| Show Standard-Examne- Home r & Garden Tuesday March 13 2001 13H It pays to treat your seeds differently - almost Some plants shoot out of the ground others like to take it much slower By ADRIENNE COOK Speoal to The Washington Post it comes to one doesn't fit all the DNA of each vegetable variety lies not only its potential for quality but also its idiosyncrasies The radish for example is programmed for sprinting: It germinates rapidly grows in a spurt and produces spicy little subterranean globes of edible root in a mere 30 cool spring days The tomato is slower preferring the languid torpid days of hot summer The two seeds cannot be attended the same way in the garden The radish can be sown directly outdoors before spring and forgotten until a slim line of green on the soil betrays the beginnings of a real crop But the tomato must be coddled to thrive in the American garden -midsummer crops can only be assured if you start seed indoors in early spring or buy started plants in late spring By growing from seed your variety choice grows exponentially Peppers and eggplants have similar needs and are also begun before summer planted outdoors as plants Broccoli cabbage and cauliflower are started in pots and planted as seedlings though for another reason: They prefer cool temperatures and must be rushed a little so they can mature before summer when heat will spur these greens into bloom and seed As with tomatoes buying seeds now will let you grow the varieties you want When Find seedlings daily A space such as a counter Qr table in a location that stays 55 degrees or above is one requirement another is light -but this can certainly consist of artificial light Some gardeners speed germination by placing a heating unit beneath the seed trays to keep the soil warm This is a nice luxury available from garden centers but not a necessity Because heat requirements are not excessive to grow the seedlings and natural light is not required the basement is often the first choice of gardeners as a location Containers and ‘containees’ anything that will hold soil and permit draining (Tubs and plastic containers need to be pierced to allow water to seep out) The germinating mix is crucial: It should be a soilless mix sterile bagged and formulated for germinating Many garden centers stock these mixes and garden-supplcatalogs also carry them Bulky and lightweight they typically d come in three- - to ba'gs that sell for $5 to $9 per bag The germination medium must be thoroughly moistened before it is put in containers garden-suppl- y centers and catalogs sell special tubs for this purpose although a large bowl or even a bucket will work y five-poun- Label your work Containers can be purchased they come in a range of sizes and configurations Each gardener will have his own preference bom of experience Recycled containers keep the cost down and have a certain cachet with gardeners sensitive to environmental issues These can be anything from plastic deli containers to margarine tubs to egg cartons Labels are important if the gardener plans to start more than one variety: Many are the gardeners who have gotten carried away and sown a dozen or more different tomatoes Seeds germinate rapidly and if the small plants get 16 to 24 hours of direct light placed just 2 or 3 inches above them they will grow fast and be ready to go uito the garden are sown the soil must be kept moist not wet: Many gardeners use a mister to avoid washing away emerging seedlings Determining when the plants can safely go outside will dictate when the seeds should be sown Broccoli cabbage cauliflower lettuce cilantro and parsley can be started the earliest “We'll Put A New Tub Over Your Old One ” Hundreds less than installing a new bathtub Won't chip crack or peel Constructed of a special high impact plastic to pros ids sears of trouble-tre- e service Installed bs licensed plumbers Reads to use the same das Tomatoes pepper eggplant and basil can be started for planting outdoors eight weeks later Cucumber zucchini pumpkin melons and all other squashes can be sown directly into the garden in May or for an earlier harvest can be started indoors in April These grow particularly fast and 'rarely can be confined to a container for more than a month ' And for the surrounding bath aiea ask about our MATCHING YVALL SYSTEMS They eliminate expensive tile replacement and maintenance We’re Bathtub Specialists with 17 Years ot Experience ALPINE BATHTUB LINERS Ns fjiBS'MiSEi latest on $2000 LM AI call) bought these right and we're passing the sa mgs on to you' All ness machines with bill acceplots our lasontes We ALL SIZES & STYLES SAVE-MOR- financing Will! 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