PURDUE UNIVERSE .
Agricultural Experiment Station
Circular No. 77
LaFayette, Ind., February, 1918
HOTBEDS FOR HOME GARDENS
W. E. Lommel
There are some garden crops, desirable for nearly all gardens, which cannot be grown with the best success unless the seeds are sown some time in advance of the outdoor gardening season. These crops are, in the main, of two kinds. Some, like cauliflower, early cabbage, and head lettuce, thrive best in the cool, damp weather of spring, and require so long to make a crop from seed that outdoor seeding would not. allow them to mature before the hot, dry days of summer. The other kind, such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers need warmer weather, and should not be planted outdoors until the weather is settled and the soil and air are thoroughly warm. They are long-season crops, and need to be given a start before the outside season begins, in order to develop a full yield. In addition to these two classes of vegetables, some others, such as kohl rabi and beets, are often started early and later transplanted to the garden in order to get early crops.
Plants.—In the case of a small city garden, it would be more profitable to procure the plants from a greenhouse or market gardener, making arrangements for them some time before they are needed.
With a vacant lot garden or farm garden, plants may profitably be grown at home. The plan requires some care and great patience and if the first attempt in growing vegetable plants is not an entire success the experience may be valuable in future seasons.
The home gardener who grows his own plants can get the sizes and varieties he wants. This is often a diflicult matter for the buyer.
A hotbed offers the home gardener the most practical method for growing his early plants. The greenhouse, without doubt, is the best place for the purpose, but is quite out of the question for the average gardener, and the hotbed will serve the purpose admirably. It has the important advantages over window boxes, of even temperature, moist air, maximum sunshine, and freedom from gases. Besides growing plants for transplanting, the hotbed may be used to mature early radishes, lettuce, green onions, or other early spring crops.
1 Purdue University School of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture