Clinton News-Record, 1984-04-25, Page 66Page 22
Seed planting made easy
If you gather gardeners from all over
North America and asked them to name six
keys to 'the successful starting of -seeds,
these would be among the most often men-
tioned:
Start at the right season. Seed packets and
catalogs will give specific instructions.
Mother Nature calls the tune and gardeners
dance to it.
Work up a finely pulverized, level seedb-
ed. The most successful gardeners spade or
till their gardens, water heavily and wait
until the soil settles. Then, when the surface
dries enough to work, they rake and rake to
make beds as level as a tabletop and soil as
fine as coffee grounds. A seedbed made
without settling the soil will not remain
level.
Make furrows in scale with the size of
seeds and depth of planting. For large seeds
open level furrows 1 to 2 inches deep with a
hoe. If the soil is dry, flood the furrow and
let it soak in before planting. For small
seeds, use the edge of a board to press a
shallow furrow about inch deep.
Space seeds evenly in the furrow. Err, if
at all, in the direction of spacing too wide.
Minimize the number of seedlings that need
•
to be thinned and discarded.
Cover small seeds with sand or finely siev-
ed compost to depth of 2 to 3 times the
diameter of the seeds. You will be amazed at
the difference in the speed of emergence
and the percentage of. seed that sprout, as
compared with seeds covered with clay or
loam soil. In hot, dry weather plant seeds in
the bottom of a previously flooded furrow,
cover lightly with sand and lay a board over
the furrow until the seeds begin to sprout.
Remove the board gradually.
Sprinkle the seeded row with a fine spray
2 to 3 times daily until the seeds sprout and
for a week thereafter. A fan shaped hose -
end sprinkler head, called a "rose", breaks
the water into a broad band of fine droplets.
All sorts of variations exist for these
steps. Some gardeners, for example, prefer
to broadcast or scatter shall seeds.
However, this complicates separating the
desirable seedlings from the weedlings.
Some utilize clear plastic coverings to make
seeds pop up. Some, because of snail, slug
and bird depredation, sprout all their seed in
containers and transplant only goodsized
plants to the garden. This technique is also
valuable in short season areas.
Spring- fever sparks boost
With the arrival of spring, everything gets
topsy-turvy. People •peelrlayers of clothes. as
the sun warms the air. All the senses are
aroused during the spring and the first thing
noticed is the immediate surroundings.
The desire to clean everything, "spring
fever", comes to the fore after months of un-
consciously leaning on walls in the en-
tranceway to remove drippy boots and
shoes. The "cozy" atmosphere in the living
room and/or den, which developed through
the accumulation of books, magazines and
reams of newspaper, now seems at least a
little cluttered and, perhaps, overwhelming.
For people who do' not live in buildings
regularly maintained by a superintendent,
. the interior is the least of the two dilemmas.
Many times, more pressing problems like,
"How am I going to fix that leaky roof?" or,
•"Does'the house need anew coat of paint?"
take priority.
Whether starting on the inside or the out-
side, one must order priorities of im-
provements as well as establish budgets.
Often, a specialist is called in to repair a
specific problem area, be it the, plumbing,
roofing, or painting.
But, for a variety of reasons, many home
improvement jobs are done by "do- -
yourselfers."
Limited• finances and a sense of ,con-
fidence to do the job quickly and efficacious-
ly prompt homeowners to pick up paint
brushes and rollers, removestorm windows
and install insulation.
Once the outside looks polished, the in-
terior must be spruced up as well. Window
shades and blinds are pulled up and curtains
drawn to "let the sun shine in."
One major checkpoint is to determine
whether the carpet or rug needs to be clean-
ed; vacuuming.. doesn't_ remove deep down
buildup.
This is also a good time of year to assess
the decor. Should the walls be repainted?
Should pictures be hung? . •
In addition to aesthetics, safety should'be
another checkpoint. Is there ,a fire ex-
tinguisher in the kitchen, and smoke detec-
tors placed strategically throughout the
house?
Do you have. a complete supply of basic
tools including hammer, screwdrivers, ad-
justable wrenches, nails, screws, bolts and
thumbtacks for emergency repairs? Are
there extra fuses or circuit breakers in case
of a blow-out?
When spring arrives . and extra energy
seems to well up inside, why not put that
energ intoprow!ctive home improvement
olects?
1t takes more to plant seeds than just putting them in the ground. Soil condition, furrow
depth and covering all count too.
�'ime to replace the roof ..-
• from page 21
roof of standard shingles installed more
than 15 years ago, says the Asphalt
t needs
Manufacturers Association, probably
to be reroofed..
An on -the -roof inspection by a profes-
sional roofing contractor is best. For a
homeowner, it's better and safer to inspect
the roof from the ground, using field glasses
if necessary for a close-up view. Getting on
the roof to.look it over can be dangerous and
cause damage to shingles.
Material question
There are many roam materials from
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1
which to choose, but: asphalt shingles, both
Organic and fiber glass -based; are the most
widely used in both new home construction
and re -roofing. For flat or nearly flat sur-
faces, built-up roofing may be the best
choice.
A new generation of multi -layered asphalt
shingles designed to last up to 25 years or
more is , especialy attractive on homes of
distinction.
Shingles with a fiber glass -base are grow-
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durability plus Class A fire protection.
Available in popular earthtone shades of
brown and beige • which serve to. blend or
contrast with other color elements in a
home, three-1imensional asphalt shingles
create dramatic, bold shadowlines that lend
prestige to the best of homes.
Remember the cost of labor for applica-
tion is usually the same, regardless of the
life expectant)/ .of the roof. To estimate the
annual cost of a new roof, add the cost of
labor and materials. Then divide the total
by the design life of the shingle.
It may turn out that the costlier shingle Is
more economical because the cost o -f labor
and materials is amortized , over, a longer
' period of time.
STEVE
ARGYLE
LAWN AND GARDEN
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