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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1973-12-20, Page 24The dendrobiums are among the easiest orchids to grow. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! May they ring merrily for you! CLINTON CROWN LANES Victoria Street 482-7791 THE ATKINSON FAMILY AND STAFF' SUGGESTIONS FROM ° BASE FACTORY OUTLET * LADIES PURSES * TEEN PURSES * WRIST WATCHES * LIGHTERS * TOYS * GAMES SMALL, MEDIUM & LARGE MEN'S SHIRTS 50% & 100% POLYESTER BERNINA SEWING MACHINES SAVINGS UP $ 1 49 0° BUDGET PAYMENTS IF DESIRED Rerni3mber we repair all makes of sewing mathinel, and we guarantee our workmaniship! TO Remember our FERN-TS-'E PRICED $4 9 TO from $ 8 7 Department offers a fine selection at FACTORY OUTLET SAVINGS! SMALL', MEDIUM af LARGE MEN'S SWEAYER-S, $ 4 9 7 AND UP unowswowaiwookiomirftwoftionioftiotioNsoff POLYESTEIVDOUBLIWr 1511'EN'S CASUAL SLACKS PLAIN $ It PI-AIDS $ II 41 HOLIDAY OUTLET HOURS PRI., DEC. 21 11 A.M. /0 9 P.M. DEC. 22 9 A.M. TO 6 P.M. MON., DEC. 24 9 to CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY & BOXING DAY THURS., DEC. 27 REGULAR HOURS 11 A.M, TO F.M. THE BASE FACTORY OUTLET NOW LOCATED ON HWY. #4 SOUTH OF CLINTON AT VANASTRA Merry Christmas to All! tee happy and full of good cheer now and throughout the holiday season. HUGH EQUIPMENT I MILE EAST OF BRUCEFIELD ON HURON #3 TEL. 527- 0138 MASH •Z• XV Zig %I e: 4111. A; • j 04; ;? 100 40:10r; Or; Of: Or: 1.067 2p6. 10: lepp.• ygs; Or...10K O. yoc • • • THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF TUCKEY BEVERAGES LTD. You'll find KIST PRODUCTS Bottle By TUCKEY BEVERAGES LTD. Featured At YOUR FAVOURITE STORES THROUGHOUT HURON COUNTY 114 0:01101/1/N •EXETER, ONTARIO WISH YOU & YOURS A--- *OA-,CLINTON NEWS,.RECORA .frIPT!DAY, DOCEMOgR 204. 1973 Gorden Notes 771J Orchids make great house plan S Conservation Authority becomes aware of winter recreational needs Other methods of growing or- chids may be tried as ex- perience is acquired. They may be grown in baskets or on rafts or bark, or on tree fern slabs. If you follow the simple rules outlined here and if you do a little. experiementing on your own, you should have no dif- ficulty and you will soon enter the realm of the expert. summer if it is taken out, pot and all, and placed in sandy soil. Allow the soil around the pot to become quite dry. Repot the plant in the fall, and in the proper location with regulated waterings, it should soon come into second growth and bloom. Give i u j eirtmen Clinton Body & Radiator '73 Mary St., Clinton Phone 412-9531- CARL COX—LORNE LOVE—DENNIS FLEISCHAUER —JERRY COX by A,R. Buckley You can grow some of the showiest orchids successfully in the home if you provide them with a sunny window lightly shaded from direct sunshine, a temperature of 70 degrees F, during the day and 65 degrees F. at night, ample' humidity and a good growing medium consisting mainly of osmunda fiber or shredded bark. You must select kinds best suited to these conditions. When you have successfully mastered the growth requirements of the more easily grown ones and have brought them into, flower more than once, you may like to try your skill at growing the more dif- ficult types; these are not necessarily the more flam- boyant kinds. First, concentrate on the easiest and most compatible types in either the inter- mediate, warm or cool tem- perature groups. You can find a spot in your home later to ac- commodate one of the other groups and perhaps, finally, the best from each group, Those requiring warm tem- peratures, such as Vanda, Phalaenopsis, and Paphiopedilum could be kept near a radiator or heat vent but still in a place where there is an abundant supply of light. The intermediate group such as Laelia and Cattleya (the most common florist orchid), should be kept away from hot radiators but still in warm tem- peratures of 65 degrees F. to 70 degrees F. The cobl group, which in- cludes Cymbidium, Oncidium and Dendrobium, should be grown in the coolest part of the house, in an area that is well lighted. Orchids requiring inter- mediate temperatures, such as Calanthe, Cattleya, Coelogyne, Laelia and Lycaste, are the ones I would recommend as the most suitable for a beginner. Their growth requirements are nearly the same as those necessary for our most cherished house plants, For a truly wondrous collec- tion you could specialize in cat. tleya orchids alone, and try to `grow as many of the 2,000 or so cultivars as yon could aCcom- rradate. A window facing due south is ideal for the best plant growth, An alternative is one facing east or west. Sunlight diffused through a light curtain is necessary, especially in winter. During bright spring and sum- mer days it is possible for the plants to receive too much sunlight, and precautions against burning must be taken. All in all, however, orchids suf- fer more from too little than from too much light. Beware of draughts, for although fresh air is oc- casionally necessary, a cold breeze should never be allowed to blow directly on the plant. Orchids should not be potted in the same way or with the same materials as ordinary house plants. Most orchids are best grown in clay pots, for these are porous and allow a free passage of air through the sides, Though many new composts have been recommended in recent years, most expert or- chidists are going back to the old reliable potting medium, chopped osmunda fiber, which has very few faults. You should ,be able to get it from local florists. The use of shredded bark, however, does have good possibilities. First, enlarge the original drainage