SEED SOWING CHARTS FOR THE 

 WESTERN GARDENER 



THOS. J. STEED 



Vancouver, Wash. 



I. ANNUAL FLOWERS FROM SEED 



THIS planting table is prepared for average conditions of weather 

 encountered in the Coast and Northwest region, that is west of 

 the Cascades. The depth for covering seed will vary with conditions; 

 where the soil is damp very little covering is required for fine seed. 

 Hard rains will beat very fine seed too deeply into the soil where 

 planted in the open — a possibility that must be guarded against by 

 covering the beds during very heavy rains. Most seed will stand 

 deeper planting in hot weather than in cool weather. While practic- 

 allv all seed must be planted deeper in dry weather, very fine seed is an 

 exception; and the beds where such are planted must be kept moist. 



Commercial fertilizer tends to make all flowers bloom earlier and 

 more freely, and its use in combination with manure is preferred. A 

 fertilizer analysing 10 to 2 per cent, phosphoric acid, 4 to 5 per cent. 



nitrogen, and 8 to 10 per cent, potash has been found satisfactory in 

 such combination. It is better not to use commercial fertilizers alone 

 for flowers as they require humus and the fertilizer does not supply 

 that; but where fertilizer alone must be used it should contain 7 to 

 8 per cent, nitrogen. Practical sources of fertilizer material for nitro- 

 gen are dried blood and cotton seed meal, running from 7 to 15 per 

 cent, nitrogen not so readily available as in nitrate of soda and sulphate 

 of ammonia which contain 13 to 20 per cent, nitrogen. These two 

 chemical sources are excellent for top dressings, while cotton seed meal 

 and dried blood are not suitable because of their slow availability and 

 moreover the dried blood has an objectionable odor. Bone meal 

 contains from 16 to 22 per cent, phosphoric acid; while sulphate and 

 muriate of potash furnish potash in 45 to 55 per cent. 





