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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-16, Page 38Tri ireanuts this year Time for vines The annual vine can perform annual miracles. They can dress up a barren wire fence, twine a vine around the empty bird - feeder, or add a rustic note to trellis, wood fence or downspout. Annual vines receive far too little attention. Even though many of these cost- conscious annual plants are. easy to start, from seed, bloom continuously and are favorites of nectar -loving birds, few of them are seen in the average landscape. Annual vines have delicate tendrils, which attach themselves to the structures on which they. climb. The -annual vines do -not have the tearing'. habit often associated with their perennial counterparts. They --will not damage brick, mortar or wood. • Uses far annual vines are varied. Decorate a barren wall in matching colors, shade a patio overhang with a mural of texture and flowers, or set annual vines against brick or stone fences to soften lines. Vines need not always climb. The graceful twining of the annual vine is equally beautiful when displayed cascading downward from hanging baskets or window boxes. This year try the new and very well bred annual vine Susie' thunbergia for' all- • season display. 'Susie'. thenhergia, 31980 in- troduction from Pan- American Seed Company, flowers in yellows, bright oranges, maize and white, all with a dark eye. The heart -shaped, medium- green foliage takes a decided back seat to the cascades of flowers 'Susie' provides during the warm months ahead. • 'Susie' can be trained to a low trellis or fence. The vine will climb gracefully to a maximum height of six feet. All 'Susie' thunbergia requires is' average garden soil, some protection from searing heat and occasional watering for maintenance of moderately moist soil. Still another advantage is the tolerance of this annual vine for very light shade. This year try the new and very well bred annual vine 'Susie' thunbergia for a11- season display. 'Susie' thunbergia, a 1980 in- troduction from Pan- American Seed Company, flowers in yellows, bright. oranges, maize and white, all with 'a dark • eye. The heart -shaped, medium - green foliage takes a decided back seat to the cascades of flowers 'Susie' provides during the warm months ah rad. 'Susie' can be trained to a low trellis or fence. The vine will climb gracefully to a maximum height of six feet. All 'Susie' thunbergia requires is average garden soil, some protection from 'searing heat and occasional watering for maintenance of moderately moist soil. Still another advantage is the tolerance of this annual vine for very light shade. Let the vine flow down- ward from window boxes, or plant hanging baskets for a vertical •scape of color. If a fence, is part of your home vegetable garden, add 'Susie' along with the pole beans for beauty and a feast. 'Susie' thunbergia is very easy to start from seed.. Plan 4-6 weeks for _ seedling. growth before outdoor planting. When ...night tem- peratures have risen to 50 ,degrees the started plants may he •planted in their ultimate location, Tran- splant shock can be avoided if seeds are started in Jiffy - 75 or Jiffy-9s;'••the peat pellets which nurture. seedlings from sowing to ultimate garden location. 'Susie' can also" be pur- chased as a started plant at many centers and greenhouses, often in flower. Place the 'started plants about 'three inches away a from the support on which they will grow. If no trellis is available, twine, string or netting will provide adequate support for vines to climb to their ultimate height. - This refund version of the Black -Eyed Susan vine, will •be a welcome, economical and colorful addition to your landscape, whether an acre or a patio square. Find 'Susie' in retail seed catalogs, or ask your greenhouse grower for 'Susie' thunbergia started plants. TEA FOR PLANTS Watering houseplants with a weak tea solution once a month... can .be. beneficial if the water in your area has a high calcium content. Four parts water to one part tea will • reduce the alkaline condition. Garden nuts grow peanuts By J.W. Tanner and R.C. Roy -,. Depar-tmen t.of-Crop. Science University of Guelph If you are looking for something new for your 1980 garden, try growing peanuts. They can be grown suc- cessfully in • "most parts of Southern Ontario, but the shorter the growing season, 'the smaller the yield. You can grow peanuts on most fertile, well -drained soils. However, they grow best on sandy to sandy -loam soils. When grown in heavy soils, plants have trouble breaking through the soil, and