VEGETABLE AND BEDDING PLANTS FOR SPRING
While it is true that there are many ways in which one may save money
with a small greenhouse all through the year, the best chance for making
money is by growing vegetable and bedding plants in the spring. Bedding
stock is what the florists term geraniums, coleus, begonias and other
plants used for setting out flower beds in the spring.
In every community a large number of such plants are used and the case
will be rare indeed in which one will meet with any difficulty in
disposing of quite a number of such plants among immediate neighbors and
friends.
The number of plants which can be grown in the spring with even a very
small house and a few sash is quite surprising. The secret of the
mystery lies, of course, in the fact that in their early stages,
seedlings and cuttings, the plants occupy very little room; while as
soon or soon after they are transplanted or shifted to large pots they
are shoved outdoors into coldframes. As the tender vegetables, such as
tomatoes, peppers, egg-plant, etc., are not started until after the
hardier ones, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, etc., the frames can be
filled up again usually as fast as emptied. In the same way heliotrope,
salvia, coleus and other tender plants follow pansies, daisies,
carnations, etc.
It will thus be seen that to grow these plants to the best advantage, a
coldframe, or better still, both a coldframe and hotbed, will be used in
conjunction with the small home greenhouse.
Directions have already been given (see Chapter IV) in these pages for
sowing, starting and transplanting seed.
VEGETABLES
The dates for sowing are about as follows in the vicinity of New York.
Allow about a week's difference for every hundred miles of
latitude--earlier in the south, later in the north.
February 1st--Cabbage, cauliflower.
February 15th--Cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets, lettuce,
onions for plants.
March 1st--Lettuce, celery (early), tomato (early), beets.
March 15th--Lettuce, tomato (main), egg-plant, pepper. For one's own use
or special orders, cucumbers, squash, lima beans, potatoes sprouted in
flats of sand, may also be started, but there is no market demand for
them.
April 1st--Celery (late), cauliflower; (in sods or paper pots),
muskmelon, watermelon, corn, for special use.
After being started and pricked off into flats, cabbage, cauliflower,
Brussels sprouts, beets, lettuce, and celery are kept inside just long
enough to get well established, and then put outside in a tight frame.
Harden off as well as possible before putting out, as a freeze the first
night might injure them. After that slight frost on the leaves will not
injure them, but if they freeze stiff, apply cold water in the
morning--ice-cold is just as good--and shade until they are thawed out.
If very cold it will be necessary to protect the frames with shutters.
Beets and lettuce will not stand quite so low a temperature as the
cabbage group. By the time the plants are pretty well grown,
cloth-covered frames may be substituted for the glass ones, and these
may be used elsewhere to cover the tenderer plants such as tomato and
egg-plant. After the first of April they will not need any protection.
Last spring I had several thousand cabbages covered twice with several
inches of snow, and hardly a one was lost.
Tomatoes, peppers and egg-plants require different treatment. They are
heat-loving plants, and not only succumb to even a slight freeze, but
will be so checked by a low temperature, even if not touched by frost,
that they will amount to little. They should be kept growing as rapidly
as possible. They will also require a _second_ transplanting. Those
wanted for the retail trade are put a dozen in a box, three or four
inches deep and 7 x 9 inches. Care must be taken not to let these plants
run up tall. Always give all the air possible while keeping up the
temperature, which should be from fifty to fifty-five at night. Get them
outdoors as soon as the weather becomes settled, where they could be
protected in case of a sudden late frost.
BEDDING PLANTS
Most of the plants used for flower gardens and lawn beds come under the
three following classes: (1) Those grown from seed; (2) those grown from
cuttings; (3) those of a bulbous nature.
Almost all of the first group are sown in the spring in flats in the
greenhouse. Two important exceptions, however, are pansies and English
daisies (_Bellis perennis_). They are sown early in the fall, as already
described, and the plants wintered over in a frame or protected
outdoors. For the retail trade they are put up in small boxes or "pansy
baskets" made for the purpose. While small plants, just beginning to
bloom, are the best, it seems very hard to convince a customer of it and
they will often choose a basket with four or five old plants loaded with
bloom in preference to a dozen small ones.
Asters, alyssum, balsams, candytuft, celosia, coleus, dianthus (pink),
lobelia, mignonette, petunias, phlox, portulaca, ricinus, salvia,
verbenas, vinca, roses, zinnias, may all be started from seed. The
greatest secret of success is to keep the plants from crowding, and keep
pinched back to make bushy plants. Salvias and coleus are the tenderest
of these plants. The others can go out to the frames, if room is scarce,
as soon as the weather becomes settled.
PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS
The method of choosing and rooting cuttings has been outlined in a
previous chapter (see page 29). In greenhouse work the main difference
is that they are taken in much larger quantities. For this reason it is
usually convenient to have a cutting bench instead of the flats or
saucers used in rooting house plants. The bench should be three or four
inches deep, filled with medium coarse, gritty sand, or a substratum of
drainage material. If possible, have it so arranged that bottom heat may
be given--this being most conveniently furnished with pipes under the
bench boxed in. (The temperature required for most cuttings will be
fifty to fifty-five in the house with five to ten degrees more _under_
the bench.) The cutting bench should also be so situated that it readily
may be shaded, as one of the most important factors of success is to
prevent the cuttings from wilting at any time--especially just after
placing in the sand. After rooting, the cuttings are put into small pots
or flats as already explained.
Spring stock of some plants, such as geraniums, are rooted in the
fall--September to November. Others, which make a quick growth, such as
petunias, not until early in the spring,--last of January to April, but
for the most part in February. In the former case, cuttings are taken
just before frost from outside plants, or later from stock plants lifted
and taken indoors; in the latter case, stock plants are taken in and
carried through the winter in a more or less dormant or resting
condition; being kept rather dry and started into active growth in
January. The new growth furnishes material for cuttings, which are grown
on as rapidly as possible.
The following plants are treated in one of the above ways; further
details in any case may be found in the first part of the book:
Alternantheres Heliotrope
Begonias, fibrous rooted Ice Plant
Coleus Paris Daisy
Cuphia Petunias
Geraniums Salvias
Ivy Geraniums Vincas
German Ivy
BULBOUS BEDDING PLANTS
The bulbous plants are started directly in pots, or in flats and
transferred to pots, as described in individual cases in the preceding
pages.
Cannas, tall
Cannas, dwarf flowering
Dahlias
Caladiums
Tuberous rooted Begonias
are the sorts for which there is most demand.
CONCLUSION
Condensed as the latter part of this book has had to be, I trust it may
give the reader a glimpse of the pleasure, and even of the possibility
for profit, that is offered by the small home glass house.
Do not feel that because you cannot have a large greenhouse, with all
the modern equipment, that it is not worth while to have any. Many of
the large establishments in the country have grown from just such small
beginnings as have been described or suggested here.
Possibly you would never be interested in the commercial side of your
under-glass gardening, even though success crowned your efforts. There
is not, however, any question about the fun and healthy pleasure to be
had, and I can wish you no more gardening joy than that the coming year
will find you with at least a modest amount of "home glass."
THE END
INDEX
A
Abutilon, 72.
Acalypha, 73.
Accessories, 140.
Achyranthes, 81.
African Blue Lily, 123.
Ageratum, 66.
Alternanthera, 82.
Alyssum, 66.
Amaryllis, 122.
Anemone, 126.
Anthericum, 82.
Aphis, 133.
Araucaria, 82.
Aralia, 73.
Ardisia, 73.
Aspidistra, 83.
Aucuba, 73.
Azalea, 74.
B
Bay-window, 3, 9.
Balsam, 66.
Bedding plants--grown for spring, 200.
Begonia Rex, 53.
Begonias, flowering, 51.
Blood Flower, 124.
Bone meal, 141.
Bouvardia, 74.
Browallia, 75.
Bulbs, Dutch or Cape, 117.
Bulbs, for winter bloom, 116.
C
Cacti, 110.
Caladium, 83, 125.
Calla, 121.
Candytuft, 66.
Carnations, 66, 180.
Cannas, 66.
Chinese Sacred Lily, 127.
Chrysanthemum, 67, 185.
Cissus, 90.
Clematis, 90.
Coboea Scandens, 91.
Coldframe, 149.
Coleus, 84.
"Crocking" pots, 178.
Cuttings, preparation of, 29.
Cuttings, propagation of, 30.
Cucumbers, 194.
D
Daphne, 75.
Disbudding, 182.
Diseases, 137.
Dracaena, 84.
E
Easter lily, 120.
English ivy, 92.
F
Farfugium, 84.
Ferns, 97, 184.
Fertilizers, 19, 145.
Flowering maple, 72.
Foliage plants, 81.
Achyranthes, 81.
Alternanthera, 82.
Anthericum, 82.
Araucaria, 82.
Aspidistra, 83.
Caladium, 83.
Cissus, 90.
Clematis, 90.
Cobaea scandens, 91.
Coleus, 84.
Dracaena, 84.
English ivy, 92.
Farfugium, 84.
German ivy, 92.
Hoya Carnosa, 91.
Ivy, 92.
Leopard plant, 84.
