HOW TO 

 GROW 



all flowers 

 listed in this 

 Garden Annual 



The numbers, I to VIII, found with every 

 flower listing refer to the following cul- 

 ture notes which give directions for grow- 

 ing all of the flowers we list. 



In general, these elements are necessary 

 for best results with all flowers: Loose, 

 well-drained soil, a plentiful supply of 

 organic matter, a good supply of plant 

 food from a good mixed fertilizer, adequate 

 water to keep soil moist and care to 

 remove weeds and check pests. 



One of the important problems in the 

 garden is that of maintaing a continuous 

 show of bloom. This calls for the use 

 of several different types of annuals, such 

 as those that must be planted early to 

 grow in cool weather (Culture IV) and 

 those which bloom later in summer heat 

 (Culture I and II). If some of the cool- 

 weather annuals from Group IV are sown 

 in mid-summer and kept well watered, 

 they will grow slowly until the cooler 

 days of fall start them into more active 

 growth. These will produce late flowers. 

 Quick-growing annuals from Group II may 

 also be sown at intervals for a succession 

 of bloom during the summer. 



One way to lengthen the blooming 

 period of annuals is to cut off all flowers 

 as soon as they fade. Annuals complete 

 their life span when seed is formed and 

 frequently stop flowering as soon as the 

 seed ripens. By preventing the seed 

 from forming through removal of all old 

 flowers, the plants are kept growing and 

 blooming. 



Culture I 



These flowers need a long season and 

 must be started indoors if a full blooming 

 period is to had. If early bloom is not 

 important, they will bloom later in the 

 summer when sown directly in the gar- 

 den. Some gardeners sow both ways to 

 obtain a succession of flowers. 



When starting seedlings indoors, select a 

 place with plenty of light. North or 

 shaded windows may be too dark for best 

 results. Cold frames are generally very 

 good. The seed is planted in small boxes 

 (or flats) that have good drainage and 

 will fit the space you are going to use. 

 Fill them with a mixture of 1/3 good soil, 

 1/3 sand and 1/3 humus such as peat. 

 Press the soil down firmly and make 

 small rows with the edge of a ruler or 

 lath and slowly shake the seed from the 

 packet into the rows. Sift a light cover- 

 ing of the soil mixture over the seed and 

 moisten with a fine spray. Keep soil moist 

 until the seeds have sprouted. Very fine 

 seed such as that of petunias should be 

 dusted carefully onto a smooth soil sur- 

 face and covered with a pane of glass. 

 Shade it with newspaper until the seeds 

 sprout. These are best watered by setting 

 the flat in a pan of water until the soil 

 has become thoroughly dampened all the 



way through. When the seedlings have 

 formed the second true leaves, transplant 

 them into other flats so the plants are 

 about 2Vz inches apart. This will give 

 them room to grow to good size before 

 being set out. Expose gradually to out- 

 side conditions and plant outside after the 

 weather is warm and settled. When sown 

 directly outdoors, follow directions under 

 Culture II. 



Culture II 



These are the quicker-growing annuals 

 that can be sown directly in the garden 

 and will bloom in time to make a good 

 display for most of the summer. If wanted 

 especially early, they should be started 

 as directed under Culture I. 



Some flower seedlings are rather delicate. 

 Extra care in preparing the seed bed will 

 pay dividends in better plants. Prepare 

 soil with a liberal amount of mixed ferti- 

 lizer and organic matter and dig it in. 

 Rake the surface until it is smooth and 

 pulverized. Sow the seed at a depth 

 equal to three times the diameter of the 

 seed. Fine seed can be spread on the 

 surface and pressed in without covering. 



Keep soil moist by light spraying until 

 the seedlings have formed the first true 

 leaves. When they are large enough to 

 handle, they may be transplanted to other 

 parts of the garden. 



Culture III 



These flowers do not transplant well. They 

 should be planted where they are to 

 bloom. 



