The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-03-13, Page 83t,
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It may be winter outside, but a hefty ,crop of geraniums is.alreeady , , Y
Farm, owned by.. Ted and. Emma Vander Wouden. (Mona Irwin photo)
Spring. is
closer
by Mona Irwin
than
tw'ndervva at Te -Em
you think
•
Emma says, but impatience, a shade -loving
Winter got - .ou down? flower: is ;.� win in popularity. ularit Plants like era -
Tired o ` freezing temperatures, blasts.. of ice dims are seeded � months `beforethey'll be g Pe �d
need -
pellets shooting across the lake, and drab days? ed, and then cuttings are taken periodically. That
Well spring is closer than you think. - way they have new 'crops' of geraniums ready for.
In fact, it's at Te -Em Farm, located just 20 km ,' sale; every fewweeks as gardening season comes
south of Goderich, on Conc. 4, Goderich Twp. around. The more matureplants, aren't allowed to
Just walk into the. greenhouses, where the temp flower until no more cuttings are needed, because
perature hovers between a bairn), 70°F and an,
even balmier 75°F, :and you'll see green growing.
things insteadof frost-bitten tatters. It even smells.
like sltrtg.
that drains too much, energy from theplants, Ted
explains
.There d�n't seem to be many geraniums on the
go now., but that's because half the greenhouse is
Ted and Einma Vander Wouden, have ' owned curtained<off by hanging sheets of heavy plastic.
Te-EEm Farm since 1981.. 4
'We' started:with vegetables, and then expand
eel, into` bedding plants, says Ted. Both-wereVbor
atlid wised on farms, he adds. "We went to the `-
city, then we came back:'" They still, offer vegeta-
bles and fruits --- asparagus, strawberries; sweet
coal and tomatoes -- but their 30,000 square feet
"That .Way we don't .have :to heat the unused
part," says Ernma. ,As t1 ey continue .to fill trays
with cute ngs they open; more "and mare of the
greenhouse w�•+ - �� ;
.By April, ,it ll be full up, she" says. Itsamaz-,.
In
how fast it :goes."
' Instead of scattering seed' by hand, the Vander
greenhouse space has become a year-round Woudeens' use what looks like a mutated vacuum
ponsibility cleaner. It works :on. a principle similar to your
It's intensive farming," says Emma. She calls household vacuum cleaner: a small vacuum
e seed house her ""home away from borne" device 'is attached to a Perforated metal tray,
ecause of the amount of time she spends there.
ing starts in January, and then gets very' busy
ebkuary.
'We're still seeding in - May,'" she says, because
r
which is` in turnlaced over - a . lantiri full of
soil. ; , .
�.planting tray
-
This device ,.allows the seeds to drop onto the
soil neatly and properly spaced, so there is .no
of the amount of time .it takes some.. plants to :..need, later on for ,thinning the young plants. The
row, - : and the demand for individual Tants.perforations in the metal trays are • in various sizes
g Y.
Alyssum', for` example (a ground cover with small -.to allotw, for different -sized seeds.
flowers) takes very, little time before it's ready for Once the planting trays are full, they are placed
gardeners, Awhile tuberous 'begonias which are on heated. benches for up to a week and ,a half,
see'ded befor Chlistmas:aren't ready until June.' thenmoved to an unheated bench, then another
She ' keepsa 'seeding book' in Which' she greenhouse, as the seedlings grow.
records what's left, and what they ran out of, :dur "They're constantly on the Move," Emma says.
ing each year. - In one of the "greenhouse s, 'some 750. tomato
"That's how we gauge whether to increase or plants areatready a foothigh.
decrease. (each plant type) next season: eustorer . ` "They were seeded after Christmas, and they'Il
demand trial and error. carryus through • until August, when the field
."it's funny things change,Last' .year The most u`n antan of. Ted.
yTed says, "The , tomatoes come. in, explains
years ago we had Marigolds left over.y p partgrowing plants in
eve didn't have enough of n.
e demand for�:petuniastheidoesn't'ch ige ni►ue
•turn' topage,