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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-05-07, Page 2SAFETY with precast concrete steps Mr. Unit Step can provide you with a safer entrance • Non Slip Safety Treads • Expertly replaced in hours not days • Steel re-inforced precast concrete provides longer life • Maintenance tree. No painting required • Many sizes'of steps and porches Quality Ornamental iron railings to compliment your entrance Call Mr. Unit Step for your free estimate AN MOM <17(>- 7177ED Sea forth 527-1320" Your Precast Specialists UNIT STEP Cabinets for your Kitchen or Bath SEAFORTH KITCHEN & BATH '3, MAIN ST., SEAFQRTH PHONE .527.4205' 2 — HOME & GARDEN IMPROVEMENT WEEK OF MAY 7, 1979' 'Keeping your lawn in mint condition If you have planted a new lawn. you'll want, to ensure that it grows into a perma- nent part of your landscape. A beautiful lawn doesn't happen by magic but lawn care doesn't have to be a problem as long as you re- member the basics—provide proper watering, feed it good nutrients, keep it well- mowed and weed-free. How much water you should give your lawn really depends on variables like the climate, type of soil, and sea- son. You can learn by work- ing out a flexible watering schedule and noting how your lawn reacts. Keep in mind that grass roots will extend themselves only in moist areas, so with just a superficial sprinkling the roots won't penetrate deep into the soil. A water supply six inches to one foot deep will be adequate for most lawns, You can test for water depth simply by poking a screwdriver into the ground, If it slips in easily to 6 inches, the soil is properly moist. Like all living things, your lawn needs nutrition and the recommended menu is a bal- anced combination of nitro- gen, phosphorous, and potassium. Nitrogen is the mainstay of the diet since it encourages greening and helps build up a healthy root system; yet, it's also the most scarce element in the soil and is easily dissolved by rain and watering. To help keep lawns in "mint" condition, most gar- den centers now carry spe- cial lawn fertilizers, like Or- tho's Lawn Food 24.4=8, which include water insolu- ble nitrogen for extended greening. Easy to spread with the Ortho lawn spreaders, this formula should be applied every four to six weeks, fol- lowed by watering for a quick greening response. With good care, quick greening will go hand in hand with quick growing. But if you let the grass grow too high, then cut it very low, you'll suddenly subject stems that have been shaded to sunburn and your once green lawn will look like straw, Most grasses respond well to mowing higher than you might expect, so if you're in doubt check with your local garden center. For a hand- some finish, you might even cut your lawn twice, once in each direction. If broadleaf weeds appear to mar the beauty of your lawn, use a broad spectrum weed killer It will conquer daride- lion, chickweed, clover, plantains and many other broadleaf weeds, as listed on the label. That helps solve the mys- tery of maintaining a beauti- ful lawn. • Greenhouses are a popular hobby Lawnrequire care and proper nutrition. Be sure yours gets a proper balanced combination of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen encourages greening and helps build a healthy root system. But nitrogen is the most scarce element in the soil and is easily dissolved by rain and watering. That's why most garden centers carry special lawn fertilizers. , which include water insoluble nitrogen for extended greening. It's easy to put down on your lawn with a lawn spreader, as shown above, and should be applied every four to six weeks, followed by watering. o to the bank with the flexible rate on loans if you're in the market for a loan. the first place you should go is to the Royal Bank. Our Loans Officers would really like to help you with your particular plans. And there are a lot of different ways." we can be of help. We have Personal Loans for almost any worthwhile purpose. And for major ,purchases Special Purpose Loans up to s40,000 and longer terms are available. The rates are flexible too. So before you go anywhere, go to the Royal Bank where borrowing is comfort- able. We'd really like to help. OYAL BANK flor a lot of reasons. BRUSSELS BRANCH BY BRUCE McBRIDE The public is becoming increasingly interested in small greenhouses as a hobby and as a means of gardening year round. Many gardeners are constructing hobby greenhouses from their own plans, while others purchase kits available from suppliers. Before one begins, local climate conditions warrant careful investigation to ensure structural adequacy of the proposed unit. A good foundation is essential to anchor the small greenhouse and prevent a possible tip-over during windy weather. Either a concrete or a pressure- treated post foundation must be constructed to go below the frost level. Some green- house suppliers have prefab cedar foundations which extend 18 inches below ground level. Quonset-style green- houses are usually formed of galvanized steel pipe hoops covered with one or two layers of polyethylene. Self- builders often erect the greenhouse structural frame from wood which, if painted or treated, should give long life to the greenhouse. Red cedar and redwood are the best woods to use for the framework due* to their natural weathering resist- ance and their resistance to shrinking and warping. When selecting a green- house covering, factors such as percentage of light trans- Tree planting can reduce energy bills Want a beautiful way to reduce your gas and electric bills? Plant some trees. Research shows that plant- ing deciduous trees at the west and south sides of the house can reduce summer cooling bills and winter heat- ing bills by 10 to 20 percent. Savings vary depending on climate. In South Dakota, a plains state with high winter winds, fuel consumption was measured for two identical houses, one with a windbreak of trees and the other exposed. The tree- protected house had 25%less fuel consumption. mission, thermal radiation transmittance, life of the material and initial invest- ment must be considered and evaluated collectively. Polyethylene can be put on the frame as a double layer and air blown between the layers to cut heat costs 30 to 40 per cent as compared to a single-layer poly-house. The poly-house is easy to con- struct and is about 50 per cent of the cost of a glass greenhouse. Double poly- ethylene transmits 81 per cent of available light but has the drawback of usually last- ing only one growing season. Glass greenhouses have a high initial cost but have the highest life of any covering material. Glass has a very high light transmittance of 90 per cent. Reinforced fiber- glass panels have good light transmittance, with many panels having a guaranteed life of 15 to 20 years. Other rigid panels available are acrylic glass and PVC panels. The disadvantage of a small greenhouse is that it heats up quickly when the sun is out and also cools quickly when the sun goes behind a cloud. This char- acteristic necessitates the use of heaters and proper ventilation. Thehobby greenhouse can be constructed free standing or as a lean-to to an existing structure.