Sow as soon as the weather begins to 

 warm in the spring. Otherwise the culture 

 is the same as II. Sow seed thinly or 

 remove the smaller plants after they are 

 up. These can be handled as pot-grown 

 plants as in Culture VII. 



Culture IV 



These flowers are unusually hardy 

 annuals that can withstand very cool 

 weather. They are often sown late in fall 

 so they can start growing the first warm 

 days of spring. If not sown in fall, they 

 should be planted as early in the spring 

 as possible. Fall sowing gets the seeding 

 job out of the way before the spring rush. 



Culture V 



These flowers, while garden subjects, are 

 also useful for winter-flowering house 

 plants. For garden use, handle as in 

 Culture II. For winter flowering indoors, 

 plant fairly late in the season and trans- 

 plant into small pots as soon as they are 

 large enough. Keep moving them to 

 larger pots as roots fill the soil until they 

 are finally in six-inch pots. Annuals in 

 pots should have at least six hours of 

 direct sunlight daily if they are to flower. 



Culture VI 



Perennials can be seeded at almost any 

 time of the year. Best periods are early 

 in the spring or in early summer when 

 the rush of spring work is over. A cold 

 frame or sheltered bed which can be 

 shaded from the direct sun is best. Pre- ■ 

 pare soil thoroughly with plenty of 

 organic matter. A loose, friable soil will 

 produce a thick mat of roots so that the 

 seedlings will transplant more easily. 

 Perennial seedlings are rather weak 

 growers needing extra care. In covering 

 the drills in which the seeds are sown, 

 use either pure, clean sand or a mixture 

 of half sand and half peat. This prevents 

 packing of the soil over the seeds. Always 

 water with a fine spray. 



As soon as the second leaves form, seed- 

 lings may be transplanted into their 

 permanent position. Or, if more con- 

 venient, they may be left in the seed bed 

 until the following spring. Under this 



culture, only a few species will bloom 

 the first year and they will not produce 

 normal flowers until the following year. 

 Planting earlier does increase the chances 

 for flowers the first year. But, if it is 

 more convenient, Culture I may be used. 

 Delphinium seed is often started in August 

 to take advantage of the cooler nights 

 for the seed will not grow when the soil 

 temperature is above 77 degrees. 



Culture VII 



These varieties need a longer growing 

 season than can be given them outdoors. 

 And because they do not transplant well, 

 they must be started in pots and set out 

 without disturbing the roots. Otherwise 

 Culture is the same I. The use of plant 

 bands allows you to set the seedlings out 

 without disturbing the roots. The bands 

 soon rot away and the seedlings will 

 grow as though started in the garden. 



If clay pots are used, the excessive dry- 

 ing can be avoided by placing the pots 

 in a flat and filling the space between 

 them with damp peat or vermiculite. Be 

 sure to keep this material moist or it will 

 draw moisture from the pots. 



Culture VIII 



These flowers are biennials. They make a 

 leafy growth the first year but do not 

 flower. The leafy growth of the first year 

 forms food for blooming the following year. 

 The flowers appear the second year and 

 then the plant dies. 



This means that a continuous show from 

 biennials must be provided by starting 

 new plants every year to replace those 

 that are flowering. Biennials are handled 

 in the same way as perennials except 

 that they are started early in the spring 

 to allow the plant to store as much food 

 as possible for the next year's bloom. 



Many gardeners start biennials in the 

 vegetable garden or special starting bed 

 and then transplant the ones needed to 

 the flower garden the following spring. 

 During winter, biennials should be given 

 the same treatment as perennials. 



Pansies are tender perennials that are 

 treated as annuals or biennials. When 

 grown as annuals, they should be started 

 indoors about six weeks before time for 

 planting out in early spring. When grown 

 as biennials, the seed is started in late 

 summer and the plants carried over winter 

 in protected spots where extremes of 

 temperature and moisture are avoided. 

 Mulching or the use of frames may be 

 necessary in your particular garden. 

 Pansies do best under conditions of 

 constant, moderate moisture, partial shade 

 and a humus-rich soil. Pinching off old 

 flowers will prolong the flowering season. 



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