Potting Soils

If your collection of houseplants is small, the matter of soil need not greatly concern you. Your florist or a local greenhouse will supply the correct mixture at a reasonable price. It's easier to buy a few bushels of earth for potting than it is to mix your own. On the other hand, as interest and the number of plants increase, you will probably want to give the matter more consideration and make sure that each plant has its roots buried in the kind of soil most agreeable to the species.

In The Garden Dictionary..' which, by the way, ought be in every gardener's possession. They cover all types of plants likely to be cultivated in the house. Mixtures 3 and 6, in particular, cover a wide range of requirements. In subsequent descriptions of plants, number will make reference to potting mixtures.

Potting Mixture 1

• For potting rooted cuttings started in sand

• 2 parts sharp sand

• 1 part loam

• 1 part leaf mold (or peat moss for acidtolerant plants)

Potting Mixture 2:
For transplanted seedlings and for cuttings when moved from Mixture 1

• 2 part sharp sand

• 1 part loam

• 1 part leaf mold

Potting Mixture 3
For general potting, especially for such plants as the garden geranium, fuchsias, chrysanthemums, Sansevieria, Pandanus, palms, etc.

• 1 part sharp sand

• 2 parts loam

• 1 part leaf mold or humus

• 1/2 part dried cow manure

• 1 5-inch flower pot full of bone meal to each bushel of the mixture

Potting Mixture 4
For plants requiring more humus than in Mixture 3, such as begonias, many ferns, primulas, etc.

• 2 parts sharp sand

• 2 parts loam

• 2 parts leaf mold or humus 1/2 part dried cow manure

• 1  5-inch flower pot full of bone meal to each bushel of the mixture

Potting Mixture 5
For potting many hardwoodcd plants such as azaleas, Ericas,Daphne, and certain ferns

• 2 parts sharp sand

• 2 parts loam

• 2 parts peat moss

• 1 part leaf mold or humus

• 1/3 part dried cow manure

Potting Mixture 6
For most cacti and succulents

• 2 parts sharp sand

• 2 parts loam

• 1 part broken flower pots or soft brick broken into small pieces

• 1/2 part leaf mold or humus

• 1 5-inch flower pot of bone meal to each bushel of the mixture

• 1 5-inch flower pot of limestone (ground) to each bushel of the mixture

With material for preparing these mixtures on hand in the garage or tool shed you are ready for any eventualities as potting is concerned. Irrespective of the labor it is a source of great satisfaction to the deeply interested gardener to know that he is giving his plants the best start; and the plants show their appreciation with foliage and more numerous blossoms.