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Growing own seedlings can save money Thii article Is provided by local Realton and the Ontario Real Estate Afsoclation ORE A for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market With the arrival of spring many Ontario homeowners are gearing up for the gardening season busily planning their flower gardens While many of todays gardening enthusiasts prefer to buy their an nual or perennial flowers at a nursery or gardening store and transplant them directly into the ground once the last spring frost has passed usually towards the end of May some prefer to grow their own plants from seed Growing your own seedlings can save you money and Is also an ex cellent project to beat the wtnter blahs Its something the whole family can take part in and is an excellent opportunity for youngsters to learn how things grow It takes roughly eight weeks of growth before seedlings are ready to be planted outside So if youre thinking of starting your own flowers this year you should start soon BUYING SEED AND GROWING MEDIUM The first step of course is to pur chase seed from a nursery or gardening store When choosing you may want to consult with nursery staff to see which varieties would be most likely to flourish in your par ticular soil type Youll also want to purchase a sterilized growing medium for your seeds to germinate in Many of these are available for purchase in cluding vermiculite peat and some prepared mixtures Its important that the medium be bacteriaandweedfree most prepackaged mediums are No matter what you choose try to purchase a substance that will readi ly maintain moisture If youre un sure of what to buy talk to the staff at your garden centre or local nursery Virtually any type of clean con tainer can be used for starting your seedlings as long as its approx imately three inches deep and pro vides adequate drainage You may even want to purchase special trays or minigreenhouses from your gardening store Fill your containers approximate ly onehalf to threequarters full with the substance youve chosen as your medium Tamp the mixture down firmly to make sure there are no large air spaces Then sow the seeds keeping different varieties in separate containers Sow the seeds about a halfinch apart Generally good sized seeds should be covered with a very thin layer of the medium Most small seeds dont need to be covered However check the instructions on your seed packages to be sure COVER TO GERMINATE Once youve finished planting sprinkle or mist the containers with water and cover them with pieces of plastic glass or event cardboard unless the package specifies that they require light This will help them maintain humidity You can also cover them with plastic bags as long as you insert a stick or plastic straw to hold the bag upright and away from the seeds creating a miniature tent The containers should then be placed in a bright area but not near any direct sunlight and be kept at or above roomlevel temperature during the day Experts suggest leaving them for anywhere from three to five days after that start making periodic checks Once germination has taken place tiny leaves should appear Once these leaves are visible the covers should be removed so the seedlings can get oxygen You should also move them into sunlight to encourage steady growth Be sure to turn them regularly and water as required Once theyve developed a second set or their true leaves or are about one inch tall theyre ready to be transplanted into a regular pot ting mixture HANDLE GENTLY When doing this be sure to handle them very gently Transplant the seedlings into pots or space them ap proximately ahalf inches apart in a flat Keep them in these pots for a few weeks until theyre ready to be planted outdoors During this time you may want to fertilize them with a mild fertilizer either once a week or every two weeks to encourage healthy growth Check with your gardening centre to see which type of fertilizer you should use Before planting your seedlings in the ground make sure you prepare the sol Also be certain to exercise great care when removing the plants from the pots Dig a hole deep enough for each plant and space them so they have room to grow Give them a thorough watering once planting is complete Once youve completed all these steps its time to sit back and watch your flowers grow DOMJUbV 4168734937 TORONTO W 2 MILL STREET rf ACTON HEATHER WHITING SCOTLAND Associate Broker 8532036 LIVE AND WORK HERE FOR 99000 Let me show you how Use the in come from the 5 apartments to pay your mortgage while you live on the main floor and operate a business too Excellent location for antiques gallery or Reduced to Call Heather Whiting Scotland Associate Broker at i CANTERBURY STABLES Located north east of Mohawk Raceway this 54 acre farm would be a super horse set up Ex eel lent barns and out buildings plus a 3 family home iust waiting for your finishing touches could be the opportunity youve been looking for See it today with Heather Whiting Scotland Associate Broker 8532086 THE ALTON HILLS Wednesday April 91 Page This survey Sank a WIN 250 WORTH OF GROCERIES from CONGRATULATIONS HOWARD RANGER of RR1 Georgetown who won worth of groceries at Fill out the ballot YOU CAN WIN ONE MORE CHANCE TO WIN DRAW TO BE HELD MONDAY APRIL 29 1991 How To Win Find the mystery word or symbol In the ads in todays Section This week s mystery word is THE BUYER Fill out the ballot below and drop it off at any ol these participating locations Moore Park Plaza ReMax St The Herald- Burton St Mystery Number of times Mystery Word appeared Name Address Postal Code Phone Number Date of Publication Day