38 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



DRYING OUT OF SEED BOXES. Seeds, especially small 

 seeds, that are very near the surface, frequently fail from 

 this cause. They may have enough moisture to germinate, 

 but then the soil becomes so dry that the sprout which is 

 beginning to push out from the seed is dried up. Neg- 

 lect that would do no harm to seedlings an inch or 

 two high will prove fatal to seeds that are just ger- 

 minating. 



COVERING SEEDS Too DEEP. They are seldom covered 

 too deep to germinate, but often are buried so deep that only 

 a very few are able to push through to the surface, and these 

 are weakened by the struggle. 



USING THE WRONG KIND OF SOIL. Ordinary garden soil, 

 especially if it is at all heavy or clayey, is literally too heavy 

 to cover the seeds with. Furthermore, it has a tendency to 

 form more or less of a crust after being watered. For 

 starting all small seeds the soil should be light, and so 

 crumbly that it will not make a crust. Very slight resistance 

 may prove fatal to the tiny seedlings before they get above 

 ground. 



Too HIGH OR Too Low TEMPERATURE. Flower seeds, on 

 the average, require a warmer temperature than vegetable 

 seeds. Hardy and half-hardy sorts, such as sweet alyssum 

 and snapdragons, should be given a temperature of about 

 sixty degrees. The warmer things, like salvia, heliotrope 

 and coleus, should be given ten to fifteen degrees more. 



POOR DRAINAGE. This trouble, due to improper soil or 

 tight-bottomed flats, causing the soil to stay wet and soggy 

 after watering, will cause many kinds of seeds to rot. 

 Provision for the best of drainage should always be made, 

 so that surplus water can always soak down below the level 

 of the seeds. 



CARELESS WATERING. Water applied too freely is likely 

 to wash the dirt so that some of the seeds are uncovered or 

 even washed aside into the corner of the box, and others 

 are covered too deeply. Also the soil is likely to form a hard 

 crust. Even after the little seedlings are up they can be 

 severely injured by careless watering, as they are easily 



