Garden Compost
A cold frame need not be elaborate or very big and there are times when an orange box has served the purpose extremely well. To maintain the general appearance of the garden I prefer something neater made in wood, brick. breeze block, or cement. I use a two light frame, too big for cuttings really but it fills in for .seedlings as well.
To each bushel of the mixture add 11 oz. of superphosphate together with I oz. of chalk. All the John Innes composts may be purchased ready for use from any garden shop or horticultural sundriesman.
For shading the cuttings during the first few critical weeks I use laths on nylon string, spaced 1 in. apart by pieces of polythene hosepipe. This frame is used mainly for soft, or semi-hardwood cuttings which need shading for the first fortnight. After this they can be fully exposed provided they are watered carefully. In hot weather this may ,be necessary three or four times a day.
When a greenhouse is available a corner can be reserved for a small propagating case; a small box 22 in. by 30 in., and 15 in. deep will hold a remarkable number of cuttings. For years I had such a box, the bottom made of asbestos which stood over a two burner paraffin heater.
In this I rooted a host of shrubs from chamaecyparis to hebe, with never a moment’s worry except to remember to fill the stove. Paraffin fumes have been known to kill some plants, my only losses occurred when the stove was turned up too high and spread foul black smoke over everything.
As each bundle of cuttinas is prepared, I take out a trench 4 to 6 in. deep,.put a layer of sharp sand in the bottom, push the base of the cuttings well into this so there is no air space to inhibit rooting, then firm the soil back round the stems to the normal level. Over the years the soil has become very sandy and crisp and it improves season by season.
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