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130 Spring Home Living Those neglected houseplants will flourish with a little attention By Patrick Denton >ley News Service Houseplants, although appreciated as aesthetic additions to a home, too often are neglected. We simply forget that these beautiful accessories require attention and care. The first step in regaining our houseplants' good graces is to give them a cleaning. Wipe all smooth leaves carefully with a soft, damp cloth, both the upper and under sides. This will help tnem to breathe freely and photosynthesize efficently. Fuzzy leaves, like those on African violets, can be brushed free of dust with a soft brush or another leaf. This also is a good time to take care of any necessary repotting. If plant roots are crowing out of the pot's drainage holes, that's a sign it needs to expand its quarters. If you are repotting a plant, clean it after it is : potting soil appropriate to the plant type. There are packaged soil mixes available for cacti, foliage plants and so on. If you remove a plant from its pot and find it to be root bound, roots wound around a ball of soil, gently tease them away before repotting. Up Jo one-third of the plant's old roots can be cleanly snipped away before grown in the house benefit, too, from a summer out in dappled shade. Plants can be plunged up to the pot rims in appropriate spots in the garden or sunk in a large containers of damp peat on a patio or balcony. Even window boxes can be used to house indoor plants. Here, again, damp peat can be placed in between the pots to help keep the plant roots cool and moist. While your houseplants are outdoors you will notice them gradually plumping up and putting on new growth. This indicates a need for regular fertilizing and good water supplies. Trie one kind of houseplant I keep indoors for the summer is the African violet because its foliage does not stand up well to outdoor living. In the fall, before any danger of frost, our houseplant friends are brought back indoors and suitably spiffied up for the winter ahead. At this point, though, I give them a couple weeks of isolation in the greenhouse-- a protected porch or sun room could be used-to ensure there aren't any hit­ chhiking pests. * Blooming bulbs can cure winter blahs wide a thin drainage layer at the bottom of each new pot-clean pebbles or peat and charcoal. And water the plant into its new home with some transplanting solution to reduce the shock of the move. Once the plants are repotted, spruce them up, removing any dead leaves. Give humidity lovers-foliage plants, citrus-a light misting and place even the sun lovers in a spot out of the sun for a few days to allow them to adjust and settle in. Plants already in large pots, or large plants, often will do witn just a top dressing of fresh soil. Scratch away the top inch or so and replace it with fresh potting mix. Once summer's warmth arrives, just about any indoor plant can be placed outdoors for a vacation. But make the move gradual. Even the sun lovers need a slow acclimatization to the outdoor sun. Then, foliage plants can be moved into dappled shade while sun lovers like garden geraniums, citrus and bougainvillea can be moved into sunny spots. Christmas cactus, kalanchoe, rhipsalis, orchid cactus and orchids By Patrick Denton Copley News Service If the winter blahs get you down, do something about it-during fall. There are several bulbs perfect for indoor winter bloom. For example, a small pot of large- flowered yellow or purple crocus is a delight in midwinter. The earlier, small species of snow crocus also is charming in pots. Also lovely in pots are muscari, grape hyacinths and Siberian squills. Because there is such a broad range of choices to be made, a great deal of the pleasure in growing these flowering bulbs lies in selecting from the varieties available. But do your shopping early to ensure top choice. Now, let's get to work and organize the thirgs we'll need to get them growing. Basic requirements, aside from the bulbs themselves, are some pots, some soil and a cold, dark place in which to store the planted bulbs for their "oot-growing period. The pots should be scrupulously clean and have drainage holes to avoid overwatering, as bulbs will rot in wet soil. Unattractive pots can simply be jlaced inside a basket or ceramic container for indoor display later. Though short, squat pots, called bulb pans, are most often used for planting bulbs, I've also used standard pots with good success. A single hyacinth bulb may be planted in a 4-inch pot, while a 6- or 7- inch pot will accommodate three hyacinth bulbs, 12 to 15 crocus bulbs or six tulip bulbs or daffodils. For a really Spectacular display of your favorite tulip or daffodil, plant 10 to 12 bulbs in a 10-inch pot. In choosing your bulbs, make sure they are the largest size available, firm and unblemished. Check especially the base of the bulb for any spots of mold or decay. Bulbs fare best in sandy soils and a purchased, sterlized soil will guarantee an absence ofinsects and disease. To plant the bulbs, partly fill the pots with soil first, then set the bulbs on top of the soil before filling in around them. The noses of the bulbs should end up just below the soil surface, which in turn should be around a half-inch below the top of the pot, for ease of watering. For a full and beautiful display, the bulbs should be set as close together as possible without touching each other or the sides of the pot. Firm the soil around the bulbs just gently, and water them. -.We've arrived at the most crucial part of the whole business-the cold rooting period. In some areas, people plunge the pots into a cold frame or into pits or trenches outdoors. In my case, I use the crawl space under the house that is perfectly dark, and becomes progress: vely colder from October onward. An unheated garage, basement or cold storage area would do well also, provided it is perfectly dark and stays below 50 F but does not freeze. The pots can be covered with cardboard boxes and black plastic to exclude light, but check them periodically and water if necessary. Gardeners in warm, southern climates often use the refrigerator for this cold storage period. After bulbs' rooting period, which can be from 10 to 14 weeks, the potted bulbs can be brought indoors gradually into bright light. Roots showing at the drainage holes and shoots an inch or two above soil level indicate a bulb's readiness to bloom indoors. To assure attractive, strong and sturdy growth, give them cod tem­ peratures and bright light, but keep them out of direct sun. WHATEVER YOUR NEEDS CALL j* TODAY Simplicity Simplicity vs. Deere and Sears. A.C. 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