HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-04-13, Page 26Page 2
Constructing a leanto greenhouse from
easily. Lord & Burnham photo.
a kit goes quickly and
Trees protected here
Many landowners in the County
do not realize that in 1968, Huron
County Council passed a by-law
to restrict and regulate the
destruction of trees by cutting,
burning, bulldozing, or any other
means. Under this by-law most
species of trees, except cedar and
popular, smaller than 17 inches in
diameter Cannot legally be cut or
destroyed in any manner without
a special permit from the County
Tree Commissioner.
Although the bylaw may seem
harsh on private lar,'+owners, it
was set up to con rye badly
needed cover in sot e areas, to
ensure an adequate supply of
valuable timber for the future
generations and to conserve
water, soil and wildlife. The
bylaw does not pertain to trees of
low quality, damaged or diseased
trees, or trees which should be
cut to provide road ways, etc.
Landowners who wish to clean
any existing woodland or cut
undersized trees must apply to
the County for an inspection of
the property by a tree com-
missioner and if he sees fit, a
permit -to clean or cut will be
granted.
Anyone found destroying
healthy undersized trees in large
quantities is subject to legal
prosecution and heavy fines..
Anyone who wishes to apply for a
permit or to obtain copies of the
bylaw may get in touch with
Clerk -Treasurer, Huron County
Court House or Murray Scott,
Tree Commissioner at RR 1,
Belgrave Ontario.
Garden year-round greenhouse
The National Garden Bureau
sent us this report from "Doc"
and Katy Abraham who have
operated a commercial green-
house for marry years and who
are known nationally for their
garden writing and broad-
casting.
"No one knows how many
greenhouses there are in
America. One survey quotes the
figure of 285,000 backyard
glass and plastic types about a
50 percent increase since 1970.
If you include every coldframe,
hotbed, bay window as a
'greenhouse,' the overall num
ber could amount to a million
or more.
"Why the great increase in
greenhouse gardening? The
number one reason appears to
be the health and recreation
factor. 'Pension and frustration
are driving more people into
their backyards where they can
poke around in their 'putter
house.' People want to avoid
clogged highways, and rising
gasoline prices are helping the
sales of home greenhouses.
People of all walks of life are
beginning to realize that
g:..enhouse gardening is good
preventative medicine. It s a
form of therapy that beats tran-
quilizers for peace of mind.
"Years ago, greenhouses were
only for nurseries, florists, and
botanical institutions; they
epitomized luxury for 'the rich.
Not so today, nearly fifty U.S.
and European countries are
selling prefabricated green•
houses direct and through nur-
series, chain stores and seed
houses.
"The cost of flower and
vegetable seed is one of the
cheapest items in growing
plants. A home greenhouse
gives you the space needed to
expand and experiment.
"The real fun in growing
under glass or plastic comes
from starting your own vege-
table and flower seeds. You can
get a jump on your neighbor
and have potted plants ready to
set outdoors when the weather's
right.
"As with any project, raising
your own plants has some pit-
falls you should avoid. After 25
years as commercial green-
house operators, we'd like to
pass along a few helpful hints
on how to use your structure for
greater success:
1. Start with good seed l lo
day's selection of seed is better
than ever. Also, the cost of
flower and vegetable seed is still
one of the cheapest items in
growing plants. Don't fool with
old seed.
2. Start seed in one of the
new prepared mixes containing
perlite, peatmoss and. vermicu-
lite. They are loose, and prac-
tically foolproof. You get such
good germination from these
mixes that you actually need
less seed. Results include top
quality growth with plants
ready 7 to 10 days earlier than
when soil is used for starting.
3. Sowing seed is an art.
Many think you just scatter the
seed on the starting material
and get a big catch. Don't cover
fine seed such as petunia, snap-
dragon, lettuce, carrots, etc.
Sow thinly, either broadcast or
in rows, omitting covering if
• seed is fine. Coarse seed can be
covered with a loose material
such as milled sphagnum moss,
or one of the ready -mixes on
the market.
4. After seed is sowed, it
should be watered from below.
Set the seed box (called 'flat') in
a pan of warm water and let it
soak up naturally. Allow sev-
eral hours for the seed flat to
soak up enough water.
5. Cover the seed with a
white plastic sheet or pane of
glass. Such a covering conserves
moisture, traps needed heat,
and prevents drying out of the
seed.
6. Some seeds need light for
germination; don't put them in
a dark place for germination.
These include ageratum, be-
gonia, browallia, coleus, impa-
tiens, nicotiana I flowering
tobacco), salvia, snapdragon,
and others. Most other seeds
can be put in a dark place, or
have seed covered to exclude
light.
7. Don't let seed or mix dry
out. One drying can be fatal to
germinating seed. If seed or soil
is dry, syringe with warm
water, or place the box in a pan
of water for half an hour or so.
Check daily to see of any mold
has formed. If so, it means not
enough air circulation or too
much moisture.
8. Maintain a day and night
temperature of 72 degrees F.
day and night for most seeds,
75 80 degrees F. for coleus and
impatiens. Low night tempera-
ture is one reason for poor seed
germination. Moisture evapo-
rating from the surface of a
seed flat cools the soil by 10
degrees. Also, do not water
seedlings (or seeds) with cold
tap water. In some areas water
can be as cold as 45 degrees and
can lower the temperature of
seed box to almost the tempera-
ture of the water.
9. Just as soon as seedlings
are up, move the seed box to a
bright window or under fluor-
escent lights. Be sure to remove
any covering. An area with a 50
degree night temperature and
full sun during the day is fine.
10. Transplant seedlings
when they are about 1!• in.
high, into pots, boxes, peat
pots, or whatever you have.
Grow them in full light, keep
them slightly moist at all times
and give fresh air on hot days."
HURON LANDSCAPING
Landscape and Maintenance Contractor
Offering a wide range of services
PRUNING -- trees and shrubs
SURFACE PAVING - patio stone,
interlocking stone, brick
SODDING AND SEEDING
FENCING -
RAILWAYTIES
rail style
planters, retaining walls,
play structures, edging
PYRAMID AR$ORVITEA
•
PLANTING- trees, shrubs, ground
cover, hedges
WEED & INSECT SPRAYING -
100 gal. and back sprayers
LAWN - rolling, fertilizing
SUPPLIERS OF - wood chips, peat moss,
bonemeal, grass seed, fertilizer
Huron Landscaping
Proprietor - Greg Alton
(519) 529-7247
R. R. 7, Lucknow
4 miles south of Lucknow on Huron County Road No. 1
SPREADING JUNIPER