Galore- Bring the Outdoors Inside: Terrariums, Bonsai, Hybrids

GARDENING started with the Gar- den of Eden. Undoubtedly it will con- tinue as long as there is a civilized way of life. In fact, the more sophisticated and advanced our culture becomes, the more we seem to need the relaxation of growing our own . Gardening can be an easygoing hobby, a scientific pursuit, an opportun- ity for exercise and fresh air, a serious source of food to help balance the family budget, a means of expression in art and beauty, an applied experi- ment in green growth, or all of these things together. You may be a city dweller whose yearning for green plants is satisfied by minigardens in the house or . A shut-in who can enjoy container grown plants. A homeowner in the suburbs whose is a basement. Or you may be someone in the wide open spaces who is letting loose his full yearn for creativity. Gardening has no bounds, no space limitations, no requirements that can- not be met readily in today's world. Not really needed are power tools, large areas of sunshine-bathed land, or even a strong back. A is not restrict- ed by any age limitations, training requirements, or any social background from doing "his thing." And many phy- Imloor can beautify many areas of sically handicapped persons can garden. a home. Here are a few ideas on gardening for fun and health. any room in your home from basement You can grow plants or seedlings in to attic. Cool, efficient fluorescent light- ing has made gardening inside feasible. AUTHOR AUGUST E. KEiiR is Staff Scien- Through indoor gardening, plants can tist, and Ornamentals, National live from the small germinating seed to Program Staff, Agricultural Research Ser- full maturity without once seeing the

72 Estimate of light requirements of some common plants: Low Medium Most fems Schefflera English ivy Dumb Cane Pothas Rubber plants High Very High Norfolk Island Pine Most flowering plants Citrus All plants Coleus Begonias Caladium African-violets Orchids Illumination in foot-candles at various distances from two or four 40-watt standard cool-white fluoresent lamps: Distance Two Four lamps mounted from lamps 2 inches apart lamps (Used 200 Used 200 New (inches) hours ) hours lamps Ft.c Ft.c Ftc 1 1,100 1,600 1,800 2 860 1,400 1,600 3 680 1,300 1,400 4 570 1,100 1,300 5 500 940 1,150 6 420 820 1,000 Indoor lighting of a with 7 360 720 900 a circular fluorescent light. 8 830 660 830 9 300 600 780 10 280 560 720 11 260 510 660 But it is in the basement that garden- 12 240 480 600 ing indoors has really blossomed. Plants 18 130 320 420 may be grown in a wide range of struc- 24 100 190 260 tures in the basement. One man grows seedlings successfully in an old refrig- Here are a few rules that must be erator. He merely placed a discarded observed to grow most plants indoors: 14 cubic foot refrigerator on its back on • Provide proper light equivalent. four cement blocks. Lights were in- • Give the plants light for 14 to 16 stalled in the door. hours each day. For indoor gardening, the light level • Provide a temperature of about 60° determines the type of plants you can to 65°F. for the dark period and 70° to grow. Plants can be classed in four 75 °F. during the light period. groups of light requirements: low (50 • Keep the plants on the dry side- to 200 foot-candles), medium (200 to avoid overwatering. Plants sufiFer more 500 foot-candles ), high (500-1,000 from too much water than from too little foot-candles ), and very high (over water. 1,000 foot-candles) A foot-candle of • Underfeed rather than overfeed. Pre- light is the measure of light intensity ferably use a slow release fertilizer given ofF by one candle at a distance or organic fertilizer.' of 1 foot from the point of light. • Use an artificial soil that can be The tables may be helpful to you in purchased. These artificial soils are determining light requirements and how usually 50-50 peat moss and or to meet them. vermiculite.

73 Water gardening, can be fun. From left to right are English ivy, aluminum plant, and peperomia.

Water gardens are easy and satisfy- arrangements are aucuba, ivy, grape ing. A simple for a sunny ivy, peperomia, philodendron, and window is a vine grown from a sweet- pothos. One arrangement was cleverly potato. Merely suspend the bottom half worked into a small bird's nest, with a of a sweetpotato in a bottle filled with colorful toy bird on the nest. water. The bottom of the sweetpotato is More venturesome might the half which has no stem scar. Roots try growing mushrooms indoors in cool, will form rapidly on the bottom half and dark basements. The propagating mate- sprouts on the top half. rial used to grow them is called spawn, Another simple water garden is the and the pasteurized organic material is stem end of a carrot, cut with about 1 called . inch of the carrot, and placed in a In recent years a few nurserymen shallow container of water. The stem and seedsmen have been ofiFering for will sprout into a beautiful green sale trays containing mushroom compost growth that will be a welcome sight in especially prepared for home use, which a bright, sunny window at any time appear to be the solution to many of the of year. problems of growing mushrooms at You can grow attractive water gar- home. The trays include spawn. dens by sticking cuttings into various It is recommended that the amateur forms or shapes of styrofoam, and plac- grower purchase these prepared trays ing the arrangement in a shallow con- instead of attempting to make his own tainer of water. You may want to add mushroom compost. They are prepared wisely chosen colorful or attractive for the nurserymen and seedsmen by dried material to the living plants. commercial mushroom growers who are Plants that can be used in these equipped to compost manure economi-

