Containers Expand Gardening Options
Don't let a small back yard limit
your gardening.
In a recent conversation with a re
tired gentleman, he told me that he
would love to have fresh home
grown vegetables but he doesn't have
the space in his yard for a garden.
I told him he might want to try a
gardening from a new perspective.
Space limitations require a different
approach to gardening but should
not limit gardening.
If you live in an apartment, con
dominium or house without a suit
able garden space but want fresh
vegetables then consider "container"
gardening. By growing vegetables in
containers, gardens can be located
on a balcony, terrace, in a hanging
basket or even a window box.
The amount of space each plant
requires and the proper time to plant
will vary according to the crop.
"Quick Reference Home Vegetable
Gardening Guide," N.C. Cooper
ative Extension Service Publication
AG- 12, is an excellent reference to
help guide your gardening activities.
Do not be afraid to do something
different. Creativity and experimen
tation often will yield the best re
sults with limited space gardens.
Wooden boxes or barrels, clay or
plastic pots, trash cans or even soil
filled plastic bags make excellent
containers for limited space veg
etable gardening. All containers
must have some type of water
drainage that also allows for air cir
culation to the root zone and suffi
cient volume to contain a soil mix.
Commercially prepared soil mix
es, like those utilized for house
plants, work besL
THE
PLANT
DOCTOR
C. BRUCE
WILLIAMS
S
iiA4CfUM/n fXftU
Turf Specialist
However, for those of you who
like lo mix your own soil, try mixing
equal portions of peat and sand. To
each two-gallon bucket of this mix
ture, add and mix in thoroughly,
one-fourth cup of dolomitic lime
stone and one-fourth cup of 8-8-8
fertilizer.
Commercial soil mixes will also
benefit from the addition of the
limestone and fertilizer. The added
fertilizer is just a starter, additional
fertilizer must be applied throughout
the growing season.
Sunlight is critical for successful
container gardening. Leafy crops,
such as spinach and lettuce, as well
as those grown for their roots, such
as carrots and beets, can be grown in
an area which receives filtered light
throughout the day.
Vegetables grown for their fruits,
like tomatoes and cucumbers, must
receive a minimum of four to five
hours of direct sunlight each day.
Container-grown plants located
outdoors will require more frequent
watering than indoor plants. The wa
ter status of the soil medium must be
checked daily. Only water when the
top layer of the growing medium
feels dry to the touch.
Excessive watering will cause
disease problems and root rot. When
watering the plant, water until water
runs freely through the drainage
holes.
Inadequate or improper watering
can cause fertilizer salts to accumu
late in the soil mrftiijm and severely
restrict plant growth.
After seedling plants arc estab
lished, regular application of soluble
fertilizer is a must. Incorporate a
soluble houscplant fertilizer into
your watering regime.
You can obtain good results by
using a soluble plant food like Peters
or MiracleGro at one-half recom
mended strength with every other
watering.
Another alternative is to use a
slow-release fertilizer like Osmo
cotc. Slow-release fertilizers will
produce excellent resulLs when in
corporated into the soil at the rate of
one to two tablespoons per gallon of
soil mix.
If plants bccomc very lush, fleshy
or fail to produce significant a
mounts of fruit, reduce fertilization
on the next crop.
A well-organized and maintained
container garden should provide you
with fresh vegetables, a source of
recreation and a unique approach to
limited space gardening.
In addition, many people enjoy
the ornamental effects creatcd by
container grown vegetables.
(Send your questions or com
ments to The Plant Doctor. P.O. Box
109. Bolivia. N.C. 2X422. Please
enclose a SASE if a reply is request
ed.)
17 Finalists Selected For County Spelling Bee
Seventeen students emerged as finalists in the
Bninswick County Spelling Bee in grade-level competi
tions held last week at six county schools, including the
current county champion.
One of the 17 will be named Brunswick County
Spelling Bee champion at the county competition
scheduled Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. at Bolivia
Elementary School. That champion will represent
Brunswick County at the National Spelling Bee in
Washington, D.C., the last week of May.
The finalists include 1991 champion Leslie Myrie
Jr., a seventh-grade student at South Brunswick Middle
School. The son of Gladys and Leslie Myrie Sr. of
Soulhport, this is his third year of competition in the
bee. Myrie was first runner-up in the 1990 event.
This is the second consecutive year that he will be
the only returning finalist; he will face an all-new field
of competitors.
Other finalists are as follows, by school and grade:
Shallotte Middle: Lauren Spencer, fifth; Chrissy
Hcwctt, sixth; Heather Heavener, seventh; and Mark
Causey, eighth.
Waccamaw Elementary: Chris Russ, fifth; Carisa
Stanley, sixth; Jonathan Hughes, seventh; and Tamara
Kelly, eighth.
