SEED PLANTING
HOW DEEP SHOULD SEEDS BE PLANTED?
=Experiment.=--Plant several kernels of corn in moist soil in a glass
tumbler or jar. Put one kernel at the bottom and against the side of
the glass, place the next one a half inch or an inch higher and an
inch and a half to one side of the first seed and against the glass.
Continue this till the top of the glass is reached (Fig. 2). Leave the
last seed not more than one-fourth inch below the top of the soil. The
soil should be moist at the start and the seeds should all be against
the glass so they can be seen. This can best be done by planting as
you fill the glass with soil. Plant peas and beans in the same way. Do
not water the soil after planting. Set aside in a warm place and wait
for the seeds to come up.
Another method of performing this experiment is to make a box having
one side glass (Fig. 46). The length and the depth of the box will
depend upon the size of the glass you use. Fill the box nearly full of
moist soil and plant seeds of corn and beans and peas at depths of
one-quarter inch, one inch, two inches, three inches, and four
inches. These seeds can best be put in as the box is being filled.
Hold each individual seed against the glass with a stick so that when
planted they may be seen through the glass. Protect the seeds and
roots from light by using a sheet of cardboard, tin or wrapping paper
or a piece of board, and set in a warm place.
Many of the seeds planted only one-quarter inch deep will not sprout
because the soil about them will probably dry out before they take
from it enough moisture to sprout. The one and two-inch deep seeds
will probably come up all right. Of the three and four-inch deep
seeds, the corn and peas will probably make their way to the surface
because they send up only a slender shoot, which can easily force its
way through the soil. The deep-planted beans will make a strong effort
but will not succeed in forcing their way to the surface because they
are not able to lift the large seed-leaves through so much soil, and
will finally give up the struggle. If any of the deeper beans do get
up, the seed-leaves will probably be broken off and the little plant
will starve and be dwarfed. This experiment teaches us that we should
plant seeds deep enough to get sufficient moisture for sprouting and
yet not so deep that the young seedlings will not be able to force
their way to the surface.
Seeds which raise their cotyledons above the soil should not be
planted as deep as those which do not. Large, strong seeds like corn,
peas, etc., which do not lift their cotyledons above the surface,
can be planted with safety at a depth of from one to four or five
inches.
[Illustration: FIG. 42.
To show how the bean plant gets up. Notice the curved hypocotyls
pulling the seed-leaves or cotyledon out of the soil.]
[Illustration: FIG. 43.
To show how the corn-plant gets out of the soil. A slender growing
point pushes straight up through the soil, leaving the kernel behind.]
[Illustration: FIG. 44.
To show the use of the cotyledons. These are the plants shown in
tumbler 2, Fig 42, forty-eight hours after removing the cotyledons
from plant _B._ Plant _B_, although first up, has been handicapped by
the loss of its cotyledons.]
Seeds of carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip and egg plant are weak and
rather slow in germinating. It is customary to plant them rather
thickly in order that by the united strength of many seeds they may
more readily come to the surface. This point should be observed also
in planting seeds in heavy ground that is liable to pack and crust
over before the seeds germinate.
Seed should always be sown in freshly stirred soil and may be planted
by hand or with a machine.
For the home garden and the school garden, and when only small
quantities of any one variety are planted, a machine is hardly
desirable and hand planting is preferable.
The rows are marked out with the garden marker, or the end of a hoe or
rake handle (Fig. 47), using a line or the edge of a board as a guide.
The seeds are then carefully and evenly dropped in the mark or furrow.
The covering is done with the hand or a rake or hoe, and the soil is
pressed over the seeds by patting it with the covering tool or walking
on the row and pressing it with the feet. This pressing of the soil
over the seeds is to bring the particles of soil close to each other
and to the seed so that film water can climb upon them and moisten the
seed sufficiently for sprouting.
A convenient way of distributing small seeds like those of turnip and
cabbage, is to take a small pasteboard box or tin spice or
baking-powder box, and punch a small hole in the bottom near one end
or side. Through this the seeds can be sifted quite evenly.
