—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 7, 1973
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A Guide To Successful
Now’s the time to put into
action all those gardening plans
you made during the long dreary
winter. Don’t hesitate another
minute because it’s spring
planting time!
For real satisfaction and
learning experience you may be
considering growing your own
bedding plants from seed. If so,
Dan Helwig, floriculture teacher
at the Mount Joy Vocational
Technical School, offers some
suggestions to start you on your
way.
The basic “tools” needed for
your project will be some flats,
some soil mix, and seeds. Plastic
flats can be purchased, but
wooden flats can be made easily
and cheaply with materials you
may already have.
Helwig suggests a soil mix of
finely ground peat moss and
vermiculite, mixed in equal
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Seeded flats are shown in the
greenhouse area where they will be misted
automatically to keep the soil moist. There
are heating pipes under the flats to
maintain a constant soil temperature of 75
proportions Such a mixture can
be purchased commercially
under the names “Jiffy-mix” and
“Kys-mix ”
The advantage of using such a
mix instead of field soil is that it
has been sterilized and there is
no danger of disease, pesticides
or herbicides which might inhibit
germination
Better germination results
from a mix because it is light and
consistent, with a known ph-4.5
After putting your soil mixture
in the flat, Helwig suggests that
you add a small amount of
spagnum moss on top. The
spagnum will help avoid damping
A completed flat, ready for the seed, is shown here. The soil
mix is finely ground peat moss and vermiculite, and there is a
fine cover of spagnum moss. The flat is plastic.
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off which is a common problem m
flats using regular soil. A wilted
appearance is evidence of
damping off. There are serveral
chemicals available to combat
this problem, but a sterilized soil
mix is a good way to avoid it.
Next sprinkle your seed on the
mix Helwig suggests broad
casting the seed evenly over the
flat, although it is alright to plant
the seed in rows if you prefer.
If the seed is larger, such as a
zinnia, a fine coating of soil may
need to be placed over it
The soil temperature should be
maintained at 75 degrees. In the
controlled greenhouse, this
degrees. It’s important to keep accurate
records of your seeds, because when they
first appear they often look like something
quite different from the mature plant. Note
the markers here.
means placing the flats in an area
with heating pipes under the flats
and a mist arrangement over
them which maintains constant
moisture. For the homeowner, the
flat could be placed near the
furnace, to be kept warm until
germination. Light is not critical
at this point, and after ger
mination the flat can be set where
it will receive more light. The flat
must be checked daily for
moisture so the seeds do not get
too dry.
After germination, the flats
should be placed in subdued light
and allowed to dry off, according
to Helwig. The temperature
- > t"
Bedding Plants
should be reduced and no direct
sunlight is necessary.
Fertilization should be done
after germination and should be
carried out lightly and with care.
Begin by using half the recom
mended amount of your fer
tilizer. Increase amounts slowly.
When the plants reach about
Vh inch in height, they can be set
outside at a protected cellar
window with plastic over them or
on an enclosed porch to help them
gain strength. Helwig suggests
bringing them in the first few
nights until they become hardy
enough to withstand cooler
temperatures.
Next, thickly seeded flats
should be re-planted into peat or
clay pots. They should be potted
'individually, and Helwig cautions
that you should break out the
bottom of a peat pot before it_is
' set into the soil. If ybuf planls are '
not too thick, you may be able to
' keep them ?ii£the flat until they
are set in the soil. -
Helwig says it is purely a
“matter of judgment” as to when
the plants can be set out in the
soil. ' He
reminds us that the frost date
here is May 15, so planting earlier
can be a risk. It also depends up
the individual vegetable or flower
and its hardiness.
Helwig feels that in most cases
it is far better to start plants in
flats because when you simply
spread seed, it must contend with
birds, insects and diseases.
One of the problems with
raising plants in flats is that
sometimes they do not appear as
hardy as “bought” plants.
Helwig says a lot of this can be
blamed on intensity of ,natural
light, which is the one factor
which cannot be controlled.
Setting the flats outside before
putting the plants in the soil will
Jim Stauffer, a student at Elizabethtown High School, is
transplanting plants to individual pots.
help make them hardier, he says
Helwig says that the question of
whether to germinate your own
seeds or buy bedding plants from
the greenhouse depends a lot
upon the individual. Cost is not
the only consideration, but
whether “you have the time and
the patience.” He cautions that
“it may not always work out for
you. Another consideration is
whether there is room in your
home to set flats with the ger
minating seeds. He said, “If you
have the time, you can have a
lot of fun and learn a lot.”
It’s quite a challenge to grow
your own plants from seed and
the satisfaction of producing a
vegetable or a lovely flower
cannot be equalled. ,
-But he said,, Lancaster County
prqdqces an abundance of bed
dihgplants, so you can go to'aay
g£©Mjhouse and', purchase ydfcr
needs. ThequanSty of plants you
desire will also have an effect
upon your decision to grow or to
buy. One advantage of buying
plants is that they usually
produce earlier, and are almost
always hardy.
Seeds for your flats are readily
available, and Helwig said, “We
never had such a large selec
tion.” He said we all benefit from
the tremendous breeding im
provements which mean hardier,
disease resistent plants.
So, if you’ve got the time and a
little extra space for a few
weeks, why not buy some seeds
and let the whole family share a
learning experience which can
help ease your food budget and
beautify your home.
If you need additional advice,
or have a specific question your
local Penn State Extension office
can supply further information.
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