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Care Of Slipper orchids

How To Raise house plants from seeds easily

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How to Raise House Plants from Seeds Easily 

by 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.

Author

Visit http://www.realniches.com/archives/category/gardening/ for some useful tips on home indoor gardening.

'Guerilla Gardening' Digs L.A.
LAist - 0 KB- Found: 4 hours ago
Guerilla gardening is largely thought to have its roots in England, where folks have long planted unexpected gardens in neglected public spaces as a sort of call to action that highlights the misuse of land and repurposes it into something beautiful. They often work in crews or teams and go on carefully-planned gardening missions. Recently a local team of guerilla gardeners transformed a ...

Central Texas gardening workshops, seminars offer tips, advice
Austin American-Statesman - 0 KB- Found: 11 hours ago
Round Rock Community Garden Club 9:15 a.m. Monday . Judy Barrett lectures on 'Ecological Gardening Rain Barrels, Compost Bins, Potting Soil and More.' Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad Ave., Building 2, Round Rock. Free. 218-5499.

Gardening Gift Guide
Carteret County News-Times - 0 KB- Found: 15 hours ago
(ARA) - Whether you have a few plants at your desk, a container garden on your deck, or a full-fledged garden in your backyard, gardening is enjoyed on many different levels.

Free UT event is a buffet of summer gardening activities
Memphis Commercial Appeal - 0 KB- Found: 20 hours ago
If you want to see plants thriving in the summer sun and learn about gardening throughout the seasons, you can join hundreds of like-minded people on July 10 at the 19th annual Summer Celebration at the University of Tennessee's West Tennessee Research & Education Center in Jackson.

Vegetable gardening with my Three Sisters
Grand Bend Strip - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-04, 01:03 GMT
Vegetable gardening, though not for everyone, can be a very therapeutic endeavour. Planting the seeds, harvesting, and then being able to enjoy the resulting food on your plate is rewarding in itself. Then there is the physical health benefit of the exercise and fresh air.

Event marks 25 years of master gardening
Corvallis Gazette-Times - 0 KB- Found: 22 hours ago
The Oregon Master Gardener Association and OSU Extension Service have organized the 25th annual Gardeners Mini-College, scheduled for July 24 through 26. This years event agenda includes featured talks on rain gardens, gardening with native plants, backyard bees and alternatives to pesticides. Forums on spiders in the garden, winter vegetable gardening and the worldwide legacy of Clematis also ...

Gardening: Reader offers and competitons
Daily Telegraph - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-04, 00:12 GMT
Gardening offers for Telegraph readers.

Free gardening classes
The Sacramento Bee - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-03, 08:35 GMT
The UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners of El Dorado County offer a class on organic gardening methods from 9 a.m. to noon July 12 at the Agricultural Extension Building, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville. A class on summer pruning will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 26. An additional class, "In Love with Lavender," will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the El Dorado County Main Library, ...

Green gardening has its advantages
The West Frankfort Daily American - 0 KB- Found: 6 hours ago
Going green. Its a motto and way of life thats gained quite a bit of popularity lately, expanding beyond its original base of environmentalists and spilling over into the everyday lives of many Americans.

Local Gardening Events
The Lakeland Ledger - 0 KB- Found: 14 hours ago
GARDEN LECTURE SERIES LakelandSponsored by Lakeland Beautification Board and the city of Lakeland Parks & Recreation Department. John King will speak on "Butterflies & Birds."WHEN: 6:30-7:30 p.m. MondayLOCATION: Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton DriveconservationWORKSHOP ChampionsGate

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