For the larger operations of the farm and market garden, hand and
horse-power drills and broadcasters are generally used, though some
farmers still plant large fields by hand.
The grasses and clovers are generally broadcasted by hand or machine,
and are then lightly harrowed and are generally rolled.
The small grains (wheat, oats, etc.) are broadcasted by many farmers,
but drilling is considered better. With the grain drill the seed is
deposited at a uniform depth and at regular intervals. In
broadcasting, some of the seeds are planted too deep, and some too
shallow, and others are left on the surface of the soil.
From experiment it has been found that there is a loss of about
one-fifth of the seed when broadcasted as compared with drilling.
As in the case of grass seed, the grains are generally rolled after
sowing.
Corn is planted by hand, or by hand- and horse-corn-planters, which
drop a certain number of seeds at any required distance in the row.
There are a number of seed drills made for planting vegetable seeds
which are good machines.
The main points to be considered in seed drills or seed planting
machines are:
Simplicity and durability of structure.
Ease of draft.
Uniformity in quantity of seed planted, and in the distances apart and
depth to which they are planted.
The distances apart at which seeds are planted vary according to the
character of the plant. Bushy, spreading plants and tall plants
require more room than low and slender-growing plants.
Visit the neighboring hardware stores and farms and examine as many
seed-growing tools as possible to see how they are constructed and how
properly used. Practice planting with these tools, if possible.
Illustrations of grain drills and other seed-planting machines will be
found in seed catalogues, hardware catalogues, and in the advertising
columns of agricultural papers.
SEED CLASSIFICATION
In order to become familiar with the farm and garden seeds, obtain
samples of as many of them as possible. Put them in small
bottles--homoeopathic vials for instance--or stick a few of each
kind on squares of cardboard. Arrange them in groups according to
resemblances or relationships, comparing not only the seeds but the
plants on which they grew. If you cannot recall the plants, and there
is no collection available, study the illustrations in seed catalogues
which can be obtained from seedsmen. The following groups contain
most of the farm and garden seeds, excepting flower seeds:
GRASS FAMILY: MUSTARD FAMILY: NIGHTSHADE FAMILY:
Corn, Mustard, Potato,
Wheat, Cabbage, Tomato,
Oats, Cauliflower, Egg Plant,
Rye, Collards, Pepper.
Barley, Brussels Sprouts,
Sorghum, Kale, GOOSEFOOT FAMILY:
Orchard Grass, Kohl Rabi, Beet,
Red Top Grass, Radish, Chard,
Timothy, Ruta Baga, Spinach,
Kentucky Blue Grass. Turnips, Mangle Wurzel.
Watercress.
GOURD FAMILY: PEA OR LEGUME FAMILY:
Canteloupe, THISTLE FAMILY: Garden Pea,
Citron, Artichoke, Canada Field Pea,
Cucumber, Cardoon, Cow Pea,
Gourd, Chicory, Soy Bean,
Muskmelon, Dandelion, Bush Bean,
Pumpkin, Endive, Lima Bean,
Squash, Lettuce, Velvet Bean,
Watermelon, Salsify, Vetch,
Cymling. Sunflower, Clover,
Tansy. Alfalfa.
PARSLEY FAMILY:
Caraway, LILY FAMILY: MALLOW FAMILY:
Carrot, Asparagus, Okra,
Celery, Garlic, Cotton.
Coriander, Leek,
Cumin, Onion.
Fennel,
Parsley,
Parsnip.
[Illustration: FIG. 45.
To show the use of the kernel to the young corn-plant. The kernel was
carefully removed from the plant on the right when both plants were of
the same size. The result is a dwarfing of the plant.]
[Illustration: FIG. 46.
To show how deeply seeds should be planted. Seeds 1 and 5 did not
sprout because they were not deep enough to get sufficient moisture.
