Clinton News-Record, 1976-04-15, Page 34garden a re
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Taltst]iap!k'ag.w'andmedfuni and
p&anting
task ri cotorftd, long lasting companion
Try growing plants under lights
Growing- favorite houseplants
Under -artificial lights means that
you can grow a wide range of
indoor plants for year-round
display. Artificial lights are
valuable for propagating new
plants and, quite possibly. for
producing annual seedlings.
Horticulturists R. F. Gomme
and R. A. Fleming, of the Ontario
ministry of agriculture and food.
say that growing plants under
artificial lights can provide a
great deal of satisfaction to a
home gardener.
"The first step is to choose a
location for your plants. such as
an area of your basement. which
will provide plenty of room for
- both the benches and lights.
Basements usually provide
nearly ideal temperatures
between 15 degrees and 2,1
degrees C — and somewhat
higher humidity than other
rooms of the house." says Mr.
Gomme.
He suggests that the basic
materials to start out with are a
two- to four -foot lighting unit.
with two fluorescent tubes. a
shallow. waterproof tray about 52
by 18 inches (to place on a table to
hold the plants). an electric timer
to control the lights andtwo
chains on the tight fixture to
adjust its height above the plants.
"Even under lights. the best
plants to dhoose are those that
will grow moderatelywell in a
bright east window. This will
include most foliage plants and
some flowering plants. such as
begonias. African violets and
gloxinias," says Mr. Fleming.
"Most plants will thrive at a
distance of eight to 12 inches
below the light source if they're
exposed to the light for 14 to 16
hours each day."
As indoor gardeners become
more accustomed to gardening
under lights, the horticulturist`
suggest that • they might tri
producing their annual seedlings
for next spring's; flower beds or
possibly some; of the smaller
woody shrubs.
Mr. Fleming states that good
ventilation is essential to prevent
excessive heat buildup from the
'lamps, and the ballasts of the
fluorescent filatures, L ght
reflection .ran be increas . liy
hanging foil wrap aroun the
unit. For tropical illanlf that
thrive on higher humidity' levels,
the entire unit can be surrounded
with a plastic curtain to maintain
the moisture level within the
garden area.
Plant only vegetables
to
. suit your needs
tender parts of the kohlrabi - an
enlarged stem - freeze well and
taste similar to turnip. Celeriac.
golden beets. chicory, summer
turnips, leeks, and special
squashes. such as zucchini. may
also be tried.
Salad vegetables frequently get
the lion's share of space in the
fresh vegetable garden. Suc-
cessive plantings of different
varieties of lettuce and radishes
are recommended, as are pep-
pers. tomatoes and herbs. such as
parsley, chives and fennel. To get
early peppers. plant the pimento.
varieties Vinedale and Vinette.
Early Alaska type tomatoes and
cherry tomatoes usually ripen by
the first week in July. well ahead
of the main crop.
Don't plant - that vegetable
garden until you have decided its
purpose.
"Different vegetables are,.
suited to different types of gar-
dens," explains J.K. Muehmer,
horticulturist at the Ridgetown
College df Agricultural
Technology, "so it is best to know
before planting what you expect
from that garden plot. Do you
need an inflation -fighting garden,
a hobby garden or a fresh -
produce garden?
The inflation -fighting garden is
usually planted with vegetables
best suited for freezing or can-
ning; although peas, sweet corn,
peppers. cauliflower. broccoli,
Brussels sprouts and carrots are
known for their- freezing ability;
others are also available. Consult
seed catalogs for suitable freezer
varieties..
Unusual vegetables can add
interest to the hobby garden. The
1111...
BEAUTY AND THE BEfi. CtunfartIOY ds a behind handsome
shrebbery, the ali cortdlt anmg Mats no eye -sane to pa rs-bar. And vines
add aesthetic vailue-tirveMplete.the-plettireitud help Insidatelkellonse.
