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• B n*n H n'fi n n'n B n*n 1. •* Around The Garden By Matthew S. Rosen Instructor - Ornamental Horticulture McHenry County College "Oh, am I ever-glad that your next column (this week's) is going to be about planting seeds. Last spring I sowed approximately 5,000 seeds. You see, we had just purchased our first home, and I was bound and determined to have the finest, most colorful garden, not only on the block, but in the neighborhood. I love flowers so much. Up to now my husband and I had been apartment dwellers. My garden was going to be so beautiful. "I planted flats of petunias, marigolds, ageratum, zinnias, snapdragons, sweet alyssum, .wWnmh, and **»lw»dida. I kept the soil most, and waited for die day when my tiny seedlings pushed their little heads up through the soil. Five days past • nothing. One week went by, and only a couple of the marigolds and zinnias had come up. I began to worry that maybe in my eagerness I had done something terribly wrong. By the end of the second week my worst fears were realized. No petunias, calendula, ageratum, snapdragons, or sweet alyssum had germinated, and only about one half the number of marigolds and zinnias wore growing. "I kept watering daily, hoping against hope that one morning when I came downstairs to start breakfast, I would find all the little darlings pushing their way up through the soil. No such luck. Things wait from bad to worse. By the aid of three weeks not only had no additional seeds germinated, but two thirds of those that had appeared were lying limply on the earth, their small stems pinched off at ground level. "Needless to say I was distraught. I had failed. As if hit by the plague, my green thumb had suddenly turned black. My dreams of an enchanting, entirely home grown garden were shattered. My kind, understanding husband suffered terribly, as I took my failure out on him. why, I acted as if it was all his fault. . "In the end, I still had an interesting garden. By purchasing annuals at a local garden center, I planted most of the varieties I was hoping to grow. The cold winter months have mellowed my feelings about last year's debacle to the point where I am anxiously looking forward to sowing a new crop of seeds next weekend after reading your article. I have no misgivings. I have followed your advice before, and have always met with success. My only wish now is that I knew about your column last spring." I understand fully how bad you felt, and sympathize with you wholeheartedly. Once, prior to my studies in ornamental horticulture, I planted some nasturtiums. When not a single seed came up, I was extremely upset. Now, I often feel that maybe it was that failure that really got me interested in the gardening field. Actually, growing seeds is really quite simple if you are willing to give them a little special attention. Remember, seedlings are just tender young plants; and thus, require the same type of loving care that you would give a child. Follow the steps listed below, and you should have absolutely no problem rearing a bumper crop of annuals. 1. Always purchase fresh seed. The collection or packaging date is listed on the back of each packet. The germination percentage of seed drops markedly after the first year. 2. Prior to planting, store the seed in a cool, dry place. Hot, moist conditions result in a rapid loss of viability. 3. Before sowing, dust the seeds with a fungicide like maneb or captan. This is most easily a&romplished by putting a small quantity of the chemical (one-sixteenth of a teaspoon) in the seed packet and shaking. There is a rather nasty fungus, Pythium debaryanum, that, if given the proper environmental conditions, will extremely efficiently kill seedlings. The mortality rate is absolutely alarming. Called damping-off, the disease is not only a hazard to young plants. Under vary moist soil conditions, newly germinated seedlings are attacked and destroyed before they ever reach the light of day. In such cases, no visible signs of growth ever appear. , As so perfectly described in the letter published at the beginning of this article, the pinching off of seedling stems at ground level is a sure fire symptom of the disease. Because the young plants are so delicate, no good eradicative control measures are avai lable . Pre-planting treatment with a fungicide is the best way to guard against damping-off. 4. Use a "light" growing medium. Newly germinated seedlings are not supermen and thus, cannot go shoving giant clods of soil, or even many sand size particles out of their path as they push upward. I have found that two products, Terralite Redi-Earth and Jiffy Potting Mix are ideal for seedling growth. Composed mainly of a mixture of finely cut peat moss and vermiculite, the young plants have no trouble emerging from the medium. Straight vermiculite, or a combination of V« peat moss, Va vermiculite, V« potting soil, and V« perlite are also acceptable. 