How to Raise House Plants from Seeds Easily
Balaji B
The principal house plants which are easy to raise by sowing seeds are Aloe (succulent plant), Asparagus species, Begonia semper-florensundB. rex, cacti (many kinds), Clivia, Cyclamen, Eucalyptus, Fuchsia (varieties), Grevillea robusta, Opuntia, Passijiora, Phoenix (palm), Primula malacoides and P. obconica, Ricinus, Rochea (succulent plant), Saintpaulia (hybrids) and Solatium capsicastrum.
The most suitable compost
It is best to sterilise the compost, and it should therefore be heated in a sterilising apparatus for 10 minutes at a temperature of 18o° F. After this partial sterilisation, the compost must be spread out on a bench to cool before use.
Watering a seed pan by partial immersion
A simple method of sterilising the compost is to water it with Cheshunt Compound steriliser. This chemical can be obtained from any seed store. It consists of a powder which, when dissolved in water, is sprinkled over the compost before or after the seeds have been sown. It is perfectly safe to use, and does not injure the smallest seedlings. Seed boxes and pots can be sterilised by this method and thereby made pest free. A satisfactory seed compost may be obtained by sterilising the loam only, and then adding the peat, sand and fertiliser.
Preparing the seed compost
The soil ingredients are sifted through a sieve having a |-mch mesh and thoroughly mixed. The pots or seed pans are given plenty of drainage crocks which are covered with rough siftings from the compost, and the receptacles are then filled with the compost.
This is made moderately firm by pressing it with the fingers; it is then moistened by holding the receptacle in a pail of water.The water must not come above the rim of the pot because it is necessary that the moisture should rise up through the compost. As soon as the surface of the soil becomes damp, the pot is set aside to drain for a few hours before seed sowing is commenced.
The depth to which the seeds are covered depends on their size. Very fine seeds, such as those of Begonia, require only a fine sprinkling of silver sand, whereas larger seeds should be covered to the depth of their greatest dimensions. When the seeds have been sown, the receptacles should be covered with panes of glass and shaded with sheets of paper.
Each day the glass should be reversed to prevent the condensed moisture from dripping on to the soil, and setting up decay. As soon as the seedlings appear, however, the paper covering must he removed and ventilation of the receptacle begun. The glass covering should therefore be tilted slightly. This is conveniently done by means of the plant label, and the amount of air is increased in this way until the covering can be removed altogether.
Pricking out the seedlings
As soon as the seedlings have developed their first true leaves they are pricked out ½ inch apart in pots of fertile compost such as John Innes Potting Mixture No. 1, and immediately watered in. They are shaded from bright sunlight until they are established. This generally takes 7-14 days, after which they are given more light and air. The 'cuttings' are taken in the usual way, by severing them just below a node (where a leaf is inserted in the stem). They are then fixed in the mouths of small-necked bottles where they remain suspended. The bottles are filled to within a fraction of an inch of the top of the necks with water, preferably rain water.
To prevent green scum (algae) forming in the water, it is best to place a few small lumps of charcoal in it. If this operation is done in the spring, the bottles of 'cuttings' can be set on the window-sill, and roots will form in a few weeks. Potting must be done immediately roots begin to form.
** Attention Webmasters / Website Owners **
You can reprint this article on your website as long as you do not modify any of the content, and include our resource box as listed below with all links intact and hyperlinked properly.
About the author: Visit htt p://www.realniches.com/archives/category/gardening/ for some useful tips on home indoor gardening.
The latest information and news on Gardening:
Yahoo! News Search Results for gardening
Top Ten 2009 Gardening Trends (Lexington Clipper-Herald)
(ARA) - Americans craving authenticity and fretting over a bleak economy have reinvigorated the trend to grow-it-yourself (GIY). From blueberries to houseplants, GIY is the new mantra as folks turn "back to the future" to simplify their lives while gardening for the greener good.
Plot user touts gardening benefits (The Naperville Sun)
Gardener Julie Federico says she is OK with Option 1A, with one caveat. "As long as I could still get a plot where they're located on West Street," Federico said. "I could continue to walk or bike there." Federico has participated in the garden plots program for the last five or six years. She began gardening on a plot with a friend, but has been tending a plot on her own for at least the last ...
Gardening events (The Jackson Sun)
If you're looking for gardening tips, you can't afford to miss the Southern Home & Garden Expo with more than 1,500 exhibitors representing home design, remodeling and landscaping Jan. 16 -18 at the Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road in Memphis.
City to offer classes on herbs, organics, gardening (This Week Olentangy)
The city of Powell will offer three classes this winter and spring on organic housecleaning, gardening and herbs.
5 Tips for Hydroponics Gardening (PIZZAHEROS)
When seeds first sprout, they are said to be germinating. In hydroponic gardening, this happens within a growing medium, which can be any number of things. The best choices are composted bark, expanded clay, gravel, peat moss or sand.
Plant Exchange: Gardening Is Local Woman?s ?True Hobby? (Yankton Press & Dako...
Q: May we visit your evolving county yard and garden?
Keep Gardening In Winter With Spice (Yankton Press & Dakotan)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? At her family-run herb farm in Vacaville, Calif., Rose Loveall-Sale hears the same question often this time of year.
U. of I. Extension offers gardening program (Villa Park Argus Press Spectator)
Four Seasons Gardening, a 12-session program presented by University of Illinois Extension, will cover a wide array of gardening and landscaping topics.
Library plans free gardening classes in Murfreesboro (The Tennessean)
Linebaugh Public Library System is offering a new set of free classes devoted to nature, gardening and "do-it-yourself" nature activities.
Start Spring Early with Indoor Gardening (Lexington Clipper-Herald)
(ARA) - Let's face it -- February, March and April can be gray and dreary months. You're more than ready for spring to begin, but Mother Nature is on a different schedule.