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WONSSC( 1

SOW IT GROWS

WELL-GROOME- - and
attractive house p).:‘s are
an important elent: at in
interior design an: .9me
furnishing. A plan iat is
suffering from a lack of
nutrition or poor » owing
conditions become: .-n eye-
sore to an otherw:: « attrac-
tive setting.

As J mentioned in ty fast col-
umn, this is a good time to look at
all your indoor plants +! decide
which ones need reput:' ig.

The right pot or cor: siner is
very important for disptaying an

* altractive, plant. If you have several
large plants in a room, :-. to
choose planters made c! the same
material and of a similar volor.

This avoids a mismz!ched Jook.
It is possible to solve ti:s problem
by buying several similsr baskets
in which to’set your pl:::: pots.
This eliminates the need to have
all pots the same color and shape.

There are two basic reasons for
repotting plants: First, it renews
the exhausted soil; and second,
repotting allows more room for the
root structure to grow and support
a larger, more vigorous plant.

The symptoms that indicate the
plant is ready to be repotted are
usually evident.

You may see the roots growing

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outaf the top or batt of the pot
and/or the growth has stopped.

HW there is a white crust of
excess fertilizer salts accumulated
around the soil ling or drain holes
then its time to repot.

When the soil Jevel is well
below the regular level of the pot,
the soil has probably not been
changed or renewed for several
years and needs to be replaced.

There are many potting soils
available in garden centres. It is
best to choose one that has @ nice
coarse texture and wil) drain well.
If you prefer to mix your own soil
use two parts perlite. three parts
peat, three parts home compost
and four parts clean garden soil.

Some people might think that if
a plant has the potential to grow to
a large size it should be put ina
large pot initially.

This practice will often cause
the death of a small plant because
it cannot use the amount of water
available in the soil. With too
much water and not enough air the
roots will die back or rot off.

itis far better to start a small
plant in a small container and
move it up through a series of pot
sizes as the plant matures.

The reason for increasing the
size of the pot as the plaré grows is
so that the roots will be forced to
fill one pot before moving into the
new soil of the larger pot.

This creates a very uniform pat
tern of root growth throughout the
rootball and not just on the inner
surfaces of the pot. Large masses
of soil with no network of roots
take a long time to dry.out. This
leads to root rot in much the same
way as poor drainage does.

In general, plastic or ceramic
pots with holes in the bottom are
the best containers. Cacti or water
plants such as cyperus may require
amore spec alized pot and soil.

In order to reduce your clean-
up time. Jay down a large plastic
sheet in your work area before
repotting.

To help detach the root struc-
ture, squeeze or depress the sides
of the pot. In some cases you may
have to run a sharp knife down the
inside of the pot.

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TO STAY healthy, a house plant needs to be in a pot that is
neither too smali nor too large. A growing plant wil! need to be

repotted regularly throughout its lifetime.

For cacti and some large plants
that have dense root masses you
need to break the clay pot or slit
the side of a plastic pot. Usually
you can just hold the plant with the
stem between your fingers and tap
the upside down pot to dislodge

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the plant.

Should the plant be too prickly,
wrap it in an old towel and wear a
glove. Shake off the old soil from
the rootball and prune any dead or
broken roots before placing the
plant in a new pot. Add enough

66 Should the
plant be too
prickly,
wrap it in
an old towel
and wear

new soil to the bottom of the pot to
raise the top of the root ball to
within one half to one inch below
the pot rim. unless you plan to
mulch the plant with decorative
volcanic rock.

Pour soil into the cavity around
the sides of the pot and agitate so
the loose soil will fill any holes
between the roots. Tap the soil
with your fingers and then add
water to settle the soil and drive
out the excess air.

Putting a piece of broken pot-
tery over the centre hole in larger
pots not only helps retain the soil
but also gives you something to
push against the rootball the next
time you repot.

In a case where the maximum
sized pot has been used, knock the
plant out of the pot and remove the
old soil. This may result in remov-
ing some of the old root structure
as well. Return the plant to the
same pot and add the new soil.

Having pruned the root struc-
ture, it is also a good time to cut
back the top growth to stimulate
new growth and help maintain the
leaf-to-root ratio.

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