5. Always read the directions on the seed packages carefully, and follow them to the letter. Substantial deviation on your part guarantees failure. Pay particular attention to the planting depth. Over the years, I have discovered that nine times out of ten sub par results are caused by burying the seeds too deeply in the soil at planting time. Because they are relatively large seeds; and thus, contain a good deal of endosperm (stored food) problems rarely occur with marigolds and zinnia. The Bank With. . . . TIME FOR YOU We HAVE IT and will cheerfully GIVE IT to you when you require help with your financial needs. Our full range of banking facilities and friendly people are waiting to serve you in every department. • SAVINGS • CHECKING * DRIVE-IN WINDOW * MORTGAGE LOANS * • CAR LOANS • HOME IMPROVEMENT • SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES • CHRISTMAS CLUB * TRUSTS * AND MANY MORE McHenry State Bank "The Bank With Time For You99 3510 W. Elm 385-1040 Having germinated, these species have a relative wealth of food to live off of until the seedling has broken through the soil surface, unfurled its cotyledons, and begun to photosyftfthize. The teenie- weenie seeds of petunia and ageratum have so little endosperm that if they are planted much more than one- sixteenth of an inch below the surface, the newly germinated seedlings would exhaust their food supply; and thus, starve before they could reach daylight. I simply scatter my petunia seeds over the surface, and then sprinkle a few grains of soil on top of them. For marigolds and zinnias on the other hand, I plant the seed in a hole approximately V\ inch deep. Water newly planted flats using a fine spray. If your watering can is like mine, only producing a thick stream of water, temporarily leave it on the shelf and use a hand sprayer instead. „ Empty , Windex bottles are ideally suited for this purpose. 7. Keep the flats in partial shade until new growth appears, and then gradually move them into full sun. Since adequate light is a problem in most homes during the winter, the seeedlings should, be given top priority on yolfir suniest window sill. Annuals may also be started under fluorescent lights. Two companies, Gro- Lux, and Dura-Lite, manufacture bulbs especially rich in the spectral wavelengths necessary for plant growth. In order to mimic a sunlit window, the lights must be left on for between 14-16 hours a day. Seedlings not receiving enough light get spindly. A FULL SERVICE BANK McHenry Prepare For County Growth Meeting April 20 Residents of McHenry county who are concerned about its rapid growth will hear about some hidden costs when they are addressed by Dr. James Banovetz, chairman of the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois university, at t|ie conference to be held in Crystal Lake Arpil 20. He will analyze the impact of population expansion on schools, water supply, sewer facilities, recreation areas, police and fire protection, health and welfare needs, roads, and governmental services. An authority on municipal government, he has published a number of books and monographs, and is the author of numerous journal articles, special reports, and professional papers. Other speakers will be Marvin Glink, an attorney and specialist in drawing builder- developer agreements, who will discuss what we can do under existing ordinances; William J. Toner of the American Society of Planning Officials, who will talk about what other communities are doing in controlling growth; and Daniel Pike, executive director of the Nature 8. Never let the soil get bone dry. The tissues of seedlings are extremely succulent; and thus, loose water and wilt readily. Since excessive water loss results in death, the soil should be kept slightly moist at all times. Once the seedlings have one or two sets of leaves, you can retire the mister and use your watering can. PAGE 5 - PLAINDEALER Conservancy, who will discuss new federal and state legislation designed to help communities preserve open space. The conference is sponsored by the McHenry County Defenders, the American Association of University Women, and the Crystal Lake- Cary League of Women Voters. It will be held at the Central school, Paddock street and McHenry avenues, Saturday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27.1974 should be made by April 10 with Shirley Anderson, 9911 Lucas road, Woodstock, phone 338- 5539. Packets containing material for advance study will be mailed to early registrants, others will receive theirs at the 4 door. . Food Bill Of more than $116 billion spent for food last year, 70 cents out of every dollar was for food served at home. Frozen Foods Frozen foods account for 5 to 7 percent of supermarket sales. Every Wednesday Chicken Discount Day at mcneils fried chicken 3 PC. CHICKEN DINNER fries, cole slaw, 2 hot rolls 31' OFF 3 PC. CHICKEN DINNER WEDNESDAYS ONLY Offer good in Woodstock and McHenry McNeils offer good at these McNeil Locations: mcneils fried chicken 315 CLAY STREET / WOODSTOCK RT. 47 & COUNTRY CLUB RD. / WOODSTOCK IN THE MCHENRY MARKET PLACE / MCHENRY Step Into Savings At Hornsbys! PRICES EFFECTIVE WED. 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