NOW IS the time to salvage

Besae
Gui

tr stem-cu

your geraniums and fuchsias,

this is not the best time of the year for the average

homeowner to try to take stem cuttings.

If 1 had «dollar for every thirsty
horse that 1 had led to water and
watched as it calmly walked off in-
to the desert again without
touching a drop, I'd be a rich man.

If this sounds a little bitter, it
should. lt is extremely frustrating
to be asked to give advice and then
watch while the recipient
disregards everything that has been
said.

The point is, do not take cut-
tings .now unless you have a
greenhouse. The cuttings you take
now will produce thin, weak
growth and, as an added bonus,
probably get bugs.

The dim winter sun as received
indoors, combined with relatively
-high temperatures, will generate
this weak growth as the plant
stretches toward the light. ‘

Even in the greenhouse, you will
be equally.satisfied with the results
obtained from cuttings taken in the
early spring.

The plants you struggle to keep
happy over the winter will be only
slightly better than those that you
started later.

H you do not have a greenhouse,
you will surely enjoy more success
and likely less trouble if you wait
until February. Most of the com-
mercial greenhouses begin in
January, and they are trying to
produce plants for those foolish
people who will be suckered into
buying them in March and early
April.

“So, what do I do with them
until then?’’ you ask.

Well, with the appearance of
frost over the past few days, I
strongly recommend getting them
out of the ground and into a
sheltered storage area.

Many of you who reside in those
areas of the North Shore that are
blessed with slightly drier and
milder winters manage to leave

your geraniums out ali winter and -

have them survive.

Chalk it up to luck and don’t
count on the phenomenon
repeating itself. We may joke
about this being the California of
Canada, but the Californians still
ask us where v’e keep the igloos.

As for some of the methods you

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can use to store your plants until
cutting time, try one of the follow-
ing:

If you are lucky enough to have

21 + Friday, November 20,

ting unti

ventilation will reduce the risk of
insect and disease problems as well
as provide an improved environ-
ment for the planis® survival,

NENCAIEN
over the

garden gate

by

a cool greenhouse (55 to 65°F) and
it’s not full of other treasures, the
problem is solved; even though |
question the use of this valuable
space in this wasteful manner,

Alternately, a cool (not to the
point of freezing) garage or base-
ment that is equipped with a large,
bright window will do. Keep the
plants grouped near the window,
keeping in mind that the foliage
can be damaged if it comes in con-
tact with the freezing glass.

Also remember to leave enough
space between the plants to allow
for proper air circulation. Proper

ity

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Keep the soil barely moist
throughout the dormant period.
You can begin to apply more water
and even fertilizer only after the
plants show signs of real growth in
the spring.

The five factors controlling
plant growth (temperature, light,
water, nutrients, and humidity) are
interrelated, therefore as one or
more become unavailable or their
supply is reduced, the applied
amounts of the others should be
reduced as well,

Perhaps the easiest method of all
is to simply use the insulating

1987 - North Shore News

qualities of the ground and blanket
of leaves,

First dig a trench 12 to 18 inches
long (depending on the size of the
plants you are saving) in a rela-
tively dry, well-drained section of
the garden. The area around the
foundation of the house, under the
eaves, will do very nicely.

Place a thin layer of leaves in the
bottom, lay your plants on their
sides in the trench and cover the
whole works with 12 to 16 inches
of leaves.

In February, lift the plants, take
your cuttings, then put them back
until you can safely replant them
later in the spring.

For those of you with balcony
gardens and no room for guests
over the winter, try setting the
plants, pot and all, in a big box on
the balcony, under cover. Fill the
spaces around the plants with
leaves and keep your fingers cross-
ed.

In January, I will try to
remember to do an article on pro-
pagating with stem cuttings. If
there are any topics of special in-
terest or comments, please ‘write to
me care of the offices of the North
Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale
Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C.,
V7M 2H4,

Schneider}
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