The corn-plants from sprouting seeds 2, 3 and 4 all pushed their
slender growing points to the surface. Of the beans, No. 6 succeeded
in pulling the cotyledons to the surface, and has made a good plant.
Nos. 7 and 8, although they made a hard struggle, were not able to
raise the cotyledons through so great a depth of soil, and finally
gave up the struggle.]
TRANSPLANTING
The seeds of some crops--cabbage, tomato, lettuce, for example--are
planted in window boxes, hot-beds, cold frames or a corner of the
field or garden. When the seedlings have developed three or four
leaves or have become large enough to crowd one another, they are
thinned out or are transplanted into other boxes, frames or plots of
ground, or are transplanted into the field or garden.
The time and method of transplanting depend largely on
The condition of the plant.
The condition of the soil.
The condition of the atmosphere.
For best results in field planting the plant should be well grown,
strong and stocky, with well developed roots and three or four strong
leaves.
The soil should be thoroughly prepared, moist and freshly stirred. A
moist day just before a light shower is the best time. These
conditions being present, the plants are carefully lifted from the
seed bed with as little disturbance of the roots as possible and
carried to the field or garden. Some plants, like cabbage, will stand
considerable rough treatment, while others, like the eggplant, require
greater care.
In the field or garden a hole is made for each plant with the hand, a
stick or dibber or any convenient tool, the roots of the plant are
carefully placed in it and the soil is pressed about them. If the
soil is moist and freshly stirred, new roots will generally start in a
very short time.
Plants that have been grown in pots, small boxes or tin cans, as
tomatoes and eggplants are sometimes grown, may be quickly
transplanted in the field in the following manner: Open the furrow
with a small plow, knock the plants out of the pots or cans and place
them along the land side of the furrow at the proper distances, then
turn the soil back against them with the plow.
When there is a large number of plants to be set, as in planting
cabbage, sweet potatoes, etc., by the acre, it is not always
convenient to wait for a cloudy day or to defer operations till the
sun is low in the afternoon. In such cases the roots of the plants
should be dipped in water or in thin mud just before setting them, or
a little water may be poured into each hole as the plant is put in.
The soil should always be well firmed about the roots. The firming of
the soil about the roots of a newly set plant is as important as
firming it over planted seeds. The soil should be packed so tightly
that the individual leaves will be torn off when an attempt is made to
pull the plant up by them.
In dry or warm weather it is a good plan to trim the tops of plants
when setting them. This can be done readily with some plants, such as
cabbage and lettuce, by taking a bundle of them in one hand and with
the other twisting off about half of their tops.
[Illustration: FIG. 47.
Operations of seed-planting: 1, making the drill; 2, dropping the
seeds; 3, covering the seeds; 4, packing the soil over the seeds.]
[Illustration: FIG. 48.
A collection of planting machines. The large central machine is a
grass and grain planter. The one on the left, a potato planter. The
one on the right, a corn, bean, and pea planter. The three smaller
machines in front are hand seed planters.]
The proper time to transplant fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs
is during the fall, winter and early spring, which is their dormant or
resting season, as this gives the injured roots a chance to recover
and start new rootlets before the foliage of the plant makes demands
on them for food and moisture.
In taking up large plants many roots are broken or crushed. These
broken and injured roots should be trimmed off with a smooth cut. The
tree or shrub is then placed in the hole prepared for it and the soil
carefully filled in and packed about the roots. After the plant is
set, the top should be trimmed back to correspond with the loss of
root. If the plant is not trimmed, more shoots and leaves will start
into growth than the damaged roots can properly furnish with food and
water, and the plant will make a weak growth or die.
There are on the market a number of hand transplanting machines which,
from their lack of perfection, have not come into general use. Many of
them require more time to operate than is consumed in hand planting. A
number of large machines for transplanting are in successful and
satisfactory use on large truck and tobacco farms. These machines are
drawn by horses and carry water for watering each plant as it is set.
Practice transplanting in window boxes or in the open soil and see how
many of your plants will survive the operation.