52 



GARDEyERS- CHROMCLE 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEED 



Sowiiii^ seeds is an art. but many people seem not to 

 realize it. Though wishing to be successful they begin 

 operations by buying any kind of seed, instead of being 

 careful to get the best. Seed must be fresh, and some 

 sorts require to be sown almost as soon as they ripen if 

 the best results are to be obtained. Good seeds are large 

 for their kind, bright-looking, and well filled with food 

 material, enabling young seedlings to make a good 

 start. 



^Moisture, air, suitable temperature — if any of these be 

 absent, even the best seed will not germinate properly. 

 Once the seeds have been started on the road to germina- 

 tion, the soil must be kept continuaUy moist, but the sur- 

 face of the seed bed must not be flooded. The best plan 

 is to watch carefully as soon as the surface shows signs 

 of drying, water gently with a very fine rose. This may 

 be necessary three or four times a day. 



With regard to air. the germinating seeds cannot have 

 too much ; so see that there is ventilation and that the 

 soil you provide is friable, porous and well aerated, be- 

 sides being sweet and clean, before putting your seeds 

 into it. All seeds will not germinate at the same tem- 

 perature, e. g., those that are natives of the tropics re- 

 quire a higher temperature than those of temperate 

 regions. 



Strong plants arc secured liv quick strong germination. 

 Remember that — 



1. All seeds germinate more quickly in darkness. 



2. Seeds must be sown the right distance below the 

 surface. Deep sowing is one of the chief causes of fail- 

 ure with annuals. 



3. Each seed is a unit, and to give it a full chance 

 the soil must be pressed firmly round it on every side. 



4. Xo obstruction must be present which will hinder 

 the seed from coming up once it has started to grow. 



REPOTTING ROOT-BOUND PLANTS 



"T" HERE are certain plants, such as Palms, Camellias, 

 Azaleas, and many kinds of hard-wooded things, 

 that do not need repotting annually. With good cul- 

 tural care they can be maintained in good condition 

 for two or three years in the same pots. There comes 

 a time, however, when the need for fresh soil is im- 

 perative. Xew energy must be put into the foliage 

 or the wood will become too hard and the circulation 

 of the sap will not be sufficiently free. Repotting plants 

 which have stood so long involves a certain amount 

 of risk, which can only be obviated by certain pre- 

 cautions known and practised by the experienced 

 plant-grower, but with which amateurs generalh- are 

 not conversant. The danger is that the roots may 

 not travel freely from the old ball and take full posses- 

 sion of the new compost. The tendency which roots 

 have to keep moving" in the same direction has to be 

 reckoned with and guarded against. 



Professional growers make a point of repotting just 

 when the roots are taking full possession of the com- 

 post, but before they have completely filled it with 

 fibres, thev being well aware that if a plant comes 

 into a root-boimd condition there must be a check 

 t(j free growth, and that there is a difficulty and loss 

 of time in inducing that plant to go away again into 

 robust growth. If a Palm, for instance, which has 

 l)een several years in the same pot is examined it will 

 be found that manv of the roots have circled round the 

 pot and have formed a solid mass; have, so to say, 

 eaten up the soil and so occupied the drainage that 

 removing the crocks without injury to the roots would 

 be impossible. In potting plants in this condition the 

 compost should be neither wet nor dry, and every 

 [article of it must be rammed in, so that it is as solid 

 as the old ball. — Gardening Illustrated, English. 



