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The Citizen, 1987-05-13, Page 17Green Thumbin* Fun projects help children Plants are living things you can grow to love - especially if those plants can be used to create funny creatures. “Children will enjoy growing their own “bug meany” sprout- manora “green-haired potato­ man”. And by sprouting alfalfa, corn, peas or beans - all by themselves-the children gain a sense of accomplishment,” says Ontario Horticultural Association Director Pat Christian of George­ town. To sprout beans, corn or peas, you will need a straight-sided clear glass jar, paper towel or blotting paper, some absorbent cotton balls (to keep the paper against the glass) seeds, and some water. Roll up the paper towel and place it inside the jar. Put the cotton balls inside the towel so that the towel is wedged against the side of the jar. Place three or four seeds between the towel and jar (when you look through the jar you’ll be able to see the seeds). Add just enough water to wet the towel. Do not cover thejar; plants need air. Set the jar in a window sill that receives lots of sunlight. Keep the towel damp at all times. Watch your seeds grow and when the plants have good roots, transplant the seedlings carefully into a pot filled with soil. You can also create your own “bugs meany” sproutman. Keeping control Many kinds of insects cause injury to ornamental plants. In­ sects of concern to the gardener may be divided into three groups, namely: 1. Insects which can easily be seen on the plants, such as aphids, beetles, scales and caterpillars. 2. Others, such as leafhoppers, mites, thrips, cutworms, slugs and weevils, which are difficult to see, but whose damage to plants is obvious. 3. Borers and leaf miners which spend most of their life inside the stems or leaves, well-protected against insecticides. To be effec­ tive, chemical treatment must be made during the short period when the insects are exposed. Treat­ ments should be applied depend­ ing on observations of damage in the previous year. A good gardener can watch for the inj ury and/or insects of the first and second groups and apply chemical control only when the amount of injury is severe. Keep in You need a large glass jar, water and about 15 millilitres of alfalfa seeds. Put the seeds in the jar and add about 15 ml. of water. Place the jar in a warm, dark cupboard overnight. In the morning, empty the water carefully, keeping the seeds in the jar. Add fresh water and replace the jar in the cupboard. Repeat until the seeds have sprouted. Once the seeds have sprouted, bring them into the sunlight to green. Decorate thejar to make a “bugs meany” face. Cut out eyes, nose and mouth from felt or construction paper. If you decide to eat your sprouts, rinse them first, drain and then use them to top your favorite sandwich. You can also make a “green­ haired” potato-man. You need a very large, clean potato, absorbent cotton balls, a small dish, water, grass seed and some cloves and cinnamon sticks (to give your potato a face). First, decide which end is the top of the potato-man’s head and which end is the bottom. Slice off a small amount from the bottom end of the potato to make it sit flat. Thenslice abitoff the top and scoop out the inside of the potato. Now, line the hollow with the cotton balls and stand the potato in a dish. Add water to the cotton balls and mind that small numbers of beetles and caterpillars can be removed by hand, and that birds and other beneficial insects often reduce harmful insects to acceptable levels. It is usually not necessary to spray large shade trees in the home garden. These trees can tolerate considerable insect feeding with­ out being damaged. If defoliation occurs on successive years, how­ ever, they will be weakened and controls may be necessary. When spraying large trees is required, the work should be done by a licensed pest control operator or tree maintenance service. On young shade trees, up to 7 m. high, hose-end sprayers will pro­ vide sufficient coverage. Care must be taken not to inhale the spray drift or allow it to come in contact with the skin or eyes when performing this operation. Control measure information on specific problems is available at your OMAF office. rcUP‘NSAv”’cUP*NSAVE“‘ CLIP’NSAVE... CLIP’NSAVE...J then sprinkle with grass seed. Make sure your potato-man always has just enough water. “Hairy” should grow “hair” in a few days. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987. PAGE 17. SEED PLANT Robert Shaddick 523-4399 Screened TOP SOIL For Lawns, Gardens, Flowerbeds. 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