Growing Gardenia
Belonging to the Madder family this genus includes about 200 evergreen shrubs and rarely small trees. Best known representatives are G. jasminoides, or cape jasmine, and G. Veitchii, the florists gardenia, with its waxy, fragrant white flowers and glossy foliage.
During its blooming season, G. jasminoides must be kept thoroughly wet and not allowed to dry out, but in winter it is kept fairly dry. G. Veitchii is an ever blooming gardenia, the most popular hothouse or house plant variety.
During its blooming season, G. jasminoides must be kept thoroughly wet and not allowed to dry out, but in winter it is kept fairly dry. G. Veitchii is an ever blooming gardenia, the most popular hothouse or house plant variety.
The culture of freesias is quite simple. The corms and plants are tender and must never be subjected to freezing temperatures. They are suited to house culture exclusively. Success depends primarily upon correct temperature. Prepare a special soil mixture composed of one-third each of leaf mold or shredded peat moss, good rich garden soil and fine clean sand. Moisten the mixture moderately and place it in pots or deep bulb pans, first covering the drainage hole with a few pieces of broke flowerpot. Five or six corms can be planted in a five-inch pot, from eight to ten in a six inch pot.
Some gardeners have found that freesia corms are surer to bloom if they are dried thoroughly for about two weeks on a sunny windowsill. When planting, space the corms about two inches apart and press them into the loose soil mixture so that the tips are covered with from ” to one inch of soil. Next, place the pots or pans, without watering them, in the shaded window of a cool room where the temperature remains between 45 and 55 F. (7.22 to 12.78 C). Under such conditions root growth will commence promptly. When the sprouts break through, place in a south window. It seems that the colored varieties do better if the temperature is kept at 55 to 60 F(12.78 to 15.56 C)
At the end of the second season the seedlings are usually large enough to be transplanted to their permanent beds six to eight inches apart each way, with the root socks covered to a depth of about two inches. The soil should be kept free from weeds and the plants liberally watered throughout the growing season. For satisfactory growth the plant requires about 75 percent shade during summer.
Under favorable conditions, goldenseal roots achieve full size in about five years from seed, or in three or four years when grown from root buds or by division of the root socks. The roots are dug in fall after the tops have withered. They are washed clean of all soil and dried on screens in an airy, partly sunny place, or indoors on a clean dry floor. When dried in the open they should be protected from rain and dew.
Insects which trouble gardenias are thrips, red spider mites and mealy bugs. Mites may be combated by a daily spraying of the foliage with clear water. Thrips and mealy bugs may be handpicked, but will trouble the plant little if it is in robust health.
