PLANTING THE 
FLORIDA FLOWER GARDEN 
All Cultural Directions and Information in This Guide are Based on 
Florida Growing Conditions. 
In Florida, flowers and lawns can be grown 
every month in the year, since the climate 
and soils are favorable to the production of 
the finest gardens and lawns. 
A proper soil condition is very necessary 
for a good garden. It is much easier to make 
the condition of the soil right at the beginning 
than to attempt to do the improving as you 
go along after the flower garden is planted. 
In many places the size of the garden is 
limited and the soil often very poor. The 
procedure of improving and preparing the 
soil is really quite simple whether the soil 
is hard clay or light sand. Well rotted manure 
and leaf mold or black muck or hammock 
soil are ideal materials to work into the soil. 
The easiest and cheapest way is to spade 
under a thick layer, two or three inches deep, 
of peat moss (see page 30). This material 
is clean and easy to handle, and an effective 
material for breaking up hard soil and mak- 
ing it mellow, or for adding humus to sandy 
soil, making it more retentive of moisture 
and fertilizer materials. After the first layer 
of peat moss has been spaded into the ground, 
again cover the surface with an inch or two 
of peat moss, or better, pulverized sheep 
manure (see page 31), and a liberal applica- 
tion of good garden fertilizer such as Vigoro 
or Vertagreen (see page 31), applying it at 
the rate of 4 to 6 pounds per 100 square feet. 
If these materials are raked into the surface 
soil 7 to 10 days before sowing seed or setting 
plants, you have the foundation for an ex- 
cellent garden. 
There are two general methods of sowing 
flower seeds, the first method is to sow seeds 
in the open in shaded shallow furrows where 
the plants are to bloom. Burlap, palm leaves 
or Spanish Moss may be used for shading, 
and will also protect seeds from being 
washed out, covered too deep or packed by 
heavy rains. 
The other and preferred method of start- 
ing most flower seedlings is to sow the seeds 
in flats or shallow boxes, or in muslin or 
burlap covered seedbeds, where the environ- 
ment may be more easily and better con- 
trolled, than when sown in the open. The 
flats must have adequate drainage provided 
by holes in the bottom to allow the free pass- 
age of water. 
If flats are used, use a mixture of rotted 
manure or Terra-Lite (see page 30) and fer- 
tile, sandy loam soil, free of nematodes 
(root-knot), and fill the flat to within a half 
inch of the top. Firm the soil with a block 
of wood, and soak with a fine spray. After 
the water has drained away, sprinkle small 
seeds thinly over the surface, or plant large 
seeds in rows. Large seeds may be covered 
by sand, fine seeds planted broadcast, such 
as Snapdragon, Pansy and Petunia, should be 
pressed into the soil with a block. Cover the 
seeds with muslin or burlap, and apply water 
to the flat or seedbed daily, until germination 
starts. It is important never to allow the seeds 
to dry out. The cover must be removed 
immediately after the seeds sprout so the 
tiny plants will not be weak or spindly. 
After germination, apply a damp-off dis- 
ease control, such as Arasan (see page 45), 
following directions on the package. The 
damp-off control should be used at the first 
sign of the disease, which causes young seed- 
lings to rot off at the base of the stem. Give 
as much light as possible and water daily 
with a fine spray. 
Thin the seedlings as they begin to crowd. 
When the plants have about four leaves and 
are 4 to 6 inches high set in their permanent 
location in moist soil on a cloudy afternoon 
or toward evening, and water the plants 
thoroughly immediately after setting. They 
should be shaded during the next few days 
until they become established. Frequent 
heavy watering toward evening and bi- 
monthly applications of a good fertilizer will 
contribute in a large measure to the success 
of a garden. Frequent shallow cultivation to 
keep down weeds, and to loosen the surface 
soil is also beneficial. 
After the plants are established, a light 
mulch of peat moss, oak leaves or partially 
rotted grass clippings over the entire soil 
around the plants will preserve moisture, 
keep the roots cool, and discourage weed 
growth. 
For thrifty plants producing an abundance 
of flowers throughout the season, it is an ex- 
cellent plan to fertilize them lightly every 
two weeks, using alternately a complete fer- 
tilizer such as Vigoro or Vertagreen and one 
of the soluble fertilizers, Hy-Gro, Hyponex 
or VHPF “Vip” (see page 31). 
