LIFESTYLES 15 — Friday, January 4, 1989 - North Shore News LIFESTYLES farmer winters mean year-round vegetab MAY I wish you a happy new year and welcome you to 1989. Before I get too carried away with gardening tips for the new year I thought I might examine last year and its implications on next year’s garden. In comparison with the tragedies witnessed. in the drought-stricken areas of North America, the hur- ricane-damaged Caribbean, or the earthquakes of Armenia, we are fortunate. Mother Nature was kind to us, perhaps a little wet over the last two months, but who could complain? This trend towards milder, wet- ter winters and drier summers can be both boon and misfortune. Extza ‘attention should be given to summer watering. As we seem to be approaching the upper limits of our city’s water supply system, serious thought should be given to some of the new water conserva- tion systems. This may seem like a foolish time to talk irrigation, but you should be able to get some attrac- tive pricing over these wet months. The price of these systems has fall- en dramatically as it is. It would not be unreasonable to expect figures of just a few hun- dred dollars for sophisticated, easy-to-install systems. “Drainage should also be a major consideration. If you are planning any garden renovation or new landscaping, think about the run- off. The good news is, you should be able to grow some fresh vegetables year-round. Raised beds combined with coldframes and cloches could put a salad on the table every night. Throw in a heating cable and you could include fresh tomatoes. Just a few ideas based on the trend of the weather over the last few years. Needless to say, tomor- row will mark the beginning of a three-month freezing, dry spell, and we wili have rain all summer. C’est la guerre. Here are a few things to consider for the month of January: * Protect tender plants froin winter frost damage — Mulch the roots of half-hardy plants such as perennial fuchsias with a layer of leaves. Apply an_ antidesiccant CWilt-Pruf} to those plants which could suffer frost burn. © Stake new plants against wind and snow damage — High winds cannot only uproot newly planted trees and shrubs, they can also slow down the rooting process. Even if the tree or shrub remains upright, the rocking motion can slow the formation of new roots. The best way to protect plants against snow damage is to knock off the snow before damage oc- curs. If this cannot be done, tie up the limbs of evergreens that could catch and hold heavy snow loads. ©Continue garden cleanups — Keep it clean now and reduce the over the garden gate Geoff Tobiasson workload needed to fight pests and diseases in the summer. * Compost maintenance — Try to turn it at least once over the next month. e Sharpen pruning equipment and the lawn mower — If you don’t have the tools needed to do your Our 10th Annual New Year’s Sale CUSTOM “DRAPERIES $1 982.508 per wnpow 1 WINDOW OR A WHOLE HOUSE!! * €.0.M. DOES NOT APPLY $ 1 O89 TOTAL LABOR CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY $ 1 9? .B0R PER YARD FOR EACH YARD OF FABRIC REQUIRED ANY CHAIR, SOFA, or LOVE SEAT FREE SHOP-ATHOME SE OvICE _ own sharpening, take them in now along with your lawnmower and other power equipment. Waiting until you ~ced them will put you in the lineup with the cther pro- crastinators. ® Prune trees and shrubs that re- quire dormant pruning — Shrubs such as roses or shrubs that require minima! pruning could and should be left until! early March. Deciduous trees and shrubs with limbs larger than one inch in diameter that need to be pruned should be done in January. © Apply dormant sprays — Lime- sulphur and dormant oil are very effective, minimally toxic sprays useful in the elimination of over- wintering pests such as spider mites, scale, apple scab, and more Best results are achieved when the weather is dry for 48 hours after application (good luck). © Geranium cuttings — I think this is the best time of the year to take cuttings from geraniums. People who advise doing it in November usually have greenhouses to keep them healthy in. Most do not. If you stored a few plants away last fall (or if you have a few in the garden that this mild winter has les not as yet damaged), do it now. You will be happier with the results. © Garden centre seed stocks are in — Get in early to get the best selections because some of the choice varieties are in limited supp- ly. You should also think of star- ting some of the slower varieties of bedding out plants (seeded geraniums, impatiens, etc.) in order to get the most of the season. ® Work on garden design — Now is the time to do your gardening with pencil, paper, and eraser in- stead of raincoat, shovel, and dollars. If you were to take the time to pian your garden on paper before you started work, the work you start will be easier and less expen- sive. Well that’s it. Keep those cards and letters coming if you would like some personal help. Please include your phone number because I sometimes do not have the time to supply a writ- ten response. 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