TWO PROFILES

By Nancy Robitaille

This is from an article published in Chatter, May, 1987. 

IRENE HENRY:

Irene Henry recently moved from a large house into a smaller condo apartment, but her growing space in the basement is approximately the same. 

Irene uses mat watering, wick watering and Texas style watering. She uses many foliage rings which support her plants. Irene uses constantly Peter’s 20-20-20. She occasionally uses fish emulsion for a period of four weeks in succession to improve the shiny green leaves of her plants. (1/2 tsp of fish emulsion per gallon of warm water.)

In January, Irene switches fertilizer to 12-36-14 and 5-50-17 for variegates.

She uses cool white/warm white on each stand. She has a total of seven light stands which includes three commercially made and four industrial metal stands made by her husband. Cost of the home made stands were approximately $60 for the metal plus extra for the light fixtures. She keeps her lights about 7 to 9 inches from the tops of the plants. She does have a few Gro-Lux lights, but does not consider these of any more value than the cheaper cool white plus warm white combination. Her lights are on for 12 hours per day.

Irene disbuds some plants all year, and she will disbud all of the other plants in November. She turns her plants one quarter turn clockwise every day or so for equal lighting on the plants. 

Irene grows standards, semis and minis as well as several trailers. She also has several episcia growing in hanging baskets which hang on the ends of her light gardens catching the overflow light. She has as well, a few Columnea, Nematanthus, Streptocarus and miniature Sinningias.

Irene’s favourite plant of all is a variegated plant hybridized by Sisk, called Fisherman’s Paradise.

When asked if she disbuds miniatures, Irene said that she disbuds once, four months before the show, then she lets them come into bloom naturally. When asked how she picks her show plants, Irene said she gave them all the same care and took only the best to show. Irene often brings 60-65 plants to each show.

Irene answered one member’s question, ‘Where can I buy matting?’ by saying that it can be purchased from Plants N Things. (No longer in business.) Another source however is Botanix Clerox on Blvd. Goin (Montreal).

Irene has between 200-300 plants presently.

With the exception of the matting and the trays themselves, Irene gets all her supplies from the supplies table at our meetings.

CHARLES LAWS
(now deceased)

In the large basement of Charles Laws’ home are many very large standards, although Charles has been quoted as saying he is infatuated with miniatures and that his dream is to win Queen of Show with a mini. (Charles later accomplished this a few times in Montreal.)

Charles’ collection of miniatures is extensive; some with very unusual characteristics such as: pebble leaf, girl leaf, frizzy foliage and even a girl holly leaf, which is considered difficult to grow.

The ‘set-up’ in Charles’ basement is very different from that of Irene’s. Charles has made wooden stand frames costing $25 each. Then he bought large metal trays two feet by four feet with one inch depth. In these trays he places large mats. Plants sit on the mat and draw up water by osmosis. In other trays, Charles has hardware cloth places inside the tray. He puts water into the tray to provide humidity, then he places the large plants, each in its own saucer upon the hardware cloth. Charles uses a pump with wand for watering and takes only an hour to water the entire collection.

Charles uses support rings beneath the foliage. He transports the plant with its support to the show, then as he presents each plant to the registrar, he slips off the support ring. These support rings keep his plants from getting knocked around during transportation from home to show.

When asked by one member what could be done to one leaf which stuck up out of line, Charles told her to place a coin on the leaf for several days.

Charles also uses one warm white tube and one cool white tube. In January, he leaves his lights on for 16 hour per day until show time. Charles disbuds all blooms and buds in November.

During the summer, Charles does not use fertilizer because his basement is hot and humid. He uses 20-20-20 or 15-16-17 (a new Peter’s fertilizer) as well as 12-36-14. Then at show time, he reaches for Petrer’s 5-50-17.

Charles favourite all-time plant is Mark (Maas) but he loves his minis too and would choose Snuggles and Bahamian Sunset as favourite miniatures.