GROW TOUR OWN PUANT 
Firm soil in flat with 
brick or block of wood 
Fold burlap sack to fit top 
of flat after seeds have 
been sown 
Use a sharp knife when 
transplanting the seedlings 
# If you are in the habit of buying your plants ready grown, you have no idea 
of the thrill you are missing by not growing your own from seed. In addition to 
the pleasure of raising your own plants, it will enable you to have the newer and 
rarer varieties in your garden, plants of which are often difficult and expensive 
to obtain. By following the few simple directions given below you will be sur¬ 
prised to find how easily most plants can be raised from seed. 
Sowing Seeds in the Open Qround 
# On the Pacific Coast, where one is privileged to garden the year round, it is 
well to practice the sowing of seeds of many annuals in the open ground where 
the plants are to remain. 
# During the summer months, when the soil is dry, irrigate thoroughly, and after 
a few days spade, pulverize and rake to a level. (Through the fall and early spring 
there is usually sufficient moisture in the soil from rains making it generally 
unnecessary to irrigate before spading.) 
# Open a shallow furrow, sow the seeds, cover immediately and firm the soil 
to the seeds with the back of the rake. Level the surface by raking, leaving a 
loose mulch on top. Avoid sprinkling, for this would form a crust, which would 
exclude the air and make it very difficult for the tiny plants to break through the 
surface. The thorough irrigation before spading should provide plantiful mois¬ 
ture to germinate the seeds without additional water being applied. If sowings 
are made when the weather is very warm it is a good plan to cover the rows with 
strips of burlap until the seeds sprout. After the plants are up, they may be 
sprinkled or irrigated, following each irrigation with surface cultivation to break 
the crust that may form. 
# When the plants are sufficiently developed, thin to a distance between plants 
that will give room for those remaining to develop well. The thinning process 
may continue for some time, removing each alternate plant at frequent intervals. 
Those plants removed from the row may be transplanted to other parts of the 
garden, if desired, or delight the heart of a neighbor or friend. In removing the 
plants, take sufficient soil with each one so as to disturb roots as little as possible. 
SEE A & M PLANTING CALENDAR on the inside of back cover for varie¬ 
ties to plant in the open ground or in flats, time of planting, etc. 
Qerminating Small Flower Seeds 
# The inexperienced gardener often finds it difficult to germinate the smaller 
flower seeds. It is a comparatively simple matter when the few simple rules of 
gardening are mastered. The custom usually practiced by the home gardener in 
the Pacific Coast regions is to sow the seeds of such perennials as Delphinium, 
Aquilegia, Hollyhock, Pansies, Snapdragons, Stocks, etc., in small seed boxes or 
“flats” for transplanting later. 
# A flat is a box about 20 inches square and about 3 inches deep. Fill the flat 
to the top with a mixture composed of two-thirds peat moss thoroughly moistened 
to one-third coarse sand. Firm the soil in the flat with a brick or block of wood, 
leaving a smooth surface. This will level it to within about an inch of the top of 
the flat. Broadcast the seeds on the surface, pressing them lightly into the soil, and 
cover them with sand only. They should be covered to a depth of about two and a 
haif to three times the breadth of the seed itself. Fold a burlap sack to fit on top of 
the soil after the seeds are sown and covered. The purpose of the burlap is to hold 
the soil and seed in place, to prevent washing and to retain the moisture. 
# Place the flat in the shade during the summer months and in the sun during 
the winter months. Lift the burlap occasionally to see if the seeds are germinated 
and then at the first sign of germination, remove the burlap, then sprinkle lightly, 
keeping the soil thoroughly moist until all of the seeds have germinated. 
# The young plants require sunshine, therefore the flat should be placed in the 
sunlight after all the seeds have germinated. When the plants have acquired a 
second or third set of leaves, or when they have grown sufficiently large for trans¬ 
planting, they may be removed to the open ground. They should not be left in the 
flats for too long a time, as younger plants are more successfully transplanted than 
those that have grown too tall and woody. In removing them from the seed box or 
flat, for transplanting, a sharp knife may be used to good advantage in blocking 
out a little soil with each plant, leaving the root system and soil as little disturbed 
as possible. 
# By growing your own plants they may be transplanted from the flat at a time 
when the soil is properly prepared and without undue exposure or excess handling. 
Keep a record of your plantings so that you will know the varieties, particularly 
those you wish to continue in your garden another year. 
