Evening star., 1943-07-11
Sow Perennial Seeds in July and August

The growing of perennials ana bl-
ennials for the flower border is fire.
ouently looked upon as q job. for
the specialist-tnat flowers take con-
siderable skill and work to propa-
gate. In some cases this Is true, but
for the majority of kinds, and es-
pecially the more common kinds,
growing from seed, dividing or slip
ping is comparatively simple.
The shortage of help in the COM
mercial plant gardens will no doubt
result in smaller supplies being
available next spring, and so the
minded gardeners will grow
their own. Not only will they be
able to grow the kinds wanted, but
colors and heights will be taken
into consideration In choosing the
varieties. This is real advantage,
for all too often the salesperson Is
able to give very little, If any, in
formation about the plants offered
for sale.
The growing of plants can be made
quite ritual and chore unless some
thought is given to it. Too often
the home gardener starts out to
grow several hundred plants because
the seed packet contains far more
seed than is needed. The growing
Of a few plants requires simple
equipment and need not be too
much work, but the growing of large
numbers involves equipment and
real work. OF course, there are
those who can sow packet of seed
in the flower border or between the
shrubs and roses with splendid sue
cess. For the majority, however,
the growing of few plants in a
bulb pan or small box is to be rec
commended. The work Is easier, the
results can be more certain, and
there is less danger of disease and
insect injury where the seeds are
given frequent attention.
Balb Pass Usually
Very Satisfactory.
Most gardeners will find that
the common 6-inch bulb pan (po3
is ideal for the starting Of small
quantities Of plants. Sowing seed
in such a pot is simple compared to
the work of preparing seed flats or
a cold-frame. Filling bulb pans,
sowing the seed and putting them
in a suitable situation where they
can be watched and given the nee
essary, attention is not too difficult
for any gardener.
There are a considerable number
of kinds of perennials and biennials
to be started at this season of the
year. Pansy, English daisy, holly
hooks, coreopsis, gaillardia, Shasta
daisy, forget-me-nots. sweet-wil-
liams, platycodon (balloon fiower)
lychnis, Chinese larkspur and hibis-
Gus are only few. Some Of them
will bloom the first year from seed
if sown very early in the spring.
Where this was not done, it is sug-
gested that seed be sown now and
large plants obtained for trans
planting this fall. They should give
early strong bloom next season,
such as can seldom be obtained from
spring-sown seed.
In filling the pots or flats for the
sowing of seed gardeners have for
generations used a mixture of COM
post (two parts), garden loan four
parts and sand Zone par0, although
if the soil is heavy clay the por-
ton of sand may be safely doubled.
Today many gardeners will want to
try starting their seeds in pulverized
sphagnum moss. This material Is
inexpensive and does not contain
much weed seed. Seedlings started
in it seem to be comparatively free
from the damping fungus. This
Is comparatively new method but
has been tried out by enough gar
deners to prove that it is successful
Best to So,c Seeds
Very Thiniy.
Whether the seeds are sown in a
soil mixture or in sphagnum moss, it
is wise to SOW them very thinly-at
one-half the rate indicated on the
packet. This should result in less
crowding of the seedlings, less diff
Guilty in transplanting and in stur-
dier, more worthwhile plants.
If the seed are sown in bulb pans
1t is well to plan to put the pans
in a box or bed where they may be
packed in dirt, peat moss, or COM
post, so that they will not dry out
too quickly. However, if only one
pot is to be used it may be set inside
of larger-sized pot and the space
between filled with sand, etc.
The covering of flower seed seems
to cause many beginners trouble
The old rule-cover the seed to q
depth of twice their diameter-is toe
general. The very tiny seed should
be covered with dust-thick layer
of sand or sphagnum moss. Or one
may cover them with a very thin
piece of old burlap. Most gardeners
prefer to use fine sand. The larger
seeds offer no especial difficulty, al
though care must be used to avoid
covering too deeply.
AS soon as the soil or moss is
placed in the pot-the coarser ma
terial is placed on the bottom and
the finest material at the top-the
seed are soWn and covered. The
next step is to water them and this
is usually best done by placing the
pot or the fiat in a tub or other
container where the water may be