88 
GARDENING IN THE SOUTHWEST 
Care of the so ^ * s not P ac ^ e< ^ ky t ^ ie ^ orce °f the water. Early morning is 
Seedlings the best time to water. After germination is accomplished, bring 
the young plants into full sunlight gradually, and give them an 
abundance of fresh air. While they may have been kept in the 
shade or even in the dark before sprouting, it is best to remove 
the glass and put them in the sunshine as soon as they are up*. 
OPEN BEDS 
To prepare an open bed, spade the ground, water, allow the 
earth to dry and water again. After the first spading, put a thin 
Seeds layer of bonemeal on top. If heavy black soil predominates, put 
Sown three inches of sandy loam on the surface before seeding. Such 
tnOpen see ds as Poppies, Annual Phlox and Larkspur should be broadcast 
in the fall; Sweet Alyssum and Portulaca should be sown in shal¬ 
low drills or broadcast in early spring. Utmost care must be taken 
not to cover the seeds too deeply. Cover the largest seeds to not 
more than three times their thickness. 
Time and 
Method to 
Follow in 
Trans¬ 
planting 
TRANSPLANTING 
Most annuals need be transplanted only once, most perennials 
twice. Seedlings should be transplanted when the second pair of 
true, or characteristic, leaves appear. It is best to throw away all 
weaklings and use only the healthiest plants, except in the case of 
Petunias which sometimes produce finest flowers from smallest 
plants. The seedlings should be carefully lifted in order not to 
injure their roots and, especially in the case of most annuals, should 
be placed in their permanent beds. One is repaid at this point by 
spreading rich, prepared soil about the roots of the seedlings. The 
holes to receive the tiny plants should be made with a dibber, 01 
pointed stick. Press the soil down firmly about the roots, then watei 
with a fine spray. Use shingle or cardboard protectors against the 
sun, if the transplanting cannot be done in cloudy weather. One 
may make protectors from the cardboards in laundered shirts. It 
is nearly always advisable to remove some of the foliage, especially 
if the plant has not been grown in a pot, or if the transplanting is 
* . . . "Shade during the hottest part of the day."—Persis Crocker. 
