The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-03-25
BY n. E. Lainu

corning the best date on which to
plant each kind OF flower and
vegetable seed indoors in order TO
| produce plants for transplanting
/ later in the garden. Professional
I gardeners who have extensive
| greenhouses and hot beds usually
/ plan to plant the seeds early
| enough so that there will be am.
/ pie time for the plants to become
/ as large as possible (but not too
large) for early transplanting. The
amount of time required to produce
suitable plants depends chiefly
upon four factors, namely, tempera.
! ture, moisture, light and soil fertili.
| ty. By giving sufficient attention to
moisture end soil fertility, salts
factory plants can be raised In a
warm sunny place in the kitchen or
any other room OF the house.
At ordinary room temperature
suitable sweet potato and melon
plants can be produced in about
four weeks; head lettuce. cabbage
cauliflower, kohl rabi, broccoli
Brussels sprouts. marigold, calen'
dula, and zinnia in about six to eight
weeks; tomato, pepper. egg plant
aster, and beets in eight to ten
weeks; onions. carrots. snapdrag'
| ons, and petunias in about ten to
IL weeks; while celery requires
about - to II weeks to make
ladge strong plants.
In order to have these plants rea
| dy for transplanting at the usual
time. the suitable dates for plant
ing the seeds indoors are respec'
| lively: early celery, January Is;
Spanish onions, beets. carrots, Feb
ruary 1928: early head lettuce
cabbage, cauliflower. kohl rabbi
broccoli, and Brussels sprouts (if al
ALL, March lis aster, snapdra.
CONS, petunia, very early tomato
pepper, late celery. egg plant
March 1880; usual early tomato
pepper, egg plant, marigold, calen'
dula and zinnia, April 120: sweet
potato, melons, cucumbers and sum
mer squash. April %; pole lima
beans for later transplanting, May
/ A.. Since Brussels sprouts are
| considered to be more palatable az
/ ter autumn frosts, they are usually
/ omitted from the early paintings
/ in this climate and are sown out
doors in midway for the fall crop
instead.
Successful raising OF plants in
/ soil depends upon the condition oi
the soil II the soil contains toe
much clay, it may remain damp
and sticky when met or may be
come too hard and encrusted when
dry. Therefore it is considered
best to select soil that contains a
generous proportion OF sand. But
sand alone is OF little value be
cause of its lack OF fertility and
its inability to retain moisture. In
orde" to correct these two dehcien
cies, the soil should contain an
abundance OF .humus whcih is par
TALLY decomposed organic matter
such as decayed sod, leaves and
manure. Many home gardeners
maintain a compost heap upon
which they pile sod trimmings
leaves and other waste vegetable
material throughout the summer
so that in the spring there will be 6
sufficient amount OF decayed ma
terial to mix with sand and garden
loan. A good mixture usually con
sists OF about three to four part:
OF compost or rich gladden. loan tc
one part of loamy sand, but the
exact proportion Of each depends
uron the amount OF clay in the
compost and garden loan, more
sand being required when the loan
contains much clay. To this mix
ture, there may be added about two
parts of finely decayed leaf molt
or manure. This mixture is usually
sifted through a Z inch screen tC
remove the coarsest material. 1t II
then placed in the planting box ant
pressed firmly. The seeds are
then sown broadcast or in little
rows IL desired. Then a light cover
OF soil is sprinkled over the seeds
and pressed down firmly. and an
other light cover OF soil is sprinkl
ed on top and left loose TO assis
in absorbing moisture and to hell
prevent the formation OF a crust
Water is then sprinkled on SLOWLY
but thoroughly in order to com
pletely saturate the soil. The
boxes are then allowed to drair
and are set in warm place until
termination takes place. Usual!
the soil should be watered abou
once or twice each-day, the amkun
depending upon the need. 1t is de
sirable to keep the soil moist bu
not continually saturated for mos
species OF plants.
Special care Is sometimes taker
to sift the soil through a h-inci
screen for very tiny seeds such al
celery. snapdragon, and petunias
Also, it is advisable to cover sucl
tiny seeds very thinly with soil anc
to place a cloth or a paper towe
on top OF the soil to assist In re
tanning moisture and to proven
washing The soil from the seed
while sprinkling. The cloth o