Bolivia Elementary: Christopher Gore, fifth.
Southport Elementary: Heidi Layman, fifth.
South Brunswick Middle: Megan Jeans, sixth;
Catherine Wosczyna, eighth.
Leland Middle: Laronda Ballard, fifth; Bonnie
Shaw, sixth; Willie Davis, seventh; and Gregory
Lofton, eighth.
The grade-level school bees were the second round
of competition at the local level. Classroom bees were
held last month.
The students will be competing at the county bee
for prizes that include in addition to an expense-paid
trip to Washington, D.C., a word processor, a set of en
cyclopedias, an almanac, an unabridged dictionary and
a desk reference set.
Each of the 17 finalists will receive a trophy and an
electronic speller.
The Brunswick County Spelling Bee is sponsored
by the Shallottc Junior Woman's Club and the State
Port Pilot of Southport. Debbie Lemon of Shallottc is
the director.
Happy
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Love.
Mom & Dad
frag-a-muffin
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Only 1 month 'til Easter!
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PHOTO BY PAT O LEARY
Sign Goes To Neals
The yard of Paul and Hetty Neal, 8 Canal Way, Calabash , is the Carolina Shores Garden Club March
"Yard of the Month". Their lawn features a landscaped, stepped terrace that creates an inviting en
trance to their home; a row of welled trees that adds stately elegance; and a complementary accents of
perennial and annual flowers.
CEDAR GROVE AREA NFWS
Proa ram Honors Local Resident
HEWETT
BY BARBARA T. HEWETT
A Cedar Grove resident, the Rev.
Moses Clyde Herring, pasior of Ml
? Zion Church in
Long wood, was
the honorce at
^ the African Am
erican Cultural
Arts Festival
held recently at
the Brunswick
County Govern
ment Center.
He was recog
nized for his
many years of dedicated service to
humanity.
Herring was keynote speaker at
the event, with a message entitled.
Watchman . What Time Is It?" .
Others receiving recognition were
Reginald Lofton Hewett and Henry
Boone, for artwork displayed; Henry
Bryant, for dedication and making
visitors comfortable; and Hattie
Fullwood Chapman of Cedar Grove,
the oldest mother present. She was
accompanied by her son-in-law, Ll
William Earl Hewett, visiting from
Goldsboro.
Levi Grissctt II was the center of
attention, with his prayer of thanks
giving for the small things that many
times arc overlooked.
Other program participants of
note included Alexis Vaught, a
South Brunswick Middle School
seventh -grader who drew a standing
ovation for her rendition of James
Wcldon Johnson's Judgement Day.
Also on the program were the
Rev. Thurman Everett and Ethcrinc
Butler.
Pleasant Surprises
Mattic Lane Hewett, former Ced
ar Grove columnist, received two
very pleasant surprises in one week.
The first was coming through
heart surgery with flying colors on
Feb. 25.
Then, while she was undergoing
dialysis treatment in Wilmington
Friday, her grandsons Derwin and
Devon arrived home without any ad
vance notice from New York. With
no key to the house, they visited
with neighbors and relatives until
their Grandma Mattic returned
home. The two plan 10 spend a week
here while she recovers.
Also, Mauie's daughters, Gina,
Lon and Tancidra were home from
Greensboro to be at her bedside dur
ing her stay in the hospital last week.
Outreach Continues
Mission outreach groups seem to
be the gathering point for ladies in
the community who are too young
to be considered senior citizens and
arc unemployed.
Group I met Feb. 17 at the home
of the Rev. Charlie and Fannie Full
wood. Also present were their
daughter, Ella, who has returned
from Brooklyn, N.Y., as her moth
er's health is declining, and Evelyn
and Etta Hewett, Ada Fullwood and
Pencic Bryant.
Group I! met Feb. 28 at Azalce
Johnson's house with Magdeline
and Lena Johnson, Queen Vcrccn
and Pencic Grissett attending.
Tune In
Be sure to listen to the Cedar
Grove Area News Thursdays at 3
p.m. and Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on
WVCB Radio (1410 AM).
c_^]
Come see the new arrivals
in ladies' apparel
for spring and summer!
Casual & Dressy
Spring Outfits
Exciting jewelry & accessories, too!
Vn
Announcing 2 new nail
technicians with years of
experience...
Cathy Hansen
Paula McNeill
?Sculptured Nails
?Manicures
?Therapy Baths
Stop by to see Cheryl, Sandra and
Linda for the latest spring trends!
Get a head start on
your summer tan!
We have new bulbs for our
tanning bed.
HMD DESIGN
Hill's Shopping Center
Shallotte ? 754-8108
Monday-Saturday 9-5