March 2003

Edible

Build a seed-starting box. With a styrofoam cooler, cookie sheet, black paint, porcelain light fixture including the junction bar, electrical cord, a 25-watt light bulb and a dimmer switch, you can put together a hot box that can regulate temperature.

Consider the following criteria when purchasing a quality hose:

• 500 pounds per square inch burst strength
• Good crush resistant couplings of heavy-duty cast brass.
• A 4-inch plastic hose collar to keep hose from kinking at the faucet at least a 5/8 inch diameter. The larger the diameter of the hose, the greater the quantity of water that can be delivered.
• A synthetic mesh layer or ply;the higher the plies, four being the best, the better quality. Buy a rubber hose versus plastic, vinyl or nylon. Rubber is heavier and more durable and it resists sun, cold and kinks.

Make seed tapes. These are strips of paper with seed glued on them at the proper spacing. Great for small seeds like carrots, lettuce and beets. All that is needed is paper, flour, a small watercolor paintbrush and seeds.

Build an instant, temporary greenhouse to cover early spring crops such as broccoli, lettuce and cauliflower when winter threatens a return.

Materials needed:

Concrete blocks, 2 x 4 clear plastic and rocks or bricks

Place concrete blocks upright at intervals along the row lay the boards on top of the blocks and drape plastic over the boards extend the plastic about two feet beyond the end of the blocks and anchor the sides with rocks or bricks. Leave the ends open for air circulation during warm days and close them at night to keep out cold air. Place a blanket over the plastic and put milk jugs filled with hot water inside the temporary greenhouse on very cold nights.

Prune your bramble fruits and grapes now. Remove all dead and diseased wood.

Plant onion sets, spinach, radishes and lettuce.

Ornamental

Attend the Third Annual Garden Faire, Saturday April 12, 2003 - 8:45 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences at 3857 West 111th Street in Chicago. Twenty-five gardening workshops; garden vendors and a Plant Clinic will be available. Keynote speaker will be Carolyn Ulrich, Editor of Chicagoland Gardening magazine. For more information call 773-233-0476.

Wait until new growth is established before removing winter mulch protection. Mulch protects plants from late spring freezes. Do a general cleanup; rake the lawn and remove leaves, twigs and debris. Cut perennial ornamental grasses back to four to six inches before new growth begins.

Save spice and seasoning jars with the shaker tops. They make great seed sowers for tiny seeds like nicotiana. Try these fast growing perennials this year. These varieties will flower their first year from seed:

Anthemis tinctoria 'Golden Marguerit'

Lychnis coronaria 'Rose Campion'

Gypsophila paniculata 'Baby's Breath'

Rudbeckia hirta 'Black-eyed Susan'

Look for quality construction when purchasing tools. Look at the way the business end (tool) is attached to the handle. Many tools use a rivet or bolt to ensure a secure attachment. A more secure connection is when the handle is attached to the tool with a solid metal collar that is a part of the working end itself, since it has been forged or stamped from the same piece of metal and has not been welded on.

Ash or hickory woods make the best handles. The wooden handles should be free of knots and flaws and the grain should run lengthwise in even, continuous lines. The closer the grain, the stronger the handle. Avoid using pruning paint or sealants to seal wounds after pruning.

After pruning, the cambium layer forms what's called 'wound wood' around the wound and eventually closes that wound. Pruning sealants can inhibit this process.