Indoor plants respond to the turn of the season with more active growth. This will require extra feeding and, in some cases. repotting as well. Plants grown for a long time in the same soil benefit from fresh soil. For the majority of house plants, use a soil mixture composed of 1 part peatmoss or leafmold, 2 parts good loam and 1 part coarse sand. To a 10-quart pail of this mixture, add 1 tablespoon of 5-10-5 fertilizer and 1/2 teaspoonful of ground limestone.

Cacti and succulents require a more porous soil. For these plants, omit peat-moss in the potting mixture, but use a little leafmold, increase the sand content and use bonemeal instead of 5-10-5. Soil for all plants should be sifted through a 1/4-inch screen.

When repotting plants such as sansevieria, ferns and geraniums, it is not always necessary to transfer them to a larger pot, unless you wish to increase the size of the plant. Here’s all you need to do: tease the old soil from the ball of soil with the point of a wooden pot label.

Scrub the old pot or use another of the same size. Put in several pieces of broken crock for drainage, then a layer of a coarse screening medium, then an inch or two of good soil. Holding the plant in the center of the pot, scoop up a handful of soil and drop it inside around the plant. Then, with a potting stick (an inch-wide piece of lath slightly sharpened at one end will do), compact the soil against the roots by tamping it, continuing to add more soil until the pot is filled to within 1 inch of the top (leaving a space for watering). Water several times to make sure that the entire ball is moistened.

In potting begonias, saintpaulias and similar plants, do not use a potting stick. These plants should not be potted -too firmly, as the feeding roots are easily injured.

Dutch Bulbs Indoors

Daffodils should be well rooted by now for successful flowering indoors. But go slow on bringing in tulips and hyacinths. Darwin tulips are the most difficult of the bulbs, for unless they are completely rooted they will prove disappointing. Wait until after the middle of February before bringing them indoors for flowering. Even then, start them off slowly in a cool place and keep them cool until the buds are visible. It will take about 3 and 1/2 weeks at this rate to flower the late Darwin tulips. Three weeks or less will do for hyacinths. Well-rooted bulbs which have started into growth indoors require lots of water.

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