"Little Pickles," 94, 115.
Manettia, 93.
Moneywort, 93.
Morning-glory, 93.
Musk plant, 93.
Nasturtium, 94.
Othonna, 94.
Pandanus, 85.
Pepper, 85.
Rubber plant, 86.
Saxifraga, 87.
Sensitive plant, 88.
Smilax, 94.
Sweet peas, 95.
Thunbergia, 95.
Tradescantia, 88.
Vines, 90.
Zebra plant, 88.
Frozen plants, treatment of, 199.
G
Genista, 75.
Geranium, 56.
German ivy, 92.
Gladiolus, 124.
Greenhouse, construction of, 156.
Greenhouse, management of, 172.
Grevillea, 75.
H
Hanging baskets, 130, 143.
Heating apparatus, 3.
Heating of greenhouses, 167.
Heliotrope, 61.
Hibiscus, 75.
Hotbed, 149.
House plants, 44.
Hoya Carnosa, 91.
Hydrangea, 76.
Hyacinths, 118.
I
Insects, 132.
Insect diseases, remedies for, 138.
Iris, 126.
Ivy, 92.
K
Kerosene emulsion, 139.
L
Lantana, 77.
Leaf-mould, 141.
Lemon, 77.
Lemon verbena, 77.
Leopard plant, 84.
Lettuce, 193.
Lily-of-the-valley, 125.
Light, proper amount of, 6.
"Little Pickles," 94, 115.
Lobelia, 68.
M
Mahernia (honey-bell), 68.
Manettia, 93.
Manures, 17, 145.
Manure, liquid, 48, 145.
Marguerite carnation, 66.
Mealy bug, 135.
Mignonette, 68.
Moisture, amount of, for plants indoors, 12.
Moneywort, 93.
Morning-glory, 93.
Musk plant, 93.
N
Narcissi, 118.
Nasturtium, 94.
Nitrate of soda, 20.
Nitrogen, forms of, 18.
O
Oleander, 77.
Orange, 78.
Othonna, 94.
Oxalis, 120.
P
Palms, 103.
Pandanus, 85.
Pansy, 68, 200.
Patience plant (_impatiens_), 67.
Peat, 141.
Pepper, 85.
Petunia, 62.
Phosphoric acid, forms of, 18.
Pots, 143.
Potting, 38, 176.
Potash, forms of, 18.
"Plunging" pots in summer, 49.
Primroses (_Primula_), 63.
Propagation, from cuttings, 30.
Propagation, from seed, 22-27.
Propagation, "saucer system," 32.
R
Ranunculus, 126.
Red spider, 134.
Reinwardtia, 78.
Repotting, 40.
Resting periods of plants, 47.
Rex, Begonia, 53.
Root aphis, 136.
Roses, 78, 188.
Rubber plant, 86.
S
Salvia, 68.
Sash, lean-to, 164.
Saxifraga, 87.
Scale, 136.
Sensitive plant, 88.
Shelf, for plants, 8.
Shrubs.
Abutilon, 72.
Acalypha, 73.
Aralia, 73.
Ardisia, 73.
Aucuba, 73.
Azalea, 74.
Bouvardia, 74.
Browallia, 75.
Daphne, 75.
Flowering maple, 72.
Genista, 75.
Grevilla, 75.
Hibiscus, 75.
Hydrangea, 76.
Lantana, 77.
Lemon, 77.
Lemon verbena, 77.
Oleander, 77.
Orange, 78.
Reinwardtia, 78.
Roses, 78-188.
Swainsona, 79.
Sweet olive, 79.
Slips, preparation of, 29.
Smilax, 94.
Snapdragon, 64.
Soil, ingredients, 141.
Soil, for greenhouses, 173.
Soil, for pots and boxes, 14.
Sphagnum moss, 141.
Spirea, 126.
Steria, 68.
Stocks, 69.
Sub-watering, 24, 142.
Swainsona, 79.
Sweet olive, 79.
Sweet peas, 95.
T
Temperature, for plants, indoors, II, 45.
Temperature, for greenhouses, 174.
Thrips, 136.
Thunbergia, 95.
Tomatoes, 194.
Tradescantia, 88.
Transplanting, 35.
Tuberous begonia, 124.
Tulips, 118.
V
Vallota, 123.
Vases, 129.
Vegetable plants, started under glass, 197.
Veranda boxes, 128.
Verbena, 69.
Verbena, Lemon, 77.
Vines, 90.
Violets, 183.
W
Watering, 45.
Watering, for greenhouse, 175.
Window-boxes, 128.
Window-box, construction of, 9-10.
Worms, 137.
Z
Zebra plant, 88.