74 cally on a large scale, to pasteurize the compost eflFectively, and grow spawn in the trays. Full directions for growing mush- rooms are furnished along with the trays. If the directions are carefully followed, and the trays placed in a cool, damp location, moderate yields can be expected—usually between a half pound and a pound per square foot of tray space. Once the mushrooms begin to appear on the trays, they will continue to develop for about 60 days. As mushrooms do not need light for normal development, they can be grown in a basement room or shed where it would be impossible to grow green plants. Growing space must be available in which the temperature can be main- tained under 65° F., and the humidity of the air kept moderately high. Some ventilation is necessary, but the number of air changes normally occur- ring in the average basement will usually be sufficient for a few square feet of mushroom bed. Indoor container gardening is another activity you might like. Growing plants in containers can be fun for youngsters as well as the not so young. Containers that may be used are limited only by your imagination—aquariums, old bot- tles, canning jars, plastic toys, china pottery, or concrete tubs on a patio. Vegetables can be grown in pails, tubs, baskets. They may be grovsoi on doorsteps, balconies, porches, carports. You need only your choice of a con- tainer, artificial soil, and seeds. Artificial soil is free from disease organisms and

Top photo, plants going into a water gar- den should he cut on the stem just helow the node—the point where a leaf originates. Center photo, arranging pothos leaves in florists foam in a container. Each node .■ihould be inserted into the foam so the preformed root can develop rapidly. Bottom photo, cut flowers have been added to the arrangement of pothos leaves. They should be watered every three or four days to maintain freshness.

75 Plant, using sticks, wires, or any other convenient tools to put the plants in place. Avoid getting dirt on the inside glass walls or the plant leaves. Water lightly if needed and cover with glass or plastic to close the container. Once planted, the terrarium rarely needs water, only indirect sunlight or artificial light. Gardens in miniature are fascinating, and provide opportunity for expressing your artistic leanings. They run the gamut of miniature rock gardens, land- scapes, portable rock gardens, miniature herb gardens, miniature roses, cactus gardens, and miniature bog gardens with insect-catching plants. Even well chosen woodland flowers can be devel- oped into a small wild Mums are excellent plants to supply color for a city dweller. for container gardens, either in minipots or The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has in larger containers with other plants. published a handbook on miniature weed seeds, and is very lightweight and gardens which gives detailed instruc- portable. tions for this very satisfying activity. It Tomato or leaf lettuce plants grown can be obtained by requesting "Hand- in a suitable container will not only be book on Miniature Gardens," Manual decorative and fun to grow but result No. 58, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 in great salads. Onions, peppers, and Washington Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. even a cabbage plant may also be grown 11225. The price is $1.25. in a container. A discussion of container gardens is Terrariums are glass-enclosed gar- not complete without a mention of dens. Fish tanks, brandy snifters, old bonsai. The Japanese word bonsai bottles of any size, even quart fruit jars means "tray planting." This method of may be used. Terrariums can be fash- growing plants is so popular that ioned as a base for a lamp, and thus bonsai societies are springing up in provide light to the plants as well as many metropolitan areas. beauty to a room. In theory, bonsai trees and plants Many native and cultivated plants are dwarf growing because their roots are suitable for growing in a terrarium are restricted either by or by or bottle garden, especially those that being grown in a very small container. require high humidity—African-violets, Plants 100 years old may be less than a ferns, coleus, ivy. You can collect plants couple of feet high. that are ideally suitable in the woods, if The simplest bonsai garden is devel- you are lucky enough to have woods to oped by growing trees or shrubs from wander in. seeds sown directly in a selected shallow Place a layer of gravel or pebbles, in container of 2 to 4 inches in depth. The the bottom of the container for drain- seeds—when allowed to grow for a few age. Dig moss from the woods to line years, and thinned, pruned, or trained the sides of the container below the soil in various shapes—take on the appear- level, with the moss placed against the ance of a forest in miniature. Tree seeds glass. Then put in a 2-inch layer of such as pines, spruce, Japanese maples, synthetic soil (or if you wish, Js garden and ginkgo may be used, or shrubs such soil, a peat moss, and }i sand ). as holly and boxwood. 76 Others may wish to buy plants for their bonsai hobby. Dwarf conifers are sold by many nurseries. With persis- tence, the leisure-time gardener can find miniature plants of all decriptions, especially from firms dealing with plants. Most libraries will provide a wealth of books dealing with bonsai. Plant hybridization can make a fine hobby for an advanced gardener. Hy- bridizing plants to create new types is an activity that many people are trying. It is usually done to bring together, in a single plant, two or more unlike charac- ters in the parent plants. There are virtually unlimited opportunities with almost all plant materials. Top, getting a terrarium together. Seven Techniques of cross-pollinating plants specimens were used in this 16-inch bubble. are easy to learn and little equipment is Soil may be covered with bark chips for needed. Amateur plant breeders have more pleasing appearance. Above, terrarium developed many of the beautiful plants made to be viewed from one side. Soil was available to us today—African-violets, graded low in front, high in back. daylilies, roses, gladiolus, azaleas, and rhododendrons are only a few. Some vegetables may be good for the leisure time gardener to experi- ment with.

