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How to Raise House Plants from Seeds EasilyThe 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 sterilizing the compost is to water it with Cheshunt
Compound sterilizer. 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 sterilized by this method and thereby made pest
free. A satisfactory seed compost may be obtained by sterilizing the
loam only, and then
adding the peat, sand and fertilizer.
Preparing the seed compost
The soil ingredients are sifted through a sieve 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: Balaji B
About the author:
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