The Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-04-27, Page 4246
a
New 'Sweetheart'
,- gra wberrieS,
the first
fllatilt11114$140 variety ikat
g4nbe, grown frnM se 04, pro-
vide a 'bountiful hares t of
-;...frestifruit all sinniner long.
This year, for the first
•time, home gardeners win
iinola grown from seed .bY
Ontario's - greentiOuse
growers, says John Hughes
Of the Ontario Ministry- of
Agriculture and Food's plant
industry branch.
This variety may be
Seated in the garden althe
same time as other spring
plants. R may also be grown
in hanging baskets — a great
-way for tighrise' hOrae
gardenersto harvest their
own fresh strawberries,he
says- •
Best "of all - potted
• - • •
strawberry plants from seed-
- produce fruit in the first
year, providing the runners
(side shoots) are removed as
New "Sweetheart" strawberries, grown from seed, are perennial everbearers. They
may be overwintered for production in the second year. This new variety also
provides fresh, tasty fruit from summer to frost. (Pan- American Seed Co. photo)
E COLEUS
0 ZINNIAS
0 PANSIES
0 DUSTY -MILLER
0 CAULIFLOWER
Li PETUNIAS
0 BRUSSEL SPROUTS
MARIGOLDS
ALL BEDDING
VITA
Extrent=
PEltBOX
0 SALVIA
0 LOBELIA
0 BEGONIAS
ASTERS o
K.C. COOKE
Florist
61 ORANGE ST. SOUTH
CLINTON
482-7012
*0 Gels
'tow
oSe
ave sti
saSt-•..\
DGERANIUMS 0 ALYSSUM
0 TOMATOES 0 CABBAGE
0 PCIRTULACA'
SPANISH ONIONS
they .develop. Traditionally,
strawberries are propagated
from mother AA* and can
be harvested.. only after
one-year Waitklln period, to
allow the roots and plant to
develop. •
Hughes -says 'Sweetheart'
. strawherzies:producetter
and have less chance of
developing disease problems
if grown in a well -drained
area, in full sun. Before plan-
ting, incorporate about 50
grams (1.76 ounces) of
granular 10-1440 fertilizer
per square metre of ground
area. Do not overfertilize.
Too much will produce
large, lush plants with little
fruit.
Plant berries at the level
they were growing in the
bedding plant pots and press
the soil fitmly around each
plant. Spacing varies demi-
ding on whether the rtinnerS
are allowed to fill in the row.
You need about one metre
(about nile, yard) between
rows to allow for easy ac-
cess.
Try 'using a 'mach to,
conserve soil moisture and
protect the fruit from being
'splashed with water and soil.
Sweetheart' strawberries,
developedby Ran Anierican
Seed Company, are peren-
nial They may
be overWintered. for produc-
tion in the second year. For
carrying over, cut off the
foliage about four cen-
timetres (1,5-ingles). above
thecrown after fruiting. Pro-
vide a complete fertilizer at
the same rate used, at -pre-
planting and narrow the row
back with a hoef
Hughes- says the
'Sweetheart' strawberry has
a tendency • to be a little
Softer than familiar
strawberries. It also pro-
duces a smaller berry than
other varieties, but the fruit
is quite sweet.
Fertilize in the fall •
by R.W. Sheard
University of Guelph
In the first sunny days
each spring, home owners
rush out to rake, roll and fer-
tilize grey -brown lawns
devastated by the winter
snows. They want lawns as
green as when the snow first
fell in the fall. Recent
research at the Ontario
• Agricultural C011ege sug-
gests you can significantly
improve spring growth and
color by fertilizing in late
fall.
For a number of years, the
fertilizer industry marketed
a "Winterizer" turf fertilizer
recommended to improve
the winter hardiness of turf.
The fertilizer contained a
high proportion of potassium
relative to nitrogen. I pro-
posed, as a basis for my
research, that if the home
owner wanted a rapid spring
green -up of the lawn the
reverse proportion should be
used, that is, high nitrogen -
low potassium. Research
confirms the proposal.
Over the past two seasons,
THE CANADIAN HERITAGE
• IS REFLECTED IN
• ROXT014 SOUD MAPLE
FURNITURE
• A FINE SELECTION AT
AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
HOURS: MON-TUES. 9 TO 5:30, WED. 9 TO
'THURS. & FRI. 9 TO 9, SAT. 9 TO 5
characterized by relatively
low' temperatures and
minimal . snow cover,
research has been conducted
on a variety of ratios of
nitrogen to potassium ap-
plied in late fall. A marked
improvement ' in early
growth and color of
bluegrass, two weeks after
snowmen has been shown
where the ratio was high in
ditrogen. Sabsequientgrowth,
and color proved satisfac-
tory until at least early June.
With the heavier rates of ap-
plication, no further fer-
tilization was necessary un-
til the following fall..
I attribute the spring
green -up to fall storage of
nitrogen within each grass
tiller. The nitrogen is im-
mediately available for tiller
and root growth as soon as
the 24-hour air temperature
remains above freezing for a
few days, but before the soil
is warm enough to favor
nitrogen uptake by the roots.
Tillers removed from the
test plots in early April, to a
growth chamber showed
greater tiller' growth, initia-
tion of new tillers and roots,
and root growth where late
fall nitrogen was applied.
Potassium, however, failed
• to improve any of the
characteristicameasured.
Thning the application is
important. In the Guelph
area, the best time is the la0
week of October or fir&
week of November. In the
Windsor area the aide:dati
may be a week later, or
North Bay area a WO,
earlier. A good guide -
we11-managed1wioulirbe
to make the fertilizer -ap-
plication a week after the
last mowing of the grass.
The fertilizer should con-
tain approximately four
parts of nitrogen to one part
of potassium. On many
lawns a pure nitrogen fer-
tilizer may be used. The
nitrogen may be in a slow-
release form or as a
water-soluble material
such as urea or ammonium
nitrate. The slow-release
Turn to page 23 •
THE
ARIENS
MINIUM
ARIENS
RIDING
MOWERS
FEATURE
"FLEX -N -FLOAT"
MOWING ACTION
STEVE ARGYLE
LAWN & GARDEN EQUIPMENT (1970)
Bayfield 565-2800
See the full line
of Arlene
Riding Mowers
nens
A CUT ABOVE THE REST