Improvised greenhouse costing $00.00 which saved author, shown in photograph, at least a hundred dollars per annum in the cost of annuals
Greenhouse construction diagram
Indoors or out, seeds germinate best in clean, sifted soil that is light and porous and drains perfectly. Add organic matter such as peat or humus to help hold moisture, and sand to aerate and insure drainage. If possible, sterilize the soil with heat or one of the special fungicides, to prevent “damp-off.” Plant seeds only to the depth of their diameter, and don’t cover dust-fine seeds at all. Keep the soil moist during the germination period and for some weeks afterward.
For several years we’ve transplanted seedlings directly into peat pots as soon as they have their first few leaves. This is a tedious job, but how it saves backache and heartache later. Indoors you can transplant while seated comfortably at a table or bench, and while listening to soft music on the radio. When the seedlings have flourished in the peat pots and it is time to put them outdoors, there is much less time spent bent double on one’s knees. And since the roots aren’t disturbed, the plants seldom suffer from transplanting shock and seldom fail to thrive.
Plants grown indoors should be hardened before they’re put out of doors for good. Every day expose them to fresh outdoor air for an increasing length of time, until they are accustomed to the cooler temperatures, particularly at night.
SUMMER CARE
Annuals take the same kind of care you give perennials, except that most of them require less of it. Few need, or even thrive in, especially fertile soil. Fertilize lightly, if at all. Many annuals get along with less moisture and mulching than perennials. And of course, none need be prepared for winter. During their one big season, simply pinch or prune those that grow straggly, and remove fading flowers before they set seeds. That usually prolongs the blooming season. After frost strikes, burn the dead tops, which helps control the spread of insects and disease.
As you study miniatures you will realize how many of the old regular annuals of the garden, plants that usually top two or three feet, can also be had in five-to eight-inch sizes. You have but to look through your seed catalogues. The tiny ones are usually listed at the end of each category, though in the affections of miniature-lovers they should come first and take precedence over the “new giant-size,” “bigger-than-ever” varieties.