Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 8, 1998, edition 1 / Page 11
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Sharp shears needed for flower cutting BY TOIVt DYSON Assoc. Agent, Horticulture Chowan Coop. Ext. Service FROM GARDEN TO VASE . Cutting flowers is best done with sharp shears or a knife to avoid injury to the growing plant. A special pair of cutting scissors may be bought that holds the cut-off stem, allowing the removal to be a one-handed operation. A slating cut will expose a larger absorbing surface to wa ter and will prevent the base of the stem from being sealed by resting upon the bottom of the vase. It is best to carry a bucket of water to the garden for col lecting blooms, rather than the familiar cutting basket. This will allow you to put cuttings directly in water, to prevent an air gap from forming in the water pas sages of the stems. Thorny rose stems are a prob lem when arranging cut flow ers, but leave the thorns on to get maximum life from cut blooms. Research in the Netherlands revealed that removing leaves and thorns from the bottom six to eight inches of rose stems decreased their vase life as com pared to deleafed, but not dethorned blooms. PROPAGATION STATION When pruning away twiggy young growth frotn rose bushes, make use of the prunings by rooting them and producing new plants. Treat stem bases with rooting hormone, stick them in soil in a cold frame that is out of the sun and water them well. Keep them watered. If some die before root ing, it’s no great loss. Just to^s them in the compost, which is where they would have ended up anyway. Geranium cuttings should be made in late July to start plants for winter and spring indoor bloom. To get flowers in the win ter months, you may need to install some fluorescent tubes Qver the bench or shelves where you grow your plants. To make cuttings, use the tips of branches about four inches long. Cut off the bottom leave's and stick the cuttings about one-third their length in a moist, sand-peat mix ture. Roots will develop rapidly and new plants should be ready for potting in about four weeks. FAIRY RINGS and TOAD STOOLS If you see mushrooms, toad stools, or dark green circles in your grass, you have a fungus in your midst. The green circles in grass have' been considered through history as places where fairies have danced, where drag ons have breathed when sleep ing, and where alien spacecrafts have landed. The fungi that cause these in teresting occurrences usually grow in decomposing organic matter, such as a buried root, stump, or board. These fungi are beneficial because they help to break down woody debris and add humus to the soil. In fact, To buy, sell, trade or rent... You'll find the best bargains around each week when you check out the Herald classifieds! NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES Please help us put the brakes on 40 neuromuscular diseases. Muscular Dystrophy Association 1-800-572-1717 People help MDA... because MDA helps people. Plants and PEOPLE the dark green circle of grass is caused by nutrients that are re leased as the fungus grows. The fungus is actually fertilizing a ring in the yard! But mushrooms and dark circles in the lawn can be a nuisance. There are no chemical con trols for these problems, since the fungus often grows so deep that chemicals cannot penetrate sufficiently. Sooner or later, the infestation exhausts its food sup ply and dies out. Sadly, there are no other controls. TURNING UP THE HEAT Hot weather causes a number of problems, and should put the gardener on alert. Here are a few heat-related tips for gar dening. • Protect plants in containers from very high heat caused by light reflection and heat radia tion from pavement. Move them to a cooler spot, or shade them during the hottest part of the day. Plants should alsobe moved to a more sheltered location dur ing severe rain or windstorms like those we have experienced lately. • Hot, dry weather brings out red spider mites. Inspect roses, evergreens, and marigolds in particular for pale-green colora tion. Hold a white sheet of paper underneath a leaf and briskly tap it. Tiny, crawling mites, about the size of small pepper grains, will drop onto the paper if they are present on the leaf. If infestation is light, discourage mites with a forceful, direct spray of water from the hose. Severely infested annual plants can