Garden Suggestions 
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The Ve6 etable Garden 
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CONDUCTED BY F. F. ROCKWELL 
Author of Home Vegetable Gardening and Gardening 
Indoors and Under Glass 
Transplanting Seedlings 
NE little job that keeps turning up 
through the spring months is the 
transplanting, or “pricking off,” of seed¬ 
lings of various flowers and vegetables. 
This should be done as soon as they are 
large enough, usually as soon as they 
begin to show the second or third true 
leaf, and in any case before they begin to 
crowd each other and grow lean and 
lanky. Water the seed flats 
thoroughly the day before 
you expect to transplant, so 
so that the soil will be in the 
best condition, not wet enough 
to stick, or dry enough to 
crumble off the roots. Take 
the plants out carefully, a 
small chunk of a dozen or 
two at a time, and then care¬ 
fully pull them apart, dis¬ 
turbing the roots as little as 
possible. Have other flats, or 
a place in the hotbed, cold- 
frame or garden, ready to re¬ 
ceive them. In the former 
case a layer of well-rotted manure in the 
bottom of the flat, under the soil, is ad¬ 
visable. In the latter the soil should be 
very fine and smooth, with no lumps. 
The little seedlings are usually set about 
two inches apart each way; at least 
enough space must be given to allow 
them plenty of room to grow without 
crowding each other closely. If the top 
leaves or the roots are long, it is well to 
trim them back, quite severely if neces¬ 
sary, before transplanting. Mark the 
rows ont first, so you will get them 
straight, and then, with the forefinger or 
a small pointed stick, make a hole just 
large enough to take the little ball of 
earth and roots and a half or more of the 
stem of the plant. Drop it into place, and 
with the first fingers and thumb of each 
hand press the earth closely about it, so 
that it will stand up firmly by itself just 
as if it had grown there. Four to eight 
dozen plants are usually put in an ordi¬ 
nary cracker-box flat. They should be 
lightly watered and kept shaded from 
the sun for two or three days after trans¬ 
planting, until they have “taken root.” 
Transplanting to pots is much the same 
process. Tomatoes, peppers and egg¬ 
plants, after the second transplanting, 
should be put in individual pots, three or 
three and a half, or even four, inch. Use 
a rich compost or put a little manure in 
the bottom of each pot. One of the mis¬ 
takes most frequently made in “potting 
off” is to put small plants in too large 
pots. It is much better to transplant 
small plants to a flat first. Where a 
small plant must be put in a pot too big 
for it, set it near one edge, rather than 
in the center. Most annuals and peren¬ 
nials in pots, whether intended to flower 
in the pots or to be set out in the garden, 
will be improved by pinching back the 
main shoot, when they grow up to a 
single stem, to induce a good, stocky 
growth. Small plants in pots that re¬ 
quire repotting should be shifted before 
the white “working” roots become hard 
and “pot-bound.” Use pots only one or 
two sizes larger than those 
in which they have been 
growing, and pot them so- 
that they will be as deep, or 
a little deeper, in the soil 1 
than before. Do not fill the 
pot level full; leave enough 
of a depression to hold water 
when watering until it can 
soak into the soil. 
Hardening the Plants 
The time is fast approach¬ 
ing when the hardiest plants, 
such as cabbage, beets, lettuce 
and cauliflower, can go outdoors. Give 
these plants more and more air, and 
leave them uncovered altogether for a 
few nights when it seems probable there 
will be no frost, before setting out. If 
they should happen to get “touched,” give 
a good drenching with ice-cold water as 
soon as possible, and keep them shaded 
from the sun. If the frames are crowded, 
construct a temporary shelter or frame that 
can be covered at night with old bags, 
matting, blankets, or anything of the sort 
that can be found lying around not in 
use, and shove the hardier things out into 
(Continued on page 327) 
“Take the plants out gently, a small clump at a time, and then separate them without 
injuring the roots” 
“Water the flats well the day before 'pricking off,' “Prepare the soil carefully in the hot-bed to receive the seedlings Paper pots for hardening the plants are cheap 
so that the soil will be in proper condition for trans- and, with a dibble, make a hole just the size of the roots and the and convenient. Do not set them out while there 
planting” attached earth" is danger from frost 
( 294 ) 
