HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-05-07, Page 13THE A-FRAME.
This is one of the simplest
to construct and can be put
together in a weekend.
It can be built to relatively
small size and its light weight
makes it portable. However,
it also can be placed on a
conventional foundation.
Its design makes it particu-
larly useful in areas that get
heavy snow. "
The base is made from four
10—foot pieces of 2 x 6 red-
wood or treated fir. For the
rafters and end walls, you
need fifteen 10-foot lengths
of 2 x 3. The ridge board and
door are made from 1 x 4.
*THE FREE- STANDING
EVEN SPAN GABLE.
To provide proper venting,
put in a 10-inch diamqer fan
above the door and a lou-
vered opening of the same
size at the opposite end of the
greenhouse.
A bench across the far end
will provide you with good
working space and ample
headroom.
1979
I HOME & GARDEN IMPROVEMENTLVVIEEK OF MAY "7,%:1979 - 13
Build a greenhouse in a weekend
The attached greenhouse
is proving increasingly popu-
lar. It can be heated 'easily
from the house, and solar
heat gained in the greenhouse
can be transferred to the
main house.
Water and electricity are
nearby and it is within easy
reach regardless of the
weather outside. In effect, it
This model is lovely to
look at and well-suited to
areas where there is just
enough winter freezing to be
troublesome to your plants or
small potted fruit trees.
However, it is a challeng-
ing project for the home
craftsman because the layout
needs, whether you Jive in
Alabama or Minnesota, there
are easy-to-build structures
that can be put up in a
weekend—and at small cost.
several acres.
There are a variety of
greenhouse styles. Which
you choose will depend on
such things as how perma-
nent you want it to be,
whether it is attached to the
house or freestanding, and
what type of snow loads exist
in your part of the country.
can become a beautiful ex-
tension of the house.
and lamination of the arches
take time.
This is probably the most
typical and usable shape to
build. The interior space lay-
out is very practical, and
there's easy access for a
loaded wheelbarrow through
a door at either end.
Once you've decided *on
the style you want to build,
you'll have to choose a cov-
ering. Glass is one of the
best, suggests the Ortho_
book, because it allows you
to see into and out of your
greenhouse.
A glass covering can be
easily shaded from too much
sunlight, is easy to clean, has
no loss in light transmission.
and is resistant to scratching.
A more expensive cover-
ing is acrylic, which is half
the weight of glass and much
more resiliant. Acrylic al-
lows 90-95 percent of availa-
ble light into your green-
house and retains its clarity
for at least 15 years,
Fiberglass covering is
popular because it's so easy
to handle. But check with
your building supplier to
make sure the panels are
specially treated to prevent
fiberglass from expanding
and trapping dirt, which will
obstruct light from your
greenhouse.
The cheapest but least re-
siliant material, is polyeth-
ylene film, which really
makes a better temporary
covering for a greenhouse
during the winter.
Unless treated, however,
polyethylene can be de-
stroyed by ultraviolet rays. A
more practical use for this
plastic film might be as a lin-
ing for the inside of your
greenhouse walls to reduce
heat loss.
Now that you know what's
available in greenhouses,
you can build your own, with
the help of a good book like
Ortho's "How To Build
And Use Greenhouses."
Once it's finished, you're
ready to decorate making use
of your favorite flowers,
foliage plants, fruits and veg-
etables.
With a little imagination
you can create a wild tropical
paradise, a quiet country
garden, a health foods
paradise, or any special
world that pleases you.
When you build your own
greenhouse, you can create
an exotic garden where you
can harvest fresh tomatoes in.
March, grow pbinsettias for
December and raise orchids And greenhouses can go
while the snow falls outside. * virtually anywhere there is
You might think that such 'space. They can be built in a
a magical world would be window, on ,a balcony or ter-
elaborate, expensive and dif- ,race, in the backyard or over
ficult to build.
The truth is that the
modern greenhouse is sim-
ple, practical and easy to
construct, according to the
new Ortho' book, "How To
Build And Use Green-
houses." '
Among the variety of
styles designed to fit .your
THE ATTACHED GREENHOUSE.
THE GOTHIC; ARCH.
it's the season for fixing up your home!
eye!
4
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Geraniums
are easy
and flower
all season
The versatile geranium
can play' a part in any
garden, and will flower all
season long with little atten-
tion.
One way to ensure a good
supply of geraniums for this
year's garden is to take
cuttings from overwintered
plants, says Russ Gomme,
Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food horticulturist.
The traditional method of
overwintering geraniums is
to hang plants in a cool, dark
place in the fall.' In early
spring, the plants are potted,
watered, and cut back. After
new growth begins, plants
are replanted into the gar-
den.
However, Mr. Gomme
says a more vigorous plant
can be produced by taking
cuttings from these over-
wintered plants,
Water the old plants, and
when new shoots grow, take
cuttings about 15 cm long.
Remove - the lower leaves
from the cutting, and dip the
end in a fungicide such as
Captan. Plant cuttings about
5 cm deep and 5 cm apart in a
15 cm flower pot.
Mr. Gomme recommends
using a soil mixture of coarse
sand, mixed with peat moss
or vermiculite. Water the soil
mixture thoroughly, and
place the container in a clear'.
plastic bag under a lighting
unit or in a window protected
from direct sunlight.
"Once the cuttings have
rooted, apply a 'weak fertil-
izer," saFs Mr. Gomme.
"Cuttings should be ready
for transplanting in about
one month."
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