Growing Your Own Plants 
To get an early start plant seeds of such 
crops as cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, let- 
tuce, eggplant, brussels sprouts and other 
long-season vegetables in a cold-frame or 
hot-bed. Sowing the seeds six to eight 
weeks before the plants are to be set out 
will assure you of early crops. 
Some gardeners prefer to start their 
seed in flats. If flats are used a carefully 
screened mixture of one-third garden soil, 
one-third sand and one-third well-decom- 
posed leaf mold should be tamped in even- 
ly with a board or a building brick so that 
the entire surface is level. For convenience 
in watering, allow at least a half inch of 
space between the surface of the soil and 
the top of the flat. Use a wooden label or 
trowel to mark the rows in the flats, al- 
lowing at least 2 inches between rows. Scat- 
ter the seed evenly in the furrows. Depth 
of planting depends upon the size of the 
seed. 
After the seed has been evenly spread in 
the rows, cover it with soil and tamp so 
that the surface is even. Water with a fine 
spray, and place the flat in a warm, sunny 
location. Moist newspaper or wet burlap 
can be used to cover it until the seed 
germinates, to help to conserve moisture, 
but the cover must be removed as soon 
as the seedlings appear above the soil. 
The First Transplanting 
The first transplanting must be done 
shortly after the seedlings have developed 
their first pair of true leaves. A flat can 
be used for this purpose, or they can be 
set out in a coldframe or hot-bed, depend- 
ing upon the weather and the accommoda- 
tions of the individual gardener. The same 
mixture of soil can be used, with the pro- 
portion of humus or leaf mold increased. 
A pointed stick or a wooden plant label is 
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handy for making holes for the young 
plants. Space the seedlings at least 2 inches 
apart each way and firm the soil around 
each one. 
The process known as “hardening off” 
occurs when young plants are subjected to 
a lower temperature. Plants raised indoors 
can be placed on a porch or near an open 
window on warm days. Those grown in 
coldframes can be directly exposed to the 
air during mid-day while the temperature 
is high, making sure of free air-circulation. 
Several days of exposure are necessary to 
condition the plants. During uncertain 
spring weather, frames may need to be 
covered with burlap or other protective 
material during cold spells. The seedling 
stage is the most critical period for young 
plants, and they are easily killed by either 
extreme of temperature. 
For an early start most of the vegetables 
producing vines like the melons, pumpkins, 
cucumbers and squash must be planted in 
individual pots so that they can be set in 
the open without disturbing the roots. 
Coldframes and Hot-beds 
In a limited way coldframes and _hot- 
beds take the place of a greenhouse in the 
small home garden. A coldframe is an un- 
heated, bottomless, wooden or concrete 
frame with a removable glass top made of 
window sash, used to protect seedling 
plants from cold weather. It is also a 
most convenient place to start late vege- 
tables. A hot-bed is of similar construction 
but it is filled with steaming fresh stable 
manure which is covered with several 
inches of soil to provide a good starting 
ground for young plants. When the heat of 
the manure is exhausted, the bed can be 
used as a coldframe. 
If you have a window sash on hand, you 
SOUTHERN STATES COOPERATIVE 
