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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-16, Page 53Constructing a leanto greenhouse front a kit goes quickly and, easily. Lord &•Burnham photo. greenhouses are a popular hobby By Bruce McBride, - P. Eng. Agricultural Engineer Extension Branch Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food The public is becoming increasingly interested in 'small greenhouses as a hobby and as a means of gardening year round. Many gardeners- are constructing hobby . greenhouses_._ from their own plans, while. others purchase kits available from suppliers. 'Before one begins, local climate donditions warrant careful investigation' to ensure structural adequacy of the proposed unit. .A ° good foundation • is essential to anchor the small greenhouse and .prevent a possible tip -over during windy weather. Either a concrete or a pressure - treated post foundation must he constructed to go below the frost level. Some greenhouse suppliers have prefab cedar foundations which extend 18 inches below ground level. Quonset -style greenhouses are usually formed of galvanized steep pipe hoops covered with one or. two layers of polyethylene. Self - builders often erect the greenhouse structural frame froin wood which, if painted or treated, should give' long life to the greenhouse. Red cedar and redwood are the best woods to' •use for the framework due to their natural' weathering it resistance to shrinking and warping. . When selecting a "greenhouse covering, factors such as percentage of light transmission, thermal radiation transmittance, life of the material and initial investment must be con- sidered and ,evaluated collectively. Polyethylene can be put on the frame as a double layer and air blown between the layers to cut heat costs 30 to 40 percent as compared to a single -layer poly -house. The poly -house is easy to con- struct, and is about 50 per- cent of the cost of a glass greenhouse. Double polyethylene transmits ' 81 percent of available light but has the drawback of usually lasting only one growing season.• Glass greenhouses have a high initial cost but have the highest life of any covering material. Glass has a very highlight. transmittance of. 90 percent;'Reinforced fiberglass panels•have good light transmittance,: with many panels having a guaranteed life of 15 to 20 years. Other" ,rigid panels available are acrylic, glass and PVC panels. The disadvantage of a small greenhouse, is that it heats up quickly when the sun is out and also cools quickly when the sun goes behind a cloud. This characteristic necessitates the use of heaters and proper ventilation. ' The hobby greenhouse can be constructed free standing or as a lean-to to an existing ntr.ustur-e. Mower, maintenance A well-maintained lawn mower will help reduce the frustrations and backaches that can make mowing the lawn a chore. Ross Irwin, of the School of Engineering, Ontario' Agricultural College, says pre -season maintenance of the lawn mower will help the cutting season go smoothly. To begin, clean the un- derside of the mower to remove stray bits of grass and dirt. Use a putty knife, screwdriver or wire brush. If you didn't remember to do it last fall, drain the gasoline and oil . from the lawn mower and' wash any rust or sediment from the tank. When sharpening the blades, don't try to file away all the nicks. That un- balances the blade. Using an angle of 45 degrees, file or grind the same amount of metal from each sideof the blade. Don't grind the bot- tom of the blades. If the blades are bent or damaged,• replace them. Don't try to straighten them. Be sure the bolt holding the blade in place is tight, and the lockplate is in place. For maximum engine effeciency, Mr. Irwin suggests cleaning the air filter by rinsing it in detergent and water. Replace when dry and re -oil. The spark plug should be replaced each year. Ad just the c(rttirlg height to leave the grass a bit longer in the spring.. The cutting height can be adjusted . to give the lawn a closer cut as the season progresses. Send your green thumb to school Horticulture is such .a diverse field that there is something of interest for everyone. There is always something new to learn - new "tvayts to do things, new plants to produce, or new en- vironments to create. The magnitude of horticultural subjects, is as endless as. the information • sources about them. Ask a friend or neighbour. Even an apartment dweller could be an expert, baffling associates by manipulating the environment, and defying the elements to produce flowers, fruits and vegetables. Listen to the radio. There are a number of gardening specialists to keep you up-to- date with weekly gardening tips. Phone=in shows allow immediate response to your gardening questions. Visit your community library or a magazine staua. You will 'find information on, subjects ranging from landscaping to growing houseplants or producing your own mushrooms. Many daily and weekly newspapers feature — gar- dening columns that offer tips on insect and disease control, and light, water and fertilizer requirements. One visit to the neigh- bourhood garden center, florist shop, or nursery will show the variety of hor- ticultural , products