LETHERMAN’S SEED HOUSE, Canton, Ohio 
37 
FLOWERS 
Growing them from Seed, interesting and fascinating 
The common cause of failure in growing flowers is the lack of knowledge of how to grow the seedlings 
and care for them. Covering the seed too deep is the most frequent cause; a safe rule is to cover the seed 
twice its diameter with fine sifted soil. Very fine seed should be sown on the surface and pressed into 
close contact with the soil with a smooth board or brick. 
Best results are obtained by the use of a shallow box or flat 4 inches deep. Cover the bottom with about 
an inch of cinders, gravel or other rough material to provide drainage, fill to within inch of the top 
with good light soil that will not bake or form a crust. Below we give cultural directions for growing 
every kind of flower we list; each culture is numbered and at the heading of each variety will be found 
the number of the culture to use, together with certain key letters indicating the Annuals, Biennials 
Perennials, House Plants and those suitable for Rock Gardens. 
KEY TO SYMBOLS 
A. Annuals. Live one season P. Perennials. Live several seasons 
B. Biennials. Live two seasons H. House Plants 
R. Rock Garden Plants—Annual and Perennial 
We trust with these helps together with the other valuable information, such as height, time of blooming 
range of colors, and suitable locations which are given for each subject your successful efforts in growing 
flowers will prove a source of great pleasure and add to the beauty and attractiveness of the home and 
its surroundings. 
Cultural Directions for Growing Flowers 
Culture No. 1. Sow from April until June in 
the open land. Thin out the seedlings where too 
thick. In heavy land it is advisable to sow either 
in flats or hotbed and then plant out in permanent 
location. 
Culture No. 2. Sow in February or March in 
flats or hotbed. During germinating period 
medium temperature and moderate watering should 
be maintained. As soon as the seedlings can be 
handled, prick off and later set out in permanent 
location. 
Culture No. 3. Sow from March until May in 
flats or hotbed. Give plenty of water and when 
the seedlings can be handled put out in permanent 
location. Seed can also be sown in April or May 
in the open land and thinned out where too heavy. 
Culture No. 4. Sow from March on, in a hot¬ 
bed, pots or flats in a mixture of good loam with 
some sand and compost added. Careful ventilation 
must be given in order that the seedlings become 
well hardened off. The planting in the open may 
be made the first of May. 
Culture No. 5. Sow from February until April 
in pots or flats in a light soil mixture and hold in a 
moderate temperature, lightly covered. The seed¬ 
lings should be pricked off and replanted in May 
or June in pots or permanent outside position. 
Culture No. 6. Sow from February to April in 
flats or hotbed watering but moderately. Germi¬ 
nation usually takes from three to four weeks. 
Seedlings should be pricked off and planted out in 
May or June. 
Culture No. 8. Sow in pots or flats from Feb¬ 
ruary until April, in a mixture of compost, sod and 
sand of equal parts. Considerable bottom heat 
should be given. The seed should be pressed in 
lightly and then covered with a newspaper. As 
soon as possible prick off the seedlings into flats. 
Harden off slowly and plant in the open after the 
middle of May. 
Culture No. 10. The best time for sowing is 
from February to April in hotbed, pots or flats, 
using a good rich, moderately heavy soil with which 
considerable sand has been mixed. Sow the seed 
thin and press down lightly. Water thoroughly with 
a fine spray and cover the seed with newspaper. 
Give moderate bottom heat until the seedlings 
appear. Shade the seedlings lightly and water 
again. Watering should be done from now on only 
when the seedlings become quite dry, otherwise 
they will damp off. Transplanting into the open 
can take place from April on. For pot culture, put 
6 to 8 plants in a pot. It has been noted that the 
strong growing seedlings are usually single, the 
weaker growers producing the double blooms. 
Culture No. 12. Sow from June to September 
in hotbed or flats. The seed should be well watered 
and shaded and great care must be taken that the 
surface does not dry, otherwise the germination 
will be greatly effected. Prick off and plant out in 
September or October in the open land. 
Culture No. 13. Sow in flats from April until 
July. At first keep well watered and shaded 
When the seedlings are large enough to be handled 
plant out from August to October in their per¬ 
manent location. 
Culture No. 14. Sow in July or August in 
flats or pots. Leave outside until the soil has been 
thoroughly frozen and then bring into a warm 
house. Prick off and later plant in the open. 
Many hard coated seeds will not germinate before 
the following spring. 
Culture No. 15. Sow in the Fall in flats or 
cold frame. Water carefully and keep beds shaded. 
Germination will take place usually the following 
spring. When sufficiently strong the seedlings 
should be set out in the open. 
Culture No. 16. Sow from March to October 
in cold frame or flats, watering but moderately. 
The germination is very slow and often takes from 
4 to 6 months. When sufficiently large the seed¬ 
lings can be planted in the open ground. In many 
cases moss will appear on the surface of the beds. 
This should not be removed but a thin layer of 
soil evenly distributed over it. 
Culture No. 17. Sow from January to July in 
pots or flats in a mixture of compost, loam and 
sand. The seed should be well watered and kept 
in a very warm temperature. As soon as the seed¬ 
lings can be handled they should be pricked off 
into a similar soil mixture and later potted up or 
set out. 
