1939-1940 CATALOG OF RICHARD DIENER NURSERY, oxnard, calif., u. s. a 
SOWING OF PETUNIA SEEDS 
Prepare a seed bed by taking leaf mould soil which has been 
mixed with some clean, white sand (use positively no fer¬ 
tilizer in this soil when sowing). Sift this through a fine 
sieve into seed pans and flats within two inches from the top. 
Fill the remaining two inches at the top of the receptacle 
with boiling water and let the water seep through the soil 
and let the soil then stand for a day. This will have killed 
all weed seeds, worms and fungi contained in the soil. Smooth 
over the surface of the soil, but do not pack, as Petunia seeds 
will not grow in soil which has been packed. After the sur¬ 
face is smooth, sprinkle with fresh, cold water so that the 
soil will settle evenly. Sow the seeds over the top. If you are 
in a dry atmosphere, sprinkle a very little of this sterilized 
soil over the seeds. In damp climates no soil covering is 
needed, but a sprinkling of charcoal dust is good. Place a 
clean pane of glass over the flats or seed pans. If the sun 
strikes the glass, place over it a single sheet of newspaper. 
Always keep the seed bed moist, but not wet. Do not sow 
the seeds too closely, as they are to attain three or four 
leaves before transplanting. The glass should be removed as 
soon as the seeds have sprouted. The young plants should be 
transplanted as soon as possible into flats, spacing them one 
inch apart. 
Petunia seeds should be sown out four months before they 
are marketable. 
Petunia seeds sowed out in this sterilized soil will ger¬ 
minate 100% and the young plants will grow faster and be 
more vigorous. Also, you will not be bothered with weeds and 
fungi. These seeds are cleaned by a process where only the 
fertile kernels are selected. Ants will carry off the seeds if 
they have any access to same. Snails will eat the young seed¬ 
lings—a great many in one night. For this reason seed boxes 
should be placed so that snails and ants are unable to reach 
them. Most of the loss of the seeds occurs in this way. We 
would suggest in this case that the seed box be placed on 
small blocks of wood, the blocks resting in jars or pans, the 
latter containing either oil or water. The ants or snails are 
unable to cross the oil or water, and so cannot reach the seeds. 
If you have successfully raised Petunias from seeds before, 
use your own method. The above is given to those who are 
unacquainted with the handling of Petunia seeds. 
HANDLING OF YOUNG PETUNIA PLANTS WHEN GROWING 
IN 3-INCH POTS FOR THE MARKET 
In order to have large flowers and brilliant colors in three- 
inch pots, a good soil is absolutely essential for the young 
plants. 
Following Are Directions for Preparing the Best Soil: It is best 
to use an even mixture of leaf mould and old, rotten manure 
(four or five years old or from the hot bed). However, if no 
old manure is available, leaf mould will do. To a cubic yard 
of soil add a four-inch pot of fresh Portland cement, a five- 
inch pot of bone meal, a five-inch pot of dried blood and a 
regular water pail full of white sand. After mixing all of 
these ingredients, in a dry condition, run them through a 
fine screen. It is best to let this soil lie in the open in the 
shade of a tree or at the north end of a building to ferment 
for at least three months before using, but which is not abso¬ 
lutely necessary. 
Do not add anything else, as this is the best mixture for 
proper results. Do not use powdered sheep manure, chicken 
manure or fish meal, for these ingredients act as poison to 
Petunias. When transplanting, the young plants should be 
planted so that just the root part reaches into the soil. If 
poor soil is used, plants will be spindly, flowers small and 
colors bleached out. This has been the cause of many com¬ 
plaints in regard to the Petunias not being large. You can¬ 
not raise good plants in poor soil in three-inch pots. Many 
mistakes are made in that the seedlings are set too deep. It is 
very essential to be careful in transplanting so that only the 
roots are under the ground, as when planted too deep they 
take much longer to start growth and many will damp off. 
Our Petunias should not be pinched back when young, as 
they are naturally stocky and of dwarf growth, which we 
have accomplished by years of careful selection in that 
direction. 
We receive thousands of questions from customers every 
season in regard to growing and cultivating Petunias best, 
and so we have tried to cover the most important of them 
in this article. However, there is an excellent book on the 
market in which nearly all the questions which are asked 
us are clearly explained. The name of this book is Fritz 
Bahr’s Commercial Floriculture, which you can obtain by 
sending to us. (See the book page at the end of catalog.) 
LILIUM (Philippinense) 
Diener's Whit© Hybrids 
Crossed with Lilium Auratum, the flowers are all 
white and very large. Seedlings flower six months 
after sowing and will flower several times during 
the year. This is a very valuable variety for bedding 
and cut flowers. 
Packet 50c 6 packets $2.00 
LILIUM (Philippinense 
Formosanum) 
A new Lily from the Philippine Islands which 
flowers six months after sowing. Large, trumpet 
shape, white flowers with a great many blooms to a 
stem. This grows flve feet tall. Is hardy and easy 
growing everywhere and one of the most showy 
Lilies in existence. It is best to sow out these seeds 
first in flats and give them only a light covering. 
When seedlings have a few leaves about two inches 
long transplant into the open, one foot apart. Flow¬ 
ers in the Fall. 
Package 50c 6 packages $2.00 
LILIUM REGALE (Regal Lily) 
An easy growing, very hardy Lily from China with 
large, white trumpet flowers. Has a golden center 
inside and is very fragrant. This should be in every 
garden. Flowers in the Spring. 
Package 25c 6 packages $1.00 
HEMEROCALLIS 
(Day Lily) (Hardy) 
We are now offering seeds of our new hybrids. 
Some of the flowers reach 9 inches in diameter. 
Colors from pale yellow to deep orange and they 
represent the highest perfection in Day Lilies today. 
They are very free-flowering. Sow out like Pansy 
seeds. 
25 seeds 50c 75 seeds $1,00 
Redwood City, California, July 19, 1938. 
Richard Diener Nursery, Oxnard, California. 
Gentlemen: We had wonderful luck with all the seed we 
bought last winter. Our customers were very pleased with 
double Petunias and Pelargoniums especially. Sincerely, 
GERTRUDE HOOFT. 
* * * * 
Roosevelt, L. I., N. Y., Oct. 24, 1938. 
Richard Diener Nursery, Oxnard, California. 
Dear Sirs: The Gerbera seeds which we purchased from 
you this spring came up beautifully and we had quite a few 
blooms on them, which we did not expect the first year. We 
have now transplanted them in the cold frame and hope to 
have some lovely Gerberas next summer. The Shasta Daisy 
seed came along nicely, too. We had just one daisy, which 
was lovely, but hope to have more the second year. The Ostrich 
Feather Aster seeds, which you gave us as a gift, were 
gorgeous in bloom this summer. 
Very truly yours, 
MRS. WILLIAM ADACHI. 
PAGE TWENTY-TWO 
