Sey te ID) GT IRIIEILIN| vA PIU 
Most florists and nurserymen are successful with the sowings 
of their seeds. Almost all have worked out a method that suits 
their particular purpose. Occasionally, however, something hap- 
pens that spoils all or part of a sowing thus delaying the crop. 
Delays mean a possible cut in profits, therefore we think the few 
points mentioned below may be of interest. 
First in importance is the sowing medium. The old time 
mixture of 1 part loam, 1 part leaf mold, 1 part sharp sand, 
seems to be ideal for the largest number of items. For very 
fine seeds or varieties that damp off easily the sand content 
may be raised to provide more drainage. 
Year old cinders, finely screened and washed, also make 
an ideal medium. They are sterile, porous enough to hold water 
and yet will not hold too much. The seedlings make excellent 
roots but must be transplanted early unless fed with some 
nutrient solution. Where such cinders are available we suggest 
you try a sowing, especially if you have had difficulty in soil. 
It is of prime importance to sterilize all soil into which you 
intend to sow seeds. Steam is probably best for this purpose but 
not always available and for best results steam _ sterilization 
should be done under pressure. An economical method is to use 
40% liquid Formaldehyde. This material is low in cost, will keep 
its strength for years and is very effective in killing most disease 
organisms. For small quantities use one tablespoonful diluted 
with five or six tablespoons of water, thoroughly mixed with a 
flat of soil. Seed may be sown 12 to 24 hours after treatment 
if heavily watered. For larger quantities use about 2¥2 table- 
spoonsful of formaldehyde to the bushel. Three days should 
elapse if the soil or sand is to be used for transplants or cuttings. 
Adequate drainage should be supplied in the flats or pans 
and usually this can best be obtained by using the coarse screen- 
ings on the bottom. It is good practice to prepare the flats and 
give them a good soaking. After they have dried so that the 
soil is not sticky, the seed may be sown. After sowing press 
lightly and sift over, with a fine screen, sufficient soil to just 
cover the seeds. Many failures are due to too heavy coverings. 
Very fine seeds such as Begonia, Kalanchoe and fine Petunia 
may require little or no covering other than a glass over the 
flat or pan. 
Watering must be done very carefully with a fine rose 
and it is important that the soil should be uniformly moist at 
all times. Allowing the flat to dry out and giving light surface 
sprinkles will surely cause trouble. With very fine seeds, pans 
and flats are best watered by setting them in a container with 
an inch or so of water. 
Shading may be done with newspaper, burlap or cheese 
cloth. Hard to germinate seeds such as Lavender, Trollius, 
Aquilegia, Primula are best kept very dark until they start to 
germinate. 
Temperature has much to do with germination. Most peren- 
nials germinate best at low temperatures. Zinnias, Asparagus, 
Dracena, Verbena require high temperatures while Stocks, Snap- 
dragons, Calceolaria need cool conditions. It is often necessary 
to sow cool loving plants during hot weather and here, by 
sprinkling the shading material frequently, a cool condition can 
be maintained. 
Upon emergence, it is usually a good plan to sift a light 
covering of the finely screened sowing medium over the top. 
This may be done lightly and carefully several times until the 
seeds have all germinated and start to produce their first true 
leaf. This ‘practice will help support the seedlings and prevent 
damping off. Ventilation and light must be admitted as rapidly 
as the weather conditions and the speed of germination permit. 
Err rather on ventilating too soon so that the seedlings may be 
kept short and stocky. Should damping off occur, a light dusting 
with Zinc Oxide or watering with a solution of Cuprocide 54, 
combined with proper ventilation and care in watering will 
usually stop the trouble. 
Given a good start, seedlings will give little trouble when 
transplanted. Here again we recommend using sterilized soil 
when shifting to flats or small pots. Much time in transplant 
ing can be saved by planting the hardier seeds directly where 
they are to bloom, especially in outdoor culture. Using a sandy 
soil mixture as a covering good results will be had in even 
heavy soil. Practically all annuals grown outdoors may be 
sown in this way, sowing somewhat thicker than usual and 
thinning if necessary. Many plants mature quicker and produce 
better flowers handled in this way. Flatting of perennial trans- 
plants may also be saved by sowing in open ground beds in 
early Spring or late Summer carrying the seedlings over and 
transplanting in a semi-dormant condition in Fall or early Spring. 
We hope you have found something of value in the above 
article. It is impossible to cover the entire subject thoroughly 
in the space available so if you have a germination problem 
won't you ask us to help you solve it? We will be glad to do so. 

Larkspur Giant Imperial 
Page Five 
