grows

SPRING has arrived
but many gardeners
may be feeling frustrat-
est that it is still too
early to start seeding
and planting.

The traditional way of
overcoming these limitations
is to use a cold frame (a
miniature greenhouse ). The
cold frame creates a micro
environment that protects
plants against cold tempera-
tures and allows them to con-
tinue growing or at least sur-
vive until the warm weather
arrives, There are many uses
for the cold frame.

In spring they can be used
for starting new seedlings in

beds and Sor harden-
ing off plants thar have come
from the greenhouse or
house. Tender plants may not
stand the sudden shock of
being moved directly into the
garden until mid May.

In fall a cold frame can be
used to extend the growing
or ripening season, provide
additional winter protection
for plants and propagate
hardwoods.

A cold frame may be con-
structed out of almost any
material as long as the walls
are reasonably air tight and
the cover allows light to pass
through. During the day, the
cold frame collects solar ener-
gy and warms the plants and
soil. At night, the heat is
trapped, moderating, cacling
and preventing frost. The
outside temperature may be
one to five degrees cooler
than the inside and this
minor difference is critical
when plants are adapting to a
new growing environment.

“rhe almost air-tight envi-
ronment that is important
during the night can be detri-
mental during the day. -
Temperatures can soar to 40°
C or 50°C in the spring sun
unless the cold nae is 4
oO} and pr ly vented.
Tacally, it should be opened
in the morning, co Lis sun
comes into view and closed
again just before the sun dis-
appears from sight.

As long as the cold frame
is closed, the air stays very
humid and little evaporation
takes place. Excess moisture
will condense on the cold

Sunshine
Professional

COLD frames come in many shapes and sizes — they'll do the job as long as they

are
‘cloche’ or

plastic and may rua back
down on to the garden soil.

When the cold frame és
vented, the moisture from
potted plants escapes very

vickly and checking for
dryness is a daily require-
ment. Tie best time to water
plants is in the carly morning
when the soil is cool and
there is lots of time for the
plants to dry before night-
fall. Damp feaves ond stog
nant moist air encourage
powdery mildew and fungal
diseases to develop.

A good size for a cold
frame is similar to 2 raised
bed. ic should not be wider
than twice the distance from
your wrist to vour shoulder.

Soil Mix
Trusted by Professional Growers.
2-cu. ft. for seeding and potting.

Easter
Weekend!

This will ensure that you can
reach. ali parts of the cold
frame without having to step
in when watering, weeding or
moving flats of plants.

T used old windows on my
early cold frames but found
them to be too heavy and
awkward to lift or move.
When ] propped them up to
gain access I would invariably
Sump the prop and bring the
window down on my head.
Pieces of 1 X 2 cedar cross
lapped and screwed at the
corners makes an excellent
frame to staple 6 mm (quar-
ter-inch) plastic. This light-
weight cover can be easily
lifted when necessary.

If the board walls of the

Q

alr ae) and the cover allows fight to pass through (like this

cold frame are to be used
each year they can be secured
with metal angle brackets for
easy assembly and disasscm-
bly. The back or north wall
should be higher than the
front or south wail to provide
drainage and a better angle
for the sum to strike the
cover. The overall height
should allow clearance for the
plants you intend to grow.
For a temporary or over-
flow cold frame I have placed
a long narrow rectangular
aluminum window frame on
two saw horses and then
draped a large sheet of plastic
over the unit. The plasoc was
held down on three sides
with boards and the fourth

t you

Spring Heather
» 4a —

“ia,

Friday, March 28, 1997 — North Shore News — 9

Coming in

from

side had a piece of } X 2
wrapped in the fold. This
allowed me to raise or lower
the one side of the cold frame
in a single movement.

A century market gar-
deners would dig a pit the size
of their cold frame and fill it
with fresh
would put 2 few
centimetres of
sui on top and
take advantage
of the heat gen-
eran by the
rotung manure
to stat and
carly crop. We
do not have easy
access te the
manure today
but the same
concept can be
used with che
aid of a sot’ heating cabic.

Tke doche, or bell-jar, is a
“mini” cold frame. They can
be made from glass or plastic
containers or just small sheets
of glass clipped together. For
night ame protection of ten-
der tomate plants it is possi-
ble to use bottomless plastic
bleach botties to maintain a

few degrees of extra warmth.

These are some of the
many ways of extending the
growing season and making
your smalj garden more pro-
ductive and rewarding.

For thase who need a
break from garden work, you
might like to
get away for a
weekend with
garden cojum-
nist and author

shore

Learning
Experience
(ISLE) — a
program thar
features a two-
day bed and
breakfast stay
on Bowes Island, a cour of
some native plant areas and
local gardens plus discussions
with Des on design princi-
ples, gardening within an
ecosystem and general gar-
den topics. For more intor-
mation on this April 1]
weekend please call Tina
Baird ar 985 8991.

Court or Revision
FRONTAGE-TAX ASSesmMEeNT Rout

OTICE IS HEREBY GiVEN that the Court of
Revision to deal with the Fromtage-Tax
Assessment Roll will sit on Wednesday, April 9, 1997
at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Municipal
Hall, 355 West Queens Koad, North Vancouver, B.C.
Agnes S. Hilsen, Deputy Municipal Clerk
DATED at North Varicouver, B.C.

this 26th day of March, 1997.

Massive plant shipments have arrived.

Lovely large blooms of delicate appie-blossom- pink
on long, streng stems. Glossy foliage, vigorous

climbing plant.
Disease-resistant,
light fragrance.
2-gallen pot...

Ground cover & rock garden evergreen

shrub. Flower colours include white,
pinic, hot pink, lavender and purple.

99

Five or more:
$5.50 each.

“WITH ALL WE KNOW, IT HAS TO GROW.”

MAPLE LEAF

GARDEN CENTRES

GOOD FRIDAY: 10 to 5 .
OPEN SEVEN DAYS: MO

... EASTER SUNDAY: 10 to 4
AT 9:30 to 6G, SUNDAY 10 fo 5.

NORTH VANCOUVER: 1343 LYNN VALLEY ROAD 985-1784
WEST VANCOUVER: 2558 HAYWOOD AVENUE 922-2613

per