DEPTH 



TO 

 COVER 



inches 



DISTANCE APART 



TIME TO PLANT 



FOR 

 SUC- 

 CES- 

 SION 

 WEEKS 

 APART 



LAST 

 PLANT- 

 ING 



MANURE 



for each 



square 



yard 



bushels 



FERTIL- 

 IZER 



to 



square 



yard 



pounds 





NAME 



rows 

 inches 



in row 

 inches 



in hot 

 bed 



in open 



REMARKS 



Ageratum 



A to* 



12 to 14 



8 to 10 



February 



April 



4 



July I 



1 



1 to 2 



Floss-flower, an excellent hardy annual for borders 



Alyssum 



iV to I 



6 to 8 



4 to 8 



February 

 February 



\pril 



3 



Ju!y2j 



1 



1 to 2 



Fine for rockeries and borders. White, fragrant 



Aster 



1 



4 



12 to 20 



12 to 18 



April 



4 



June 15 



1* 



1 to 3 



Use fertilizer for best results. Responds to potash 



Balsam 



i 



12 to 20 



12 to 16 March 



M ay 



4 



June 25 



1 



1 to 3 



A more dwarf growth is promoted by transplanting 



Calliopsis 



1 



s 



12 to 14 



8 to 12 February 



April 



4 



June25 



1 



1 to 2 



Very easy to grow anywhere 



Candytuft 



1 



8 



12 tO 20 



12 to 16 | February 



April 



4 

 4 



July 15 

 July 1 



1 

 if 



I tO 2 



Rich moist soil preferable 



Carnation 



1 

 8 



8 to 12 



6 to 10 January 



April 



2 to 3 



Very rich soil and moisture chief requirements 



Celosia 5 



12 tO 14 



10 to 12 March 



May 



4 July 1 



1 



I tO 2 



Dwarf type makes very odd and attractive borders 



Centaurea 



1 



8 



6 to 8 



4 to 6 



February 



April 



4 



July 10 



1 



I tO 2 



This half hardy annual is fine for beds, borders, 

 and cut flowers 



Chrysanthemum 



A to 1 



10 tO 12 



8 to 12 



February 



April 



4 



June 1 



, 1 

 1 2 



2 tO 3 



For show flowers disbud the large perennial type 



Cosmos 



1 



8 



12 tO 24 



10 to 16 February 



April 3 |JuIy 1 



1 



I tO 2 

 2 tO 3 



Best suited for back-ground borders 



Dahlia 



1 



18 to 24 



14 to 18 February 



April 



4 



June 1 

 July 1 

 July 1 



if 



Single sort is easiest to grow from seed 



Gaillardia 



i 



6 to 10 



6 to 8 

 10 to 12 



February 



\pnl 



3 



1 



I tO 2 



Excellent for cut flowers 



Gypsophila 



i 



12 tO l6 



February 



April 



3 



1 1 to 2 



Both the annual and perennial types easy to grow 



Ipomoea 



h 



20 to 36 



10 to 14 ! March 



May 



t 



4 

 3 



June 1 



1 5 1 2 to 3 



Slow to flower; fertilizer is very beneficial 



Larkspur 





10 to 18 



6 to 10 | February 



April 



June 30 

 June 15 



1 



I tO 2 



Prefers moist soil and cool weather 



Lobelia 



rt 



8 to 10 



6 to 8 January 



April 



1 



I tO 2 



Prefers cool moist soil 



Lupin 



10 to 16 



10 to 12 February 



April 



June 15 



1 



I tO 2 



Does not like too much sun 



Marigold 





12 tO 20 



12 to 18 



March 



April 



July 5 



1 



1 tO 2 



On too rich a soil they go to weeds 



Mignonette 



i 



10 to 14 



6 to 8 



February 



April 



3 



August 

 1 



1 



1 tO 2 



Well suited for Northwest, liking cool nights 



Mirabilis 



1 



18 to 24 



10 to 16 



February 



April 



6 



June 1 



>f 



2 tO 3 



One planting usually flowers through the season. 

 A perennial in warm climates 



Morning Glory \ 



12 to 20 



8 to 10 



April 



May 



5 



June 10 



1 



1 to 3 



Japanese sorts are most showy and are more tender 



Myosotis g 



8 to 10 



6 to 8 



February 



April 



4 



June 1 

 July 15 



1 



1 to 3 



Perennial in fact. Prefers cool nights and moist soil 



Nasturtium, dwarf 1 



lO tO 12 



10 to 12 



February 



April 



4 



1 



I tO 2 



One of the easiest flowers to grow, practically free 

 from diseases and insects 



Nasturtium, tall 



1 



12 tO 18 



10 tO 12 



February 



\pril 



5 



July 1 



1 



I tO 2 



One of the best general purpose annuals 



Nigella 



1 



8 



12 tO l8 



10 to 12 ! February 



April 



3 



July 1 



1 



1 tO 2 



Beautiful odd flower, also called Devil-in-a-Bush 



Pansy 



A 



8 to 10 



4 to 8 



January 



March 



4 



July 25 



. 1 

 1 2 



2 tO 3 



Cool nights of the Coast and Northwest are 

 ideal for them 



Petunia -^ 



12 tO l8 



8 to 12 



February 



April 



4 

 4 



June 1 



1* 



2 tO 3 



Careful not to cover seed too deep. Keep soil moist 



Phlox 



1 

 4 



12 tO 24 



12 to 16 



February 



April 



July 1 



1 



1 to 3 



Keep flowers and seed pods picked to 

 lengthen their flowering period 



Pink 1 



10 to 14 



6 to 8 



February 



April 



4 



July 1 



1 



1 to 3 



Can be easily kept through winter, but young 

 plants give best results each year from seed 



Poppy | 



8 to 16 



12 to 18 



6 to 10 

 8 to 12 





April 



3 



July 1 



1 



I to 2 



Fine for beds and rockeries 



Portulaca 

 Ricinus 



1 



8 



April 



May 



4 



June 1 



1 



I tO 2 



Requires a sunny spot 



l| 



40 to 60 



36 to 60 , March 



May 



4 



June 1 



2 



2 tO 3 



Very rich soil, for the most attractive growth 



Salpiglossis 



1 

 4 



16 tO 20 



12 to 16 



February 



April 



June 15 



1 



■ 1 



I tO 2 



Fine for beds and borders 



Salvia 



1 

 4 



18 to 24 



"12 to 18 



March 



May 



3 



June 30 



1 to 3 



A lover of warm weather 



Stock 1 



12 tO 20 



10 to 16 .March 



May 



3 



June 30 



1 



I tO 2 



A lover of cool moist soil 



Sunflower 1 1 24 to 36 



18 to 30 



March | April 



4 



June 30 



1 



1 to 3 



Will grow anywhere there is plenty of sunshine 



Sweet-peas 



1 to I 5 



36 to 48 



3 to 8 





November 

 and March 



4 



June 30 



2 



2 tO 3 



Plant in trenches 6 inches below level of soil 



Verbena 



1 



8 



12 tO 18 10 tO 14 



March 



April 



4 



June 1 



if | 1 to 3 



Very desirable for borders and rockeries 



Zinnia 



1 

 4 



18 to 24 



j 14 to 18 



| March | April 4 June 30 



I ] I tO 2 



Excellent for bed, can be grown on most soils 



185 



