HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-10-20, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1999.
JTome Improvement
Autumn feeding brings abundant spring blooms
Fall. The air is brisk, football is
on the television and a turkey is in
the oven. Although it’s not the time
you typically would be thinking of
your spring garden, professional
landscapers and growers suggest
one final feeding of your acid
loving plants, including hollies,
azaleas and rhododendrons for
maximum results next spring.
According to these experts,
feeding your acid-loving plants in
the mid to late fall helps prepare
them for winter by hardening off
recent growth, aiding in root
development and helping roots to
store food for use in early spring.
This will bring heartier, more
abundant blooms from your acid
loving plants in the spring.
Hollies, azaleas and
rhododendrons have special needs
because they are among the many
acid-loving plants which thrive in a
more acidic environment. These
plants are considered acid-loving
because a critical nutrient, iron, is
most available to them at a lower
pH, when the soil is considered
acidic. Without iron, these plants
will turn yellow and their growth
will be stunted.
Many homeowners make the
mistake of thinking that all plant
foods are alike, and that an all
purpose chemical plant food will
offer acid-loving plants all the
nutrients they need. This is not the
case. Before feeding, select a plant
food formulated specifically for
acid-loving plants.
Experts agree that by feeding
your acid-loving plants an
organically balanced plant food,
you can be assured that you are
keeping the soil at an optimum pH
for plant health.
Professionals also suggest using
a plant food that offers more than
the standard nitrogen, phosphorous
and potassium ingredients (N-P-K)
found in most plant foods. There
are 12 additional vital trace
elements and micronutrientsr, like
iron, calcium and magnesium, that
are essential to plant health. A
shortage of only one of these
nutrients can prevent or reduce
growth to disappointing levels.
It also is important to select a
plant food that derives these
nutrients from a complex blend of
quality natural organic and
inorganic ingredients, and not just
from one or two simple chemical
ingredients. Look for a plant food
that derives its nutrients from a
wide variety of ingredients. This
ensures that you are making
nutrients available through a safe,
natural process that actually
enriches the soil to create a long-
lasting reservoir of nutrients.
Here’s how to fertilize this fall:
sprinkle a light feeding around the
Window drama
Continued from page 23
knobs and tiebacks are available in
natural or painted wood, brass,
chrome and wrought iron.
Add interesting details with
braid, piping, cord, tassels, and
fringe.
• Get double mileage out of your
window treatment by making it
reversible, such as a print co
ordinated with a solid or stripe.
You can change the look of the
room by just reversing it, or create
a novel effect by drawing it back to
reveal the other side.
base of the plant, directly onto the
soil. It is not necessary to work the
plant food into the soil. Although
not required, experts do
recommend a thorough watering
after applying. This will make sure
the plant food is in contact with the
soil and will provide the moisture
necessary for activating the
decomposition process.
•Fallsr dll
Herman Thalen
Specializing in: •Staircases
• Railings • Interior Trim
• Kitchen Cabinets
We also do
general construction
Brussels (519) 887-6507
TO •I
Beautify your lawn with
flowering shrubs, standards,
ornamental trees or
large caliper trees.
There's still time to plant this
fall - well even do it for you!
• Perennials
• Windbreak Trees
• Top Soil
• Crushed Stone
• Sheep Manure
Services Include
Lawn Cutting &
Fertilizer
Power Sweeping
Driveways
Tree Trimming &
Planting
Treebelt
LANDSCAPING & SUPPLIES
1 mile west of Blyth (519) 523-9771
TJ V
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