be removed and destroyed. Mild infestations can be con trolled with pesticides. Call me at the office weekdays at 482 8431 for advice if you are expe riencing this problem. • Do not use ester formulation weed killers, such as 2,4-D, when air temperatures are over 75 to 80 degrees F., as they may vola tilize and draft, causing damage to ornamentals. Nonvolatile chemicals, such as aminfes, are safe to use at higher tempera tures. These post-emergent her bicides are most effective when the soil is moist and tempera tures are high. As always, care fully read labels on all^chemi cals before use. They are dan gerous to you, and your plants, if misused. PLANTS HAVE RIGHTS There are few things more painful to the avid gardener than to discover that her/his own ef forts have destroyed beautiful plants. A piece of corrugated cardboard, such as the side from a box, forms an effective and portable barrier to use when spraying a non-selective herbi cide next to desired plants. By changing the angle of the cardboard, it’s easy to spray weeds growing right up to the base of the desired plant while shielding the stems, branches, and leaves. Since some herbi cide will get on the shield, the same side should always face the sprayer when moved from one location to another. Do not use this method as a substitute for choosing a still, calm day to spray. Instead, use the shield as an additional safe guard. THERE’S MONEY IN TREES Michigan State University reports that over a 507year life time, a healthy tree can gener ate $31 ,250 worth of oxygen, and recycle $37,500 worth of water. It also provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control and $31,250 in soil erosion preven tion, not to mention greatly in creasing property value and enjoyment, while saving on home cooling in the summer (shade) and heating in the win ter (wind break). Cutting the roots of a tree when ditching, driving and parking on roots, bumping the trunk, improperly paving over roots, or misuse of lawn weed killers can sap the life right out of these valuable plants. Call me any time you neecTadwce on pre venting damage to shade trees. FLY TRAP UPDATE Life Boy Scout Doug Pegram is working hard leading a team of Scouts in studying a new con trol method for biting flies. This is a project involving the Coop erative Extension Service, the Boy Scouts of America, and Olsen Products of Ohio (the trap manufacturer). Fifteen spe cially designed traps have been set out in Edenton. One trap col lected 50 deer flies in two days. Watch for future updates on the progress of the research. We hope that this will offer a new tool in reclaiming the great outdoors this time of year. The traps are not yet commercially available. This project is part of Doug’s Eagle Scout require ments. ONE SMALL DISH, ONE GIANT DEAL FREE month of PRIME Value Programming $99 PrimeFinder Universal Remote included Reg. $149 SRP - $ 50 Rebate $ 99 Installed PRIMESTAR is ranked #1 overall in customer satisfaction among all major cable and satellite TV providers Sr! Installed PRIMES& W n s that good. SATELLITE TV can COUNTRY-WIDE TAINMENT 71/ N. lfroad\jt., Eden ton, N C 27932 (252) 482-599*^>r 1-800-225-9004 ‘Participating dealers only Pi ices may vary Assume SAP installation price of SI4V IK) and use of $50IK) rebate LIMITED TIME ONLY am/mm ^Imm na >fcde ~ 30% •M/i/lri/ncj, Mlomi jm 3*aM ^ () (mht tJjimylimulAM, Mud a • dmm/ncf, %avl^ 1&th (j’ J9th MPe/wlmy, fsdnfameb •Mem •Mmwmy {fuly, 1%lk 212 yhuJt. ffitoad ift. • . fEnJout (J)outn1oi&n &dc/n/on, oUmlet^au/ • • (Jt)iAcove*y, -PayauHiyb We/come • 252-482-3147 precautions when trailering boat IYB RBAffiJ.WOOD Ploti a 16-i Staff Officer Publl AffcMrs The tight Kind of Trailer Ifyo i are buying a trailerable boat, ii 5w is the time to choose tiie pr per trailer. Mor damage can be done to a» boat jby the stresses of road travel|than by normal water operation. A boat hull is de signed to be supported evenly by wafer. When transported on a trailer, your boat should be supported structurally as evenly across the hull as pos sible. This will allow for even ition of the' weight of i, engine and equipment, id be long enough to sup ie whole length of the it short enough to allow rer unit of the boat’s en extend freely. R<llers and bolsters must be ke t in good condition to preve t scratching and goug ing of the hull. • Ti :-downs and lower unit suppc rts must be