Old Houseplants
Cuttings inserted into such a peat bed (4 to 6 in. in depth) will quickly show their appreciation and produce roots in the minimum length of time. The nurseryman is further aided in his efforts by a little light shade on the greenhouse and mist spray lines suspended over the cutting beds. The spray lines are all important, as they can he regulated to come into operation at set times, frequency depending on the prevailing weather conditions. When very hot it would he essential that the mist unit is activated at frequent intervals during the course of the day.
But it really only requires a few simple rules in order to become surprisingly successful. Luck plays a very small part; it is the material and conditions which make all the difference between success and failure.
Once the seedlings are established in small pots it is a good time for indulging in a bit of barter with any acquaintance who may have a collection of.plants. Whether you are able to arrange an exchange or not it will be advisable to dispose of the majority of young plants if the germination has been satisfactory, as it will he impossible to grow them all on to maturity in a limited space. Only the best seedlings should be saved for your own use.
Consequently, on the nursery, if there is the slightest doubt concerning the suitability of cutting material it is discarded. Any faulty cuttings that find their way into the propagating beds will quickly rot and die, with the result that healthy cuttings surrounding them are in time affected.
When obviously growing on their own roots they can be snipped away from the parent plant and potted up individually, to begin in small pots of the same compost.
Frequently we hear that some particular exercise or other is child’s play, and this is certainly so when propagating some of the easier indoor plants. And there is no better way of encouraging youngsters to take an interest in plants than to get them to propagate some of the simpler cuttings for themselves. My own young daughter did just this with a few cuttings of Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera buckleyi) some years ago and it is now one of our most treasured possessions, cared for by the young lady in question who never fails to inform visitors that it is her plant.
