The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-14, Page 37a'.
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-THE WHOLE LAWN'S IVY: The
over of handsome English ivy on this
and relieves fawn -care problems. But it's
an an easy way out of grass -mowing.
80 million acres of land lose precious
topsoil each year through the action of erosion.
On any steeply sloping land, English ivy or other
ground cover is an important "Green Survival"
step to preserve topsoil, the American Associa-
tion of Nurserymen points out. -
growing plants under lights
g favorite houseplants
ificial lights means that
grow a wide range of
tants for year-round
Artificial lights are
for propagating new
d, quite possibly, for
annual seedlings.
lturists R. F. Gomme
Fleming, of the Ontario
of agriculture and food,
growing plants under
lights can provide a
al of satisfaction to a
dener.
rst step is to choose a
or your plants, such as.
f your basement, which
de plenty of room- for
benches and lights.
ts usually provide
deal temperatures —
15 degrees and 21
C — and somewhat
humidity than other
the house," says Mr.
ggests that the basic
to start out with are a
four -foot, lighting unit,
fluorescent tubes, a
waterproof tray about 52
es (to place stn a table to
tants), an electric timer
I the lights and two
n the light fixture to
height above the plants.
under lights, the best
choose are those that
moderately well in a
st window, This will
st foliage plants and
wering plants, such as
African violets and
says Mr. Fleming.
is will thrive at a
of eight to 12 inches
light source if they're
o the light for 19 to 16
h -clay."
r gardeners become
ustotned to gardening
ts, the horticulturists
that they might try
their annual seedlings
pring's flower beds or
some of the smaller
bs,
osers in
dening
nformation? Lack of
ce? Indifference? No,
lure, more than any
n keeps non -gardeners
ing their first garden
ing, says the National
eau.
g is perhaps the most
ptable hobby in North
joyed by rich and poor
some people will go
e having never suc•
aising a plant from a
eeping a houseplant
eners need encourage -
raise from their friends
never criticism of
attempts, however
There is no such thing
ser" in gardening,
Mr. Fleming states that good
ventilation is essential to prevent
excessive heat buildup from the
lamps and the ballasts of the
fluorescent fixtures. Light
reflection can be increased by
hanging foil wrap around the
unit. For tropical plants 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
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 of 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
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.
New cabbage
not dancer
Salad vegetables frequently get
the lion's sharp 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, chiyes and fennel, To get
early peppers, plant the pimento
varieties - Vinedale and Vinette.
,Early Alaskatype tomatoes and
cherry tomatoes usually ripen by
the first week in July, well ahead
of the main crop.
Hobby green houses
becoming popular
By Bruce McBride, P.Eng.
Agricultural Engineer
Extension Branch
Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food
The public is becoming in-
creasingly interested in small
greenhouses as a hobby and as a
means of gardening year round.
Many gardeners are constructing
hobby greenhouses from their
own plans, while others purchase
kits available from suppliers.
Before one begins, local
climate conditions warrant
careful investigation to ensure
structural adequacy of the
proposed unit.
A good foundation is essential
to anchor the small greenhouse
and prevent a possible tip -over
during windy weather. Either a
concrete or a pressure -treated
post foundation must be con-
structed to go below the frost
level. Some greenhouse suppliers
have prefab cedar foundations
which extend 18 inches below
ground level.
Quonset -style greenhouses are
usually formed of galvanized
,$heel pipe hoops covered with one
or two layers of polyethylene.
Self -builders often erect the
greenhouse structural frame
from wood which, if painted or
treated, should give long life to
the greenhouse. Red cedar and
redwood are the best woods to use
for the framework due to their
natural weathering resistance
and their resistance to shrinking
and warping.
When selecting a greenhouse
covering, factors such as per-
centage of light transmission,
thermal radiation transmittance.,
life of the material and initial
investment must be considered
and evaluated collectively.
Polyethylene can be put on the
frame as a double layer. and air
blown between the layers to cut
heat costs 30 to 90 percent as
compared to a single -layer poly -
house. The poly -house is easy to
construct, and is about 50 percent
of the cost of a glass greenhouse.
Double polyethylene transmits 81
percent of available light but has
the drawback of usually lasting
onlyone growing season.
Glass greenhouses have a high
Mittal cost but have the highest
life of any covering material.
Glass has a very high light
transmittance of 90 percent.
Reinforced fiberglass panels
have good light transmittance,
with many panels having a
guaranteed life of 15 to 20 years.
Other rigid panels available are
acrylic glass and PVC panels.
The disadvantage of a. small
greenhouse is that it heats up
quickly when the sun is out and
also cools quickly when the sun ,
goes behind a cloud. This
characteristic necessitates the
illation,use of heaters and proper ven•
The hobby greenhouse can be
constructed free standing or as a
lean-to to an existing structure.
Birch miners
need control
The clean, slender lines of
birch trees and the woodsy ap-
pearance achieved by grouping
them make these trees a popular
choice in home landscaping. As
clumps of birches are used more
and more, so the birch leafminer
is more in evidence, says
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
horticulturist R. A. Fleming.
The leafminer maggots burrow
into the leaves of white and paper
birches where they feed,
disfiguring leaves with large
dead areas and causing many to
turn yellow and drop
prematurely. Heavily attacked
foliage appears brown,
"Cygon 2E, a systemic in-
secticide. is very effective in
controlling birch leafminers,"
says Mr. Fleming. "The Cygoin is
absorbed by the tree and tran-
sported to all of its parts. The
insects are then killed when they
feed on the plant tissue."
The simplest control is ob-
tained by painting a band of
Cygon 2E around the trunk below
the lowest branches before the
leaves are fully expanded. The
chemical is absorbed into the
tree's sap and protects the plant
frbm within. The amount to be
used and other directions can be
found on the label.
GREEN THUMBS UP FOR THESE.
For All Your Lawn and Garden Needs
See Us First
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Big band devotees will remember
"Stomping at the Savoy." But not
many people realize that "Savoy" is
also a name for a class of cabbage
with distinctive blue•green,
waffle•textured leaves. It's
delicious in slaws, pickled, or
cooked.
'Savoy Ace', an All America
Selections Gold Medal winner for
1977, is the earliest of all savoy
cabbages, maturing in only 60 to
70 days from transplanting.
For spring crops, start savoy
cabbage seed very early indoors.
Excellent fall crops can be grown
by planting seeds in the garden in
late summer for fall harvest.
53.70
53.86
:6.20
$6 90
-
We'II loan you a
spreader with your
fertilizer purchase. A
We'also have a complete line of garden
tools, SWIMMING POOL CHEMICALS,
WHOLESALE PAPER PRODUCTS,
GARBAGE BAGS, garden insecticides, C -
IL paints, lawn chairs, fishing tackle, and
a COMPLETE LINE OF HARDWARE.
Let us deliver your order now.
H. 0. JERRY FUEL
11
HARDWARE LTD.
We Deliver
84 KINGSTON ST. GODERICH52.4-9871