adjusted prope ly to prevent the boat from jouncing on the trailer. The bdw eye on the boat should be secured with either a rope, chain or tumbuckle in addition to the winch cable. Additional straps may be required across the befem of the boat. • Tl e capacity of the trailer $houL be greater than the corn lined weight of the boat, mo ir, ai d equipment. T e tow vehicle must be ipat e of handling the weight th^rail^yboft, equipment, w 1 as 'the' weight of the gerS an& equipment will be carried inside, ay require that the tow be specially equipped an engine of adequate power, transmission designed for toiving, larger cooling sys tems for the engine and trans mission, heavy duty brakes, and m a load bearing hitch attached to the frame, not the bumper. Check Before You Go Out On the Highway Before taking your trailered boat out on the highway, you should run through your check list as a reminder to make sure that: • The, tow ball and coupler are the same size and bolts with washers are tightly secured. (The vibration of road travel can loosen them.) • The coupler is completely over the ball and the latching mechanism is locked down. • The trailer is loaded evenly from front to rear as well as side to side. Too much weight on the hitch will cause the rear wheels of the tow vehicle to drag and may make steering "more difficult. Too much weight on the rear of the trailer will cause the trailer to “fish tail” and may reduce traction or even lift the rear wheels of the tow vehicle off the ground. • The safety chains are at tached crisscrossing under the coupler to the frame of the tow vehicle. If the ball were to break, the trailer would follow in a straight line and prevent the coupler from dragging on the road. • The lights on the trailer function properly. • You check the brakes. On a level parking area roll forward and apply the brakes several times at increasing speeds to determine a safe stopping dis tance. • The side view mirrors are large enough to provide an un obstructed rear view on both sides of the vehicle. • You check the tires (includ ing spare) and wheel bearings. Improper inflation may cause difficulty in steering. When trailer wheels are immersed in water, (especially salt water) the bearings should be in spected ana greasea alter eacn use. • You make certain that wa ter from rain or cleaning has been removed from the boat. Water weighs approximately four pounds per gallon and can add weight that will shift with the movement of the trailer. Towing Precautions • Allow more time to brake, accelerate, pass, and stop. • Remember the turning ra dius is also much greater; curbs and roadside barriers must be given a wide berth when nego tiating corners. • Prior to operating on the open road, practice turning, backing up,' etc. on a level, uncongested parking area. Pre-Launching Preparations When you arrive at,a boat ramp, you can be certain that others will be there launching their boats, too. Out of courtesy to other boaters and to prevent , rushing, prepare your boat for1 launching away from the ramp. • Check the boat to ensure that no damage was caused by the trip. • Raise the engine’s lower unit (remove supports) to proper height for launching so that it will not hit bottom. • Remove tie-downs and make sure that the winch is properly attached to the bow eye and locked in position. • Put the drain plug in se curely. • Disconnect the trailer lights to prevent shorting of the elec trical system or burning out a bulb. • Attach a line to the bow and the stern of the boat so that the ’ boat cannot drift away after launching, and it can be easily maneuvered to a docking area. • Visually inspect the launch ramp for hazards such as a steep drop off, slippery area and sharp objects. ANY SLEEP SOFA IN STOCK QUEEN SIZES All With Innerspring LAR i Charming American Country inspired look with comfortable roll arms, corner pillows and a full size innerspring mattress. This contemporary sofa offers seating comfort by day, sleeping comfort at night on an inviting innerspring mattress. GOOD COLORS! Clean design lines and deep cushion ing that provide years of comfort and enduring style. Featuring a queen size innerspring mattress. THIS WEEK AT TON FURNITURE CO.
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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July 8, 1998, edition 1
11
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