LIFESTYLES

WER Le

INDOOR GARDENING

Start thinking about planting seeds

I CAN just hear Chicken Little now, “The sun is shining,

the sun is shining!’’

Unaccustomed as the little
fellow is to that menacing fireball
in the sky, who can blame him?
It’s hard times indeed (or should 1
say wet times) when a little sun-
shine causes panic in the streets.

But history tells us that sooner
(here’s hoping) or later (God for-
bid), sunshine and warm weather
will be the norm rather than the
exception. With this in mind we
should think about starting a few
seeds indoors.

The essentials are a good loca-
tion, suitable containers, sterilized
potting mixes, seed, and conscien-
tious aftercare. If one of these
elements is ignored, success is at
risk.

First, let’s look at the criteria for
a good location. First, the seeds
should get bright light without too
much heat during the occasional
warm, sunny day we are bound to
get. If you live in a warm, south-
facing apartment and your only
window faces south, you may have
as bad a problem as your
neighbors facing north.

Some warmth (70 to 75 degrees
F) is needed in order to assure
proper germination of most seed.
Too much heat can also damage
the small seedlings which appear
after germination has occurred.

You need not abandon hope if it
appears as though you do not have
a suitable area at your disposal.
Indoor grow-lights can help you
northerners while some type of
shade cloth or even a fan will
reduce the risks of too much heat.

While choosing the right con-

tainer is not likely io be as critical
a decision as location, there are
one or two points which should be
taken into consideration.

All you purists out there should
abandon your clay pots and
wooden fats. They may be high on
esthetics but they are certainly low
on their ability to retain proper
amounts of moisture and provide a
pest-free home for young seed-
lings.

All you recyclers will be happy
to know that those hard-to-justify,
styrofoam egg cartons make great
seed trays —~ if you put drainage
holes in the bottom. However, you
will have to re-pot your seedlings
into larger containers well before
you are able to move them outside.

The best containers are the
commercially available, plastic
seed trays used by the growers.
They are neat, tidy, totally func-
tional and cheap. If you were
smart, you would have cleaned and
saved those which you brought
home from the garden centre last
year,

The individual, multi-celled in-
serts which come with these (gen-
erally 12 to a flat) are niceties
rather than necessities. They are
easier to handle when transplan-
ting and can be a help when grow-
ing more than one variety per flat.

More useful are the clear plastic
covers which are made to fit over
the trays. These are an excellent
way to keep warmth and moisture
in during the critical germination
period. You must remember to
open them a crack or remove them

entirely should the temperature get
too high and/or the seedlings begin
to develop.

Much has been said about seed
starting mixtures, from the new,
high-tech substances Tike ‘Rock
Wool’ and ‘Grow Sponge’ to the
use Of special pre-moistened peat
mixtures. For the most part, they
all have merit. Just don’t get car-

over the
garden gaie

Geoff Tobiasson
a ee

tied away; remember this exercise
is supposed to be fun and cheap.
As long as it is sterile (ie: no
weed seeds, no bugs, and no
diseases) and will hold residual
amounts of moisture while allow-
ing any excess to drain away, it
will work just fine. You can get
teally fanatical and ‘cook’ your
own garden soil (350 degrees for
one hour) — just be prepared for

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13 - Friday,

the stink.

Here is a slight variation on
Cornell University’s soilless mix
which works. Three parts peat,
three parts coarse vermiculite, and
one part washed, medium sand.
Add one-haif cup bonemeal and
one tablespoon superphosphate per
four cubic feet. The average
wheelbarrow comfortably holds
approximately this amount.

Fresh flower and vegetable seeds
should have started appearing in
the garden centres some time last
month. As the favorites are usually
in short supply, get yours early.
Not all seed should be started ear-
ly; here are a few contenders:

FLOWERS

Antirrhinum = (snapdragons),
begonias (fibrous), calceolaria,
carnations, cyclamen, geraniums,
gloxinias, impatiens, lobelias, pan-
sies (viola), petunias, nicotiana,
schizanthus.

VEGETABLES

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
eggplant, leeks, onions, peppers,
tomatoes.

Cover your seed with soil to a
thickness mo greater than _ its
smallest dimension; bury it too
deep and it may rot. Put two or
three seeds where you expect one
plant to grow and thin them later;
this will assure the best use of your
limited space.

Keep your seed and seedlings

February 16, 1990 - North Shore News

moist but not wet. Setting your
tray/pot/egg carton in water only
long enough to allow the soil to
soak up its needed water will
reduce the risk of over watering
and avoid dislodging your seed and
seedlings.

Ventilate the area. One of the
biggest problems with seeding in-
doors is damping-off disease. You
work your buns off and just when
the Hetle suckers are starting to
look good, they fall over and rot.
Good air circulation will help to
avoid this, as will sterile soil and
even amounts of water.

Do not shock your seedlings by
moving them outdoors too quick-
ly. Set the flats outdoors on warm
days for about a week before leav-
ing them out over night. If the
weather turns nasty, bring them in
and start over.

Be aware of plants which are
becoming too root-bound. Plants
such as broccoli, cauliflower and
others will never recover if they
should feel too pinched for root
toom. Repot any plants that ap-
pear to be drying out too quickly,
a sure sign of crowded roots.

If you take the time to start a
few seeds now, you won’t be
disappointed come summer. Make
it a family project; it’s a great
learning experience for the kids.
And sow it grows.

GOL DEN TOUCH
INTERIORS