It's a way the American Association of Nurserymen has of showing that
plsanttnp are practical as well as pretty.
Brampt -- There is no aged
' pnrsnns rico bat not have a
'bttt cyard for miss out un +the
gyrnent and N4,40 gardening.
Y apart> e t and town use
OW len, a19310,4wit . these pale
With lnrnited backyard spat, can
take adv'+►ta of their existing
patios and -oat alconies togrow a
complete range of mutual flowers
and vegetables.
The basic difference between
growing plants in a patio pot or
hanging basket compared to a
ground bed IS the volume of soil.
As long as you understand the
implications of this difference.
you will be successful growing in
containers.
The soil you use is a most
important consideration..Plt must
be porous, open and well -drained.
To me, these words mean the soil
MIX should have at least 25 to 30
percent of its volume made up
with a coarse material such as
;gid, vermiculite.. -turface or
' perilte. The remainder will be top
soil and perhaps peatmoss. A soil
that is too tightly packed will not
allow water to move freely
through it and will also exclude
'essential oxygen ,from the toot
area. You' am generally pur-
chase a good,Aiettting soil in
plastic bags kern your local
garden and plant supply center.
Watering is .also an important
factor in container gardening
because there is not a reserve
from the lower water table that
you 'have in a ground bed.
Because of this. the container will
dry out much more readily than a
ground bed. Also, a clay pot will
dry out faster than a plastic one
because it is more pervious to air.
When watering. thtroughly wet
the entire soil ball until the water
starts to run out the bottom of the
pot. Do not allow this water to
collect at the bottom of the pot
since it will water -log the soil.
Use a water -breaker at the end of
your garden hose to reduce the
soil compaction that occurs at the
top of the pot when watering. This
crusting over or hardening of the
upper surface not only makes it
difficult for water to permeate
through the soil but also excludes
essential oxygen.
Nutrition through fertilizing
your patio pots and hanging
baskets is another practice that is
different from the conventional
ground -bed culture. Because
04...,10,
there ate no reserveset'tiilr
*0. CalI On. or
tw c. a
mar bast► over the gwing
seaso .
A s Lw release fertilizer that
cornea in either a powder form or
encanpeulated tit sntaft pellets can
be Milted in the soil or put on the
top of the container. The small
pellets look like "fish -eyes" and
you have probably observed ,
therm in cor►taiiners that have
green plants growing in them.
The idea behind a slow release
fertilizer is as the name implies:
to give off fertilizer slowly over a
long period -of time. This process
is activated by soil .moisture.
therefore as you water the
container some of the fertilizer is
released. Not all garden and
plant supply centers have this
form of fertilizer available but
quite often greenhouse growers
who market their own spring
plants will.
The second type of fertilizer
and the one more readily
available is the complete fer-
tilizer (usually 20-20-20) that is
water soluble and especially
designed for plant use. Keep
away from the turf and general
fertilizers that have a higher
level of salt in them. They are
good for the purposes claimed but
are too "hot" for the limited soil
volume of a patio pot or hanging
basket. I would suggest about
one-half tablespoon of 20.2020 per
gallon of water abpi t every other
week. This will be in addition to
your regular watering. The old
adage of "the mere fertilizer —
the bigger the plant" is valid only
up to the point that you get too
high a concentration of fertilizer
in the soil and kill the roots.
1 have purposely stayed away
from naming plants that will do
well in hangiag baskets or patio
pots because very few will not do
well. In fact. I have seen
everything from cucumbers.
squash. melons and
strawberries. to all types of
flowers growing well in hanging
baskets. In patio pots, corn.
tomatoes, several shrubs and all
types of flowers can do famously.
For the winter time. get some
cedar. spruce or pine shoots
(bunch ends) and place them in
your containers for winter color.
Your Christmas tree branches
when cut up will last a long time
outside in the pots.
Your balcony and patio can
provide year-round pleasure am
_ fun with gardening.
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