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PAGE A-18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004.
On the farm 5: 0 .dara 4111
Busy months in greenhouse May to June
In full bloom
Although spring hasn't arrived just yet, the inside of a
greenhouse tells a different story. Derek Greydanus, son of
Gerry and Gladys, holds an English ivy hanging basket, just
one of the thousands of hanging. baskets offered at the
Grayhaven Gardens greenhouse. (Elyse DeBruyn photo)
Continued from A-17
blooming.
"My favourite is the dark leaf New
Guinea impatiens, but geraniums are
stronger and last longer," said
Datema.
Nonkes said shady areas are good
for impatiens and sunny areas are
good for fibrous, but begonras are
always healthy because they need
either full sun or complete shade.
She said perennals take about
three years to "clump together,"
making a nice, colourful bunch and
can then be dug up and replanted
elsewhere.
"You have to have a little more
patience with perennials because it
takes time for them to put on a good
show," said Nonkes.
Another plant !hat Nonkes enjoys
is dusty miller which she says is a
nice reliable plant with nice contrast.
Marigolds show up the nicest in
fall or late summer and she said
people have had success with wave
petunias which are full of blooms
and the dead ones don't have to be
taken off.
She said once the plants are in the
ground, they can do a little better
with the natural elements in the
ground and only need watering when
the weather is dry.
She suggests watering outdoor
plants in the morning or evening so
the plant doesn't get scorched by the
afternoon sun.
Production at Spring Breezes
begins in February, but it opens to
the public at the beginning of May.
Closing time comes in •August, but
last year she said she re-opened
again in September and October
with some plants and mums.
"Our busiest months are May and
June, just when people start
planting," she said.
Datema said she orders her
cuttings in November and December
and starts preparing her greerihouse
at the end of February by turning on
the heat, starting seeding and then
transplanting process with her
husband.
"We're both avid gardeners and
like the work. We are both retired
and enjoy relaxing in the garden, but
it can be boring when transplanting
the seedlings, but it has to be done,"
said Datema.
She said her busiest time is also
May and June and she closes at the
end of August, but still sells
perennials.
Greydanus said they ate open from
May until November, with the
busiest months also being May and
June.
"We start planting in December
and begin working 10 hours a day,
six days a week until February then
we start working 15 hours a day until
about October," said Greydanus.
Nonkes also said it takes creativity
and patience to have a greenhouse
because of the maintenance work of
transplanting which is repetitive.
"The tricky part is the right
amount of water. The hardest thing is
the water requirements for the
plants," said Nonkes.
Greydanus said they go to
'• exhibitions in Toronto to keep up
with the new products.
"We get new plants for a new
variety every year or so," he said.
He said they retail, wholesale and
go to markets to sell their plants and
flowers.
Nonkes said she doesn't wholesale
to anyone.
"We can offer a range of variety
available that you can't get in big
box stores. We also offer larger
variety of mixed containers of
unique things," said Nonkes.
A good farmer studies up on
growing, fertilizing and different
types of crops, so they can make
their product better for consumers,
Nonkei began studying more about
her plants because she wanted to
understand what she was doing in
her greenhouse.
She learned about seed
germination, plant nutrition
requirements, water temperature and
the amount of light and different
plant diseases.
"You need to know about each
type of plant. 1 am constantly
learning as I go," Nonkes said.
One of her least favourite things to
do in the greenhouse is dealing with
plant diseases and bug problems.
"I try to deal with it right away so
it doesn't spread throughout the
greenhouse," she said.
She said she had a "very little
problem" with bugs last year and it
was taken care of right away.
Datema said one year she had
aphids, a small bug that sucks the
juice out of leaves.
Fortunately, she found them in
time and took care of the problem
with a spray.
Greydanus said they have been
fortunate and haven't had a problem
with a disease that has wiped out
their crop.
"Sometimes it's just bad luck, not
bad management," he said.
Nonkes's greenhouse temperature,
depending on the different plant
stages, is usually kept between 68-
70° F, but at night it cools down a
few degrees.
"Plants that are starting off are
kept warmer and once they are
established the temperature is
lowered," said Nonkes.
Greydanus said they have two
wells on their Londesborough farm
Continued on A-18