77 PERFECT FLOWER "\

STIGMA

ANTHER

STYLE y fe < S

FILAMENT OVARY

PETAL OVULE

SEPAL

Parts of a flower. The flower shown here is a perfect flower; that is, it has male and female reproductive organs. The stamen is the male organ and the pistil is the female organ.

A careful study of the structure of Where possible this is best done by flowers and the sexual reproductive emasculation. Remove the anthers from organs of the plants to be hybridized the flower of the female parent with should be made before any work is tweezers or other instrument before the attempted. See the sketches with this anthers have shed their pollen (in case chapter. of perfect flowers—those with both male The following equipment is helpful, and female reproductive organs ). Then if not essential, in cross-pollination cover the remainder of the flower with . work. a small paper or cellophane bag to pre- A hand lens vent insects, wind, or other agents from A pair of tweezers placing undesired pollen on its stigmas. A small camel hair brush for pollen In case of imperfect flowers, emascula- transfer tion or anther removal is not necessary; A box of tags with strings for attach- the cover alone will prevent crossing. ing When stigmatic surfaces of the emas- A pencil culated or depollinated flower of the A supply of small bags. female parent have become receptive Cross-pollination consists of transfer- (usually indicated by stickiness of the ring pollen of one plant to the stigmas surfaces), pollen from the desired male of a flower of another plant. To assure parent should be applied to the sticky that only the desired pollen will fertilize surfaces. A camel hair brush is handy the ovules of the selected female parent, for this job. its own pollen must be prevented from A tag with a record of the cross reaching its stigmas. should be attached to the stem of the

78 IMPERFECT FLOWER

PISTILLATE FLOWER

STAMINATE FLOWER

The flowers of squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, muskmelons and watermelons are imperfect, each flower having only one type of sex organ.

ANTHER

FILAMENT

Cross section of chrysanthemum. Flowers, such as chrysanthemums, zinnias, marigolds, and daisies are made up of clusters of florets.

flower. The flower should be covered Fertilization is indicated by develop- again for a few days to assure that no ment of the ovary. Seed resulting from undesired pollen reaches the stigmas the cross will produce hybrid plants. until fertilization has taken place. If fertilization has failed, the entire

79 flower will fall oflF within a few days, in most cases. Generally speaking, plants within the same species can be successfully crossed. However, now and then crosses between varieties within a species may fail. Crosses between species are often unsuccessful, but a few such crosses may succeed. For the leisure time gardener, many other activities may be of interest. Briefly, here are a few: Build a plastic , or even a more permanent glasshouse. For in- formation obtain CA-34-134 List of Sources of Information on from the U.S. Department of Agricul- ture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Develop an espaliered tree or shrub. The shaping of trees and shrubs on a trellis or against a wall is an art which is becoming more popular in this country. It requires only judicious prun- ing and can be mastered if you are a determined gardener. Before starting the project, try your library for books on the subject. Join a plant society, plant , or a horticultural society. Gardening is more fun if you share your experiences with others. You can find names and addresses of such organizations in the Directory of American . This book is available in most libraries. Build a foyer garden or table garden. These gardens are decorative and pro- vide many hours of enjoyment.

For further reading: U.S. Department of publica- tions— Minigardens for Vegetables, Home and Garden BuUeHn 163, Washington, D.C. 20250. Selecting and GrouHng House Plants, Home and Garden Bulletin 82, Washing- ton, D.G. 20250. Growing Ornamentals in Urban Gardens, Home and Garden Bulletin 188, Washing- ton, D.C. 20250. Tweezers are handy for removing the Building Hobby Greenhouses, anthers—a necessary step in cross pollina- Agriculture Information Bulletin No. tion of plants. A camel hair brush may be 357, Superintendent of Documents, Gov- used to apply pollen from another plant ernment Printing Office, Washington, D.C, to produce hybrid seed. 20402, 25 cents. 80