l82 HOUSE PLANTS 



charcoal — two pounds to a bushel of soil — 

 it will help to keep the soil sweet. 



As palms in the young state are very impa- 

 tient of any meddling with the roots, the 

 window gardener had better sow the seeds in 

 pots. Sink two-inch pots filled with soil in 

 a flat filled with sand and plant the seeds 

 one-quarter to one-half of an inch deep, 

 one to a pot. 



When large quantities of palms are being 

 raised from seed, the seeds may be sown 

 thickly in seed pans or flats, which are not 

 over three inches deep, or they may even be 

 sown on a greenhouse bench. There is a 

 disadvantage in so doing, however. The 

 young plants must be transferred to deep 

 two-inch pots as soon as the second leaf is 

 developed. In transplanting, the long tap 

 root is very apt to become injured and the 

 plant will probably die. About 75 per cent, 

 of the injured plants can be saved, however, 

 if the damaged portion of the root is cut off"; 

 use a sharp knife and make a clean cut. 



The length of time it takes palm seed to 

 germinate varies. Kentia seed usually comes 

 up in about ten weeks but sometimes all the 

 seeds will not germinate for eight or nine 



