Fill your greenhouse with flowering chrysanthemums this month. If you did not start your own plants on time, buy some potted ones in flower so you won’t miss out on a vivid fall display.
Plan ahead for winter bloom by sowing seeds. For a cool winter greenhouse (45 to 50 degrees at night), start laceflower, didiscus, which is available in blue or white. The white variety can be colored by placing the cut stems in vegetable dye – just as with carnations.
Boston Yellow daisies, annual chrysanthemums, gypsophila, and nasturtium can all be sown now. Pot up some bulbs of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips and place them in a cold-frame for about ten weeks and then bring them into the greenhouse. Start tender bulbs like anemone, freesia, and lachenalia.
For the moderate (50 to 60 degree night) greenhouse, sow seeds of feverfew, Chrysanthemum parthenium, for cutting by November 15. The small white blossoms have yellow centers and are effective as filler material in mixed bouquets.
Nemesia will flower in March if sown now. It likes a soil kept on the dry side. When plants are well established plant several together in an 8-inch pot for a good showing.
Pot up ornithogalum bulbs now for March bloom. Six or seven bulbs to a 6-inch pot will make a good showing. The long stems will need staking. Also start sweetpeas, schizanthus, and scabiosa.
Take cuttings of coleus, geraniums, and lantana. All are easy to root in perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, or sterilized sand.
For the warm. (60 to 70 degree night) winter greenhouse, try a few bromeliads. They have colorful leaves and in addition bear spikes of vivid flowers that last for several months.
This is the beginning of a new season for under-glass gardeners – a season that promises many flowering plants for winter and spring enjoyment if preparations are made now. Timing is most important for success. Sow seeds, take cuttings, and pot up bulbs on schedule and your indoor garden will be well on its way to becoming a spectacular winter and spring flower show.
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