Soil - Lawn - Cactus - Roses - House Plants - Shrubs & Trees - Bonsai - Japanese gardens - Diseases - Compost - Taxonomy - Ferns - Propagation - Landscaping - Home Improvement
Seed Raising and Drainage
It is very important to provide good drainage. Fill the seed-pots to one-quarter of their capacity with clean broken clay pots, Other resources include:, Bonsai Containers, When to Sow Grass Seeds called crocks, and give seed-boxes or pans a good layer of these crocks over the drainage holes—coarse gravel Also consider:, Loamy Soil, Rocks and Stones in a Japanese Gardenor clinker ash can be used. On top of the drainage material, use clean moss, dried leaves or fibrous material shaken from partially decayed grass More interesting articles:, Parthenais, flora15sod, to prevent the soil Other resources include:, Prevailing Winds And Planting, How To Plant Treesclogging the drainage holes. With seed-boxes a layer of large crocks over the spaces between the bottom boards is all that is needed, but the bottom of the box should be covered with leaves or fibre before the box is filled with soil. Also consider:, Lilies, Lawn Plugs - Plugging The seed soil Also consider:, Rocks and Stones in a Japanese Garden, for Groundcoversshould be an open sandy mixture, consisting of approximately two parts sifted loam (good garden And:, Rose Fertilizers, Life Insurance Companies in United Statessoil) and one part each of peat moss, or of sifted leaf-mould, and sand. For certain plants Other resources include:, Repotting Houses, How To Treesa higher proportion of organic Try:, Doors, Cactus Pests and Diseasematerial or a larger amount of sand may be used to meet special needs. If possible, home-mixed seed soils Including:, Companion Planting for Roses, Roses United Statesshould be sterilized by steam, by baking, by treating with formalin (1 part to 50 of water) or by using a chemical preparation sold for this purpose. Fill the pots, And:, Luing, Companion Planting for Roses pans or seed-boxes with the soil Also consider:, When to Plant Roses, Roses United Statesmixture to within half an inch of the top; moderately firm it with the fingers (not thumbs) to get an even surface; and finally level it with the edge of a wooden plant Other resources include:, Alpacas Associations United States, Architects in United Stateslabel, ruler or any similar strip of wood. More interesting articles:, Lawn Repair, Rocks and Stones in a Japanese Garden Not until the surface is quite level should it be finally firmed with a presser, and then only lightly. (A presser is a flat Consider also:, Waste Vegetable Oil and Straight Vegetable Oil, Lawn Plugs - Pluggingpiece of board with a short handle attached.) Next, water Including:, Mortgage Calculators, Alpacas Associations United Statesthe soil-filled receptacles with a watering can fitted with a fine spray, or stand them in an old tub or similar container, and fill it with water More interesting articles:, Bonsai Planting, Scale and Perspective in a Japanese Gardento just below the rims of the pots Other resources include:, Reting Houseplants, Texas Longhorn Breedersor other containers. Allow the water More interesting articles:, flora3, The Illusion of Age in Bonsaito rise through the soil Try:, Gardening in Wisconsin, Green Manureand moisten the surface, then lift out the seed See:, Daffodils, Orchids in North Carolinareceptacles and allow them to drain. A soil See:, Bonsai Care, Plant Bacterial Diseasesthoroughly moistened before planting provides the best conditions for germination and avoids the need for frequent watering while the seeds And:, Will lime break up clayey soil?, Dahliaare germinating. |
   What's Inside
Seedling Transplanting - Transplanting of seedlings should be done as soon as the seedlings produce their first true leaf. The earliest "leaves" to appear are the cotyledons or seed leaves; their shape is normally simple and different from that of the true or normal leaves of the... more Bonsai Care - Throughout its life, a bonsai needs special attention - at times daily care - and it cannot be overlooked if the tree is to remain healthy and grow steadily more beautiful. A prime need is for fresh air and sunshine, which can best be supplied in the open... more Know Your Tree's Soil - A most important factor and one that determines the success of your garden is knowing what kind of soil you have and then choosing shrubs and trees that will be suited to it. Many plants will not grow well in acid or alkaline soils, so it is wise to take... more How to Grow Roses - Most roses will grow and flower with relatively little attention. They will, however, give much better results, increasing in both size and beauty if looked after properly. This extra care is well within the scope of the average gardener, even if he is gr... more Sowing Seeds in Patches - Seeds can be sown directly on the permanent site by broadcasting or scattering them over a prepared patch of soil, where informal groups of flowering plants such as annuals are grown in a border, or where seeds of biennials or perennials are sown in frame... more Acclimatising House Plants - It is good practice to let plants acclimatise for the first three or four weeks with only moderate watering, no feeding, good light and, if necessary, increased humidity.... more Lawns from Stolons - Some grasses spread rapidly by creeping stems (stolons). With these grasses it is entirely practicable to establish excellent lawns by planting small pieces of rootless and leafless stolons or of stolons with roots and leaves or by setting pieces of turf... more |