Seed Sowing IN FLATS 
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1. Materials required are: flats; broken 
pieces of pots, gravel or other drainage 
material; sifter, with a bottom of 14-inch 
wire mesh; compost (one part garden 
loam, one part peat moss and one part 
sand). Thoroughly mix the compost mix- 
ture and then place in flats over drainage 
material, pressing it firmly into the cor- 
ners. 

4. Write labels and place them at the 
head of the drills. Small sticks or green 
stakes can be used to separate drills con- 
taining different varieties. Mix small 
seed with a little fine sand before sowing 
—this gives better distribution of seed 
which helps greatly when transplanting 
later. 

2. For a smooth surface, level with 
wooden block, leaving 14-inch space be- 
tween the soil and the top of the flat. To 
provide a very smooth surface for small 
seeds, such as primulas, petunias, etc., 
an extra surface sifting of compost 
through a fine screen is recommended. 
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5. Cover the seed with the same compost 
to which extra sand has been added. 
Some prefer to use sand only. A good 
rule to follow is to cover to the depth 
of the seed itself. Extra fine seed should 
not be covered; merely press it gently 
into the soil with a flat, level piece of 
wood. 
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3. Using a short ruler or a straight- 
edged stick and make shallow drills 2 
inches apart. If the seed to be sown is 
coarse (zinnias, asters, etc.), the drills 
can be quite deep (approximately 14- 
inch). Sow fine seed in very shallow 
drills (44-inch or less). 

6. Thoroughly water the planted flat 
with a very fine overhead spray, being 
careful not to wash the soil or disturb 
the seed. Place it in a greenhouse or a 
warm spot not reached by direct sun- 
light. Cover with a glass (or Suntex 
cloth) and a double thickness of news- 
paper. Turn the glass each day to ven- 
tilate and remove excess moisture. Never 
let soil dry out during growing period. 