you may have trouble harvesting the pods. Although there are four - main types of peanuts, only two are recommended for Ontario conditions. These are the Spanish types, the small red -skinned nuts preferred for peanut butter; and the Valencia types, which have three to fide peanuts per\ pod arid are usually roasted for sale in the shell. Valencias mature a little earlier than Spanish varieties, so they are usually more productive in Ontario. Virginia and Runner, the two remaining types, can not be grown in Ontario because they require a long growing season. Seed houses often sell peanuts in the shell for planting. The whole pod can be planted directly into the soil, but planting the actual seed is usually a . more reliable method. When• shelling th e peanuts for -seed, --- be careful not to tear the skin around the nut. Damaged skin increases the chances of disease, and reduces the ,chances of sprouting. Plant peanuts in early May, but not before you usually plant peas because they are not as cold hardy. Peanuts can . be planted before beans, however, as they are morefrast tolerant. Allow at least 50 cen- timetres (20 inches) between each row. Seeds should be spaced 10 to 12 centimetres apart (4 to 5 seeds per foot) along the rows. Plant seeds 3 to 5 centimetres (11/2 to 2 inches) deep. By ,mid-June, the plants produce yellow flowers. These flowers open in . the morning and wither at night; the next day, new flowers. appear. Flowers are self - fertilizing, so they do. not require bees for -fruit set. A few days after the flowers appear, the flower stalk begins to •• grow downwards. This talk, called a peg. penetrates the soil surface and pushes down 5 to —8.ccnti.na-atres (2 to - into 'the soil. The tip of the peg, enlarges and develops into the peanut pod. In 40 to 50 days. the pod will contain mature peanuts. Although peanut plants are fairly drought resistant, they should be Watered during late June and July if the weather is dry. plants continue to produce flowers and pegs all season. ,By mid-September the plant will carry new flowers, new pegs, immature and mature peanuts. The longer the growing season, the greater the number of peanuts on each plant. The .plants should be allowed to develop and mature until harvest in late September or after a heavy frost. If the soil is loose and moist, the peanut plant can be pulled.- To make har- vesting easier, lift the soil lightly with "a fork before pulling. Another method is to cut the tap root about 10 centimetres (4 inches) below • the soil surface with a hoe, andthen pull the plant gently out of the soil. Mature pods ve a tex- tured appearance: im- mature pods are smooth. The inside of a mature pod is grey -black, and the peanuts should be reddish skinned. - If the weather is warm and sunny, leave the peanuts in the- sun so the -soil on the shell can be shaken off easily. Hang the plants in a warm, dry place until the pods are brittle dry. When dry, remove the pods from the plant. Peanuts in the- shell can be stored in a cl-ry place indefinitely. Do not store or -dry peanuts under corid )tions h h promote mold growth. Never eat moldy peanuts as they may coAtain toxic sub- stances! Prepare your homegrown peanets for eating using one of the following methods. Peanuts" in the shell - Place peanuts on a cookie sheet, one layer deep. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool, shell, and salt to„Aaste. Shelled peanuts - Reif -cove the shells and place peanuts, one layer deep, on a well -greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove, cool, and salt to taste. Deep-fried, shelled peanuts - Heat cooking oil to 150 C (300F). Place shelled peanuts in a wire basket and fully im- merse' peanuts to the: oil. Cook for 10. minutes or until peanuts begin to brown. Remove from oil, drain, cool, and salt to taste. UNIVAL 5 H.P. ROTARY TILLER ' 5 H.P. to make short Work of bigger tilling lobs Belt driven reverse, The right blend of qual.y and price • Engine 5 H.P 8 8 S • Chain case — 3 step chain and sprockel • Tines — 16 forged. 14" tines. Bold type • Drive — single speed forward. Bell driven reverse -• Wheels — 10" x 1.75" steel • Weight — Approxshipping weight 181 lbs. 20" 3.5 HP PUSH LAWNMOWER (Below) Four cycle engine. Recoil start. Loop style handles. Polyethylene wheels: 7" x 1.5" fou -position manual ad'lu ent. Our .• , Complete Selection of quality SCOTT'S FERTILIZER is here - featuring Scott's famous NO -QUIBBLE WARRANTY "If for any reason you are not satisfied with results after using the product, you are entitled to get your money back. 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