ROCK GARDENS

Rock, Marsh, Shrubs in the Garden
Plants 9

In November of the second season or in March of the third year the plants can be put out in their permanent positions in most districts. Should one be in an industrial area it is wiser to wait until April or May. Tender plants should receive protection during the second winter as afforded in the first. Slugs are the great enemy of young seedlings, and some good soil fumigant should be used to keep these at bay. or August when the shoots have half matured; and thirdly when the shoots are beginning to ripen in early summer; the latter time is, perhaps, the best of the three. With many of the hardier shrubs the cuttings may be struck in sandy soil in a sheltered bed in the open (see Chapter 12), provided the wood is fully ripe. Half-matured cuttings, even of hardy shrubs, must, however, be treated like those of the less hardy natures and should be struck under glass. Cuttings of hardy evergreen shrubs are also best struck under glass, not because they need heat, but because a close, steady and fairly moist atmosphere is required (see Propagation of Shrubs, p. 60). When cuttings are struck in pots or boxes, the latter should be well drained by an inch layer of crocks at the bottom, and must be clean. If they are dirty, the mould may stick to them when the cuttings are turned out for transplanting, and the tender new root fibres may be torn. Making the Compost. A good compost for striking the cuttings of most plants can be made by mixing equal quantities of leaf-mould and well-sieved loam, and by adding to this two-thirds of sharp silver sand, and then sieving the whole through a quarter-inch mesh. It is always well to sprinkle the surface of the soil which is to receive the cuttings with a layer of sharp silver sand about half-an-inch thick, so that when the dibble is pressed down to form the hole for the cutting, some of the sand will trickle into it and be ready to encourage the production of roots. The sand keeps the soil porous and prevents the base of the cutting from rotting. The soil should be firmed down and the slips inserted at least one and a half inches apart; they must not be placed too close together or they may "damp-off" Press the earth well down round the cuttings, as they will not root if standing loosely in the soil. If the cuttings can be fairly easily pulled from the compost, it may be taken as an indication that they are not planted sufficiently firmly. Inserting the Slips. As has been said, cuttings strike more readily when placed at the side of a pot, than when inserted in its centre. Of ordinary plants about seven cuttings can be placed in a four-inch pot.

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