being inserted in the soil. The position for all cuttings should, of course, be sheltered and shaded from full sun, and although not necessary with hardy plants, most cuttings when planted in the open do better if covered by a hand-light until the roots have formed. The less hardy and less vigorous plants should be struck in pots or boxes in a cold frame or under hand-lights, while some require artificial heat or the bottom-heat of a propagating box. It may be taken as a general rule that cuttings of soft-wooded plants require more heat than those of hard-wooded plants. "Soft" cuttings, as a rule, should not be struck in the open as, apart from a little heat being desirable, the wind and sun would dry the moisture from their leaves and the roots would only form with difficulty.

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