Clinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 50L
tt
A-sin-gte plant -{t# l al•-1(trace-cast-syprertd. .. -...
to dinner -plat( size.
u
LeUuce jrofit
Leaf lettuce is the third Most valuable vegetable you can grow
in your garden. Only tomatoes and green onions are more prof-
itable, say the expert's.
Sow seeds of leaf lettuce very
early; they'll sprout and grow
when it is too cool for most
other vegetables.
Descriptions list most leaf
varieties as maturing in
about forty five days. But you
yta begin pulling every other
t when the seedlings are
• half grown. Thinning
makes room for the remaining
seedlings to fill rout to thein
frill diameter - as large as
dinner plates.
Except where seasons are ex
tremely short there is no ad
\an.tage to starting leaf lettuce
seeds early. -indoors.
1/iscunlinue sowing lettuce
sr.eds '.e hen warm • summer
comes. Heat causes .pour ger-.
minatiom• rid- the plants that
come up will 'quickly shi-,ot up
seed stalks or turn hitter.,
Excellent crops of -leaf lettuce
can he grown for fa11 harvest
during cool weather. The cos
irumainet -and hutterhead
types grow' e'spec'ially well
during the fall season. '!'hese
Inose heading types are nearly
,,s easy to grow as -leaf lettuce.
Suggestion: mi x, seeds of 4w1,
or three kinds of leaf lettuce
for variety. in color, lett,f-sha-Fes-
and taste. You can get apple
green, dark green, bronze-
red, frilled and fringed
varieties.
Packets of lettuce seeds are
filled generously. Plant only
1'4 to 112 packet.at a time, at
two-week intervals, An av,pr-
age family can eat only as
much leaf lettuce as can he
grown on about 6 sq. ft. of bed.
E;xperie'nced gardeners
"force" spring letturve to
mature early by sheltering 11
under tunnels or hoods'of clear
plastic sheeting. The canopy
concentrates the son's heat
and protects let1ti('e, from
snap frost
What a treat to be eating
lavish salads of home grown
leaf lettuce' Ne hen a hunch
costs 79 cents at the market!
LEAVE INSECTS OUT-
DOORS
Before bringing houseplants
indoors, check for insects
and diseases. It won't take
longi for these problems to
spread t� other houseplants.
Treat fungus diseases with
benomyl. Diazinon can be
used to eliminate insects.
Isolate treated plants from
other houseplants for one
week to 10 days.
yto.p
The sweet.orpungent, long
or blocky, hot or lxlilc pepper
is often the. pickiest plant in
the vegetable patch. Pieking:'
the propp. er• variety to growls;
one solid', step in solving the
many problems home.
gardeners .experience with
this desirable vegetable.
Pepper problems for home
gardeners, whatever the
region of the .country, :seem
> o revalye aroundthe
problem of yield per plant.
While the zucchini 'over-
whelms the garden basket,
thepepper plant often stands
proud, lush and barren, or at
the best, the'producer of an
only child or a pair of twins,
Warm season peppers are
somewhat particular about
• temperatures for fruit set,
Peppers fertilized with
heavy, applications of
nitrogen, " or not given _.
adequate phosphorous, may
develop into good looking
plants, but will not produce
Shade -Loving Ferns
Y -f you have a damp,
shaded location, with
slightly acid soil, don't
despair, plant ferns. Any of
the three Osmunda ferns -
the Interrupted fern, . Cin-
namon fern, and Royal ferm
- will do well. These ferns
grow to a height of about 1
metre (3 feet), and require
mulching for best results.
peers is pro.
Mauch fruit.
The hybrid pepper is a star
just coming into its own.
Home gardeners expect high
Yields from their `Better
Boy' hybrid tomatoes, they
ask for them by name.
'Better Belle' hybrid
pepper introduces: the
qualities every pepper
grower has been waiting for..
'Better Belie' comes into
fruit a full two- weeks earlier
than the older, `California
Wonrder'types. The disease -
"'resistant plants sturdily
ke ep , uptheir production
throughout .the growing
season.
'Better . Belle' has been
bred for a variety of pur-
poses, as well as superior
production. Th e thick,
blocky walls of the 41/2 x 31/2 -
inch fruit are ideal for
stuffing freezing and perfect
for use as fresh produce on
the d inner table.
Ball Seed Company,
wholesale distributor of
'Better Belle' seed to
commercial growers, offers
some additional tips to home
gardeners who will be.
planting this superior
variety for the first time this
year.
+ Use a complete fertilizer
such as 10-10-10 before
planting your- vegetable
garden. Do not side -dress
peppers until after a good
fruit set.
+ Fret all fruit -.producing
plants off to a good start at
planting time with the ad-
dition of a starter fertilizer
(such as 844.8).
+ Plant peppers only after
night temperatures have
risen above 55 degrees"
Planting too early will often,
stunt plants,
-i- Harvest fruit regularly,
After mature fruit is liar -
vested, new fruit set will
begin.'
-I- Rotate tomato , pepper
and egg -plant crops, making
sure these three vegetables' -
do not follow each other in
the same location, Each is
subject to the same diseases,.
some of which are'soil-borne.
+ The cooler the season, the
more important the selection
of early varieties, Peppers
will not set fruit in very cool
weather.
If hot peppers are your
pick, the hottest of them all
has been introduced to the
gardening world— 'Fire!'
named for its flavorful aim.
'Fire!' produces 2 -inch slim
fruit which are attractive in
ornamental plantings, as
well as superior spicers for
pepper -loving palates.
Hot or sweet, the pepper
will grow, and bear
prolifically, providing the
gardener knows its
requirements, and asks for
the 1980 hybrid varieties by
name.
Pepper 'Better Belle
Pepper 'Fire!'
SUPER LATEX
Flat or Semi -gloss
kiteiior—kiill
00
SAVE • Per Galion
2N -Gloss ENAM
Svc IfA1E
Sale ends April30, so hurry while supplies last!
• Nursery Stock
• Rolling ! Fertilizing
• Aerifying" • Verticuttrng )
9,• Seeding & Sodding
• Instant Shade Trees -- ,
Mothers Landscaping
& .Lawn .Maintenance
524-2401 -.
12-6-6 20KG.
12-12-12 20 KG.
10-10-10 33.33 KG.
10-6-4 20 KG.
With Killex
10-6-4 J 20 KG.
With 2-4D
CHARGEX
1.1111111.
VISA
84 KINGSTON ST.
$595
•
4015
$895
$95
$'79
rLATIENAMEL
SUPERLATE
SWIMMING POOL
CHEMICALS
We carry a full line of - H.T.H. SUN . and
LAURASON chemicals, so that we can
provide you with the _very best products -
available for your pool. -
And- remember, we will be glad _-to . test
your pool water and/or consult
professional chemists for you at no
charge..
R'S SAYINGS TIME
for Spring Gardeners
AERO LAWN & GARDEN FERTILIZER
Free In -Town Delivery
Free Loan of Spreader
Garant Garden Tools, Lawn & Garden Seed, Fishing Tackle
A4iL
7ht�2L
r\LHAR DWARE
524-9671
GODERICH