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Clinton News-Record, 1985-4-17, Page 59Help annuals reach full potential Annual flowers bloom only once so they are developed to put on a big show. Ontario's relatively short growing season - generally from mid-May to mid-September - means plants only begin to grow in June. Regular feeding and watering helps annuals reach their full potential, says John Hughes of the Ontario Ministry of Agricul- ture and Food's plant industry branch. Before pianting, incorporate a complete granular 10-10-10 fertilizer into your garden soil at a rate of 50 grams per square metre (one ounce per six square feet). Hughes says this provides the basic reserve for the flower crop. After planting, use an organic mulch around the plant. A well -composted material reduces water stress, discourages competi- tive weeds and slows up the compaction of the upper soil layer. This also helps air and water enter the soil. Hughes says no additional fertilizing is required for about three weeks. During this period, the plant develops a root system and in some cases, basal branching. Feeding is done in mid-June to maximize the crop potential. Use a complete water soluble fetilizer such as 20-20-20. Dissolve the fertilizer in a pail of water and siphon onto plants. Common fertilizer siphons have a 1:15 injection ratio so for each litre of concentrate solution being injected, 15 litres is coming out the end of the hose (one gallon of concentrate :15 gallons of concentrate). Hughes says siphons are a good investment because they make feeding plants very easy. Balcony gardeners or those with a very small garden area may dissolve the fertilizer directly into their watering can and apply it. A normal rate for a 20-20-20 fertilizer is one gram of fertilizer per litre of water (one ounce of fertilizer per 16 gallons of water). W hen using a siphon, base calculations on the total number of litres of water coming out the end of the hose. This will be determined by the size of your concentrate pail. Once you know, hold many litres of water will be used then you GET IT DONE RIGHT WITH CLINTON GLASS A complete selection of replacement windows, and doors. NEW: AIRMASTER VINYL, ALUMINUM CASEMENTw1Nt20W VERTICAL SLIDER REPLACEMENT WINDOWS REPLACEMENT WINDOW WITH TILT-ACT1ON FOR EASY CLEANING •Ii No. 4 to Ex®tor NEW: AIRMASTER 2" STORM DOOR for maximum strength! Choice of styles - size to fit any home. 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Thai fertilizer encourages late growth malcinlir these plants susceptible to winter injury." House :Continued from Page 22) Caulking materials needed for the average house will cost about $80. Be sure to buy interior caulking; elastic brands are best -- silicone and butyl work well. An interior, acrylic latex caulking material comes in various colors for use around high visibility areas such as baseboards. W eatherstripping helps reduce drafts in places with movable joints, two surfaces that meet and move relative to each other such as doors, windows, attic hatches, interior window shutters and so on. W eatherstrip- ping keeps two surfaces snug against each other, keeping drafts from blowing through the joints. Materials can be made of metal, plastic, vinyl or foam rubber. One effective, low cost product is a self-adhesive plastic V strip for doors and windows. The material should be rugged enough to withstand constant wear and tear. • Depending on the number of exterior doors and windows, it will cost between $100 and $150 to weatherstrip the average house. Most good quality caulking and weather- stripping materials are available at loc hardware stores. Building supply stores t specialize in energy conservation carry • fuller line of products: For an average size house all the materials will rarely cost more. than $250. As a general rule of thumb, a more durable product is worth the extra cost. I.wer heating bills should repay the • investment in the first year or two. Set aside a weekend to do the work. The attic, usually a major heat loss area, is a good place to start. Locate theles in the attic floor and seal carefully`'with caulking material. The next most important area to work on is the basement. Be sure to look at the sillplate, where the house wall sits on the basement wall. Caulking this area can be tedious and messy but it is well worth the trouble. If•the spaces at the end of the floor joists are 'exposed, they should also be insulated. Door sweeps -- strips of pliable material to block the space between the floor and the bottom of the door -- plug a prime heat loss area. W indows can account for as much as 25 percent of the heat loss in older homes, especially the old, double -hung variety. That's because the heat has so many places to escape from -- through the glass, through the joints between the glass and the frame, and through the joints between the window frame . and the wall. Weatherstripping and silicone seal can cut the leakage dramatically. Look for a good seal that will slightly increase the closing pressure. of the window. To obtain a tight seal around the frame, carefully remove the interior • moldings and caulk or poly foam the rough opening. special gaskets are.designed to seal out drafts behind electrical .outlets. Seal all plumbing vents and electrical boxes with polyethylene sheets and caulking compound. Around the chimney use special heat resistant materials. Check exhaust fans to be sure the damper doses tightly and the vent is properly sealed.