available. Sales staff are trained to assist you with plant selection and plant use. Many gardening buffs benefit by attending lec- tures, or lecture series. Ontario horticultural societies, and continuing education programs offered by schools, colleges, and universities, also feature lectures --and courses on many horticultural subjects. For the busy ' or distant enthusiast home study courses may be the answer. New innovations in educational technology now alltow the home student the same educational op- portunity as class students. Many of the - independent study packages include an ( illustrated text, film strips, hand film strip viewer and instructor's commentary in audio cassette form. These multi -media, .creative self - learning courses may also be used for group lectures. The University of Guelph offers lectures and in- dependent study packages designed for novice and professional horticulturists. In addition 'to the creative self-learningkits, about 40 courses are available through the Independent Pagel$ Study Office. On -campus horticultural courses availablethis year include: Home Landscaping, Turf Managers' Short Course, Greenhouse Management and Gardening with Commercial Fertilizer. The Home Gardening series, featuring topics such as roses, lawns,-_ _ pruning, .. vegetables, annuals and' perennials gardening under lights, highrise gardens, will be offered in evening and Saturday sessions. These programs are of- fered through the Office of Continuing Education, University of Guelph, in co- operation, with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. For more information regarding ongoing programs, write,to_ the Office of ' Continuing E'ducatipn, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1. Your Annual GARDEN CALENDAR Ministry of Agriculture and Food JANUARY Inspect house plants for insects Check grads. and dahlias in storage for insects & diseases Avoid salt. use near plants Keep yourself .informed • --' read garden articles & take advantage of courses Plan garden renovations • Order flower & vegetable'seeds • FEBRUARY "' Commence feeding house plants Bring 'indoors — pots. 'bulbs for forcing. Propagate indoor plants by stem cuttings Place mail sliders, 00 no'sery stook Prepare seed flats and containers for sowing seed MARCH ' Plant flower ani vegetable seeds indoors • 'Prune fruit trees (and grape vines) Start tuberous begonias in pots. -Check garden perennials and press. tMr.k into place, if they heaved Apply fruit tree dormant spray Prune back shade trees, over grown (,edges and shrubs. Check for rodent damage Prune surihmer flowering shrubs APRIL Fertilize lawn, . •Reeetv(: niulr•ti a hoe: a I•n Ptar•.l bhr;,tS trn':'•,,•id Vii•l•i,••, Prune rosin --4 Apply- pre ernr:;.• . , ., control t,:rab gra';, Traris'lant biennial., . ,.•r, ,..u'i,n••, foxglove. etc. Repair lawn damage with Ir,p',u : awl seed Plant early vegetabi(as such el!, ped', radish and onions Sow seed of hardy annuals e)ufduor5 MAY ('',n',t',;ct la"r e r,. ,..-.'n ' .,,i,pi,rI', ',,r ,Yr , •, 'ran ,fr r Ii,• , : 1 a' ., 1' •• •' or! f'•u•,r ! n,.1r:1ei: , ir., miner i•!..0. I•, 'i,ctr., {.r••,1 ...ail .,Ji.' „r.'•i Plantt':r,derf!,..eers, or:h,ni.as etc..' Vldtt r.cdrly tlr,Nenny plant'' Rf..nu)vr, faded fi'•Nerheads r,f iuiifr . and riafl'dii',. Prune shrubs and trees :after flowering .l.rz,r, v.u'':r1•. with hgrbiciifes JUNE Pr.!nr: evergreens and. hedges ' A) 1 ({10'•', ,.h p{sings ,and garden .,•,,,I,•', I'''.t,mpo,t pile 14.0• matin, i''n5 of grass clippings and . i j.•(' ;I ,n gardens trconserve nir,i•,tu'q and control weeds. ' hny,,tr• awnsdndgardens Turin oto crowdecr annuals and veyeldbla, Stake tall growing perennials Pinch backchrysanlhemum5 Remove faded. rose blooms • JULY Raise cutting height Uf ri(c)her blade . Thin out and cut hank rind raspberry canes • Fertilize annuals aro! lrrr,O'•t•tt,1 ., Shallow hoe ya-d,tr',rt•';t,i;,ri; Pinch back annua,s Water gardens airing dry ,,,,o("11., AUGUST •. Pri,ne climbing roses Al,,t,l, mildew r•'infrr,l spray•. Prune: tonin aril 'idn.: r • Oir14:r !t wenng':,,,Ifrs . ''a o.,, t:tr.i;,herr , r.,ii,ert, it .., planting wd•, ri•,t c,I t'lr:rl ' •' it.: spring SEPTEMBER Prepare and seed new lawns Divide perennials Plant evergreens Purr,hasa:flowering bulbs L;a',14•rlilizingoflawns tor the year Take (.utti.los. of geraniums and r• oleos Air dry Anions for storage Renovate perennial borders Harvest grapes after the first frost • OCTOBER Plant bulbs; Transplant shrubs and tr'•t:', Dig and store dahlias grariioiu'. tuberous begonias. Plant amaryllis for Christmas blooms Improve garden soils for next Season•Check Gather leaves and add to compost pile. ' NOVEMBER Plov, vegetable garder''' Soak soil around nvrrrgreer';,,t quilled is dry Plant trait treesCarefully Hill up roses Support', for new planted trees Mulch tender plan -is--- -- . - Plant hyacinth amaryllis and other burls for winter forcing Protect trees and shrubs from mice and rabbits Clean' garden storage areas and all tools - '° DECEMBER Get indoor lighting units in use Loosely wrap pyramidal evergreens with burlap or plastic netting. remove snow from shrubs and spreading evergreens Reduce the watering and fertilizing of indoor plants Note- Trmutg may vary across Ontario