The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-14, Page 51athi
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w is time for headstarto in garden
weather is the ,spinach
right spring
II el the wild" for home
driers, and according
Agriicultttre
rio Ministry
Food horticulturist, it's time
tart egetablees abouting and starting
splants.
just as soon as the frost is out
e ground
prepare, soil
theis dry
ool
ugh Vegetables can be
cher
nted," states R. A. Fleming.
dishes, which will germinate
grow even in quite cool
Cher, are a good indicator
e old
and trick
BOARD
TRENCH TiRENCH
SAND
I
shallow trench and trickle it
f water; let it soak in. Pour a
band of sand or vermicu•
own the bottom of the fur -
$ter seeds thinly on the
then cover them lightly with
sand and vermiculite.
ver the trench with an old
and Presto! A hotbed! Seeds
quickly in the warm, moist
under the board. Peek un -
e board every few days and,
sprouts just begin to poke
gh the sand, prop up the
with a block to admit air,
er two or three days, remove
board. Even in hot, dry
er you can get a good stand
wer or vegetable seedlings
his tried and true method.
n you speak
nia language
rlf
i,
ouble grandi/lora" blossom,
hing Maid' Hybrid
ti
inglegrandillora" blossom
gle multi! lora" blossom
double, multiflora, grandi-
.. what does it all mean?
y. it's not at all mysterious.
breeders use these terms to
lump similar varieties of
ias into groups;
st petunias have "single"
ms, This means they have
ne layer of petals. "Double"
ms have two or more layers
tats. Some fancy double
les have waved and frilled
margins and resemble
er puffs.
Itiflora petunias have me -
sized blossoms and lots of
• These varieties withstand
and humidity well. You can
ouble or single multifloras.
andiflora petunias have.
, rather ornate blossoms but
many as the multifloras.
les come in single or double
m forms and in compact or
ding plants.
crop Lettuce, carrots
and garden peas can all be sown
as soon as the ground can be
prepared."
He suggests that before
seeding, a light application of a
fertilizer high in phosphorus will
help the seedlings' growth. With
transplants such as cabbage and
cauliflower, he recommends
sidedressing with a good fer-
tilizer to encourage new growth.
Mr. Fleming cautions gar-
deners about being over-anxious
when it comes to starting their
tomato and pepper transplants.
In warm, heated homes with poor
light conditions, the plants tend to
become weak and spindly when
they're started too early.
"The second or third week of
April is early enough to sow the
seed of your favorite varieties.
By the time the seedlings are
ready •to transplant to flats or
•
individual pots, the warm days of ventilated area during the day." stocky, healthy plants ready to be
May will permit the young plants Transplants grown this way will planted outdoors at the end of
to mbe set in a bright, well- not be large, but they will be May or early June.
Trypropagatingplan tsfor gifts
Peri 19
Slips from your favorite
houseplants when planted in
attractive containers, make
inexpensive gifts for people who
like plants.
R. A. Fleming, Ontario
Ministy of Agriculture and Food
horticulturist, says November is
a good time to start propagating
plants for the festive season.
Coleus, fibrous or pot begonias,
Wandering Jew, and English or
German ivy are some of the
many plants which can be
propagated from slips.
Begonias can be rooted from a
single leaf; but Mr, Fleming
suggests cutting a pice of stem
with a leaf to help the plant root
more quickly.
For coleus, Wandering Jew and
the ivies, he suggests cutting the
tip of a healthy plant which has
three or four leaves.
"
Cuttings should` be rooted in
perlite and peat moss (50-50) or in
a mixture of coarse sharp sand
and peat. Beginners should avoid
using vermiculite as a rooting
medium because it may pack and
remain too moist. The rooting
medium should ,be kept moist
enough to hold together,
throughout the rooting process.
Optimum temperatures range
from 18 - 20 degrees C or 65 to 68
degrees F. Although the cuttings
require plenty of light, direct
sunlight is not necessary.
Growth rate of the cutting
depends on the type of plant you
are propagating. The,, ones
mentioned above should be
started in November to be ready
for Christmas. To help speed root
growth, Mr. Fleming suggests
putting a plastic bag over the
cutting and container to keep the
humidity high. Root hormones,
available from garden centers,
will also help stimulate growth.
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