hole of the pot, (it is never large enough), and fill a third of it with broken pots or brick. Now set the plant in the middle and carefully work chunks of osmunda fiber around it, These chunks should be two and one-half to three in- ches across. Do not cover the base of the plant with this material, but let it stand on top' with only the roots covered. Keep adding the medium around the inside rim of the pot, forcing it inward with a pointed stick. Then trim the fiber neatly and if necessary tie the plant to a wooden stake or piece of coat-hanger wire. While no hard and fast rules for watering orchids can be given, normally they will need a good watering once a week or when the sides of the pot feel dry. When the pseudobulbs (new green, buiblike structures from which the. leaves .,arise),„ have matured or the flowers have faded it is time to give the plants a rest. Remove the plants to a location where they will have lots of air and light but cooler temperatures, Reduce watering but do not allow the pseudobulbs to shrivel. To provide the extra humidity necessary for satisfac- tory growth, grow all of your orchids in shallow trays, dishes or pans, which contain a half- 'brick surrounded by gravel. Keep the gravel moist and stand the plant on the brick. Maintain the water level in the pan or dish at all times. Most orchids benefit from rather liberal applications of fertilizer during the height of their growing periods. Once the plants are well established and their roots start to climb over the tops of the pots, they may be fertilized every other week with a liquid fertilizer high in available nitrogen, For the connoisseur, choose a cyclamen for Christmas, Blooms range from white, to salmon, pink, or red. While this plant is difficult to grow, it has many distinctive characteristics which make it well worthwhile, says John Hughes, a hor- ticultural specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It's unusually- shaped flowers last for about four to six weeks and because the cyclamen is compact in growth habit, it is suitable for many locations in the home. When choosing a particular plant, you can judge both its color and blooming potential by looking under the leaves and counting the number of buds you find there. Cyclamen -"prefer a cool location with good light, but protected from .direct sunlight. Normally they do best in tem- peratures from 55 to 60 degrees. A light soil, containing lots of leafmold, is the best growing medium. The most at- tractive plants are in propor- tion to the size of the pot and have a rounded 'shape. Water the plant early in the morning so that the stems become dry by evening and make sure that there is good air circulation around the plant. After flowering, the plant may be carried through the With increasing leisure time and public awareness of the need for exercise, many persons and families are taking up a variety of recreational sports, Arrival of the first snowfall has encouraged many to get out and enjoy the new winter season, Cross-country skiing is a' winter sport that is quickly catching on as one of the ways to enjoy the snow and the beauty of the countryside, For those who enjoy speed, nothing is more exhilarating than gliding over the snow at up to 15 rn,p.h. The modest invest- ment in equipment and the suitability of cross-country skiing to most terrains have made it an attractive sport to many. Unfortunately in this part of Southern Ontario, public areas available and suited to this sport are very limited due to extensive agriculture practices. However, the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority, whose major objective is the conser- vation of the environment and its renewable resources, has acquired many natural areas throughout the watersheds and is, finding that • such areas are becoming more and more at- tractive for different types of outdoor recreation. It is in this light that the Conservation !Authority has realized the necessity to accommodate, where possible, these recreational demands as they become evident. Most winter sports are compatible with the conservation aims of the Authority for these lands. The Authority has been made aware of the interest in cross-country skiing, and has had enquiries as to the suitability of their lands for this purpose, Cross-country skiing is incompatible with snowmobiling and skiers are therefore seeking areas which restrict snowmobiles. unfor- tunately, the Authority cannot offer them any such area at this point; however, if enough in- terest is shown, the Authority would be willing to organize and lay out cross-country ski trails in Parkhill Conservation Area and other areas if the need is evident. Parkhill Conservation Area offers 1800 acres of very diver- sified landscape which is well suited to cross-country skiing, as well as snowshoeing and tobogganing. If an active in- terest is shown and the possibility of a club forming is evident, the Authority can offer the use of a heated barn on site, with services to co-ordinate outdoor recreational programs, Withrespect to snowmobiling, the Authority permits but does not actively encourage this sport on all of its properties where the size and terrain allow. On the other hand, snowmobiles are welcome at Parkhill Conser- vation Area where trails have been developed and marked for snowmobilers. The Authority would therefore appreciate hearing from persons interested in cross-country skiing or any other outdoor winter recreation compatible with their policies. If sufficient interest is evident, the Authority will attempt to aid such a program in its preliminary stages.