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the HERALD Gardening Wednesday November Town Gardener Follow basic formula when caring for houseplants ByTOMCAVAN Herald Special The Flora Triangle This time of year I become in undated with questions about door plants dropping foliage or showing signs of detenoraUon depending on the type of plant in question The conversation typically began with I do so well with all my plants but lately or I do the same thing for all my plants but this one There is no mystery as to why plants what they do the plants have symp toms which indicate what is wrong Where do you begin when accessing a plant You simply have to look at the symptoms and think back about weeks prior to the plants decline in health and you will be able to pin pomt the time that the trouble began This will tell you the source how fast the deterioration is spreading and how long the plant is actually been in misery If there are no signs of insect or diseases which are visually obvious the what you have is physical or condi problem with your plant Now what I mean by that is when the plant is the wrong location and or the plant is not being maintained to its accep table conditions of habit in order to grow or sustain itself Now the big mystery is that you haven changed your maintenance but the plant is showing signs like dropping leaves taking on a grey appearance or it s not using it s water etc Well what has happen is that the conditions of light and heat have changed dramatically I have a basic formula which when understood will help you know how to water a plant and help get your plants through the winter months Form a triangle of heat light water Quite simply these three tors affect each other When one changes the other two have to follow suit So if your plant receives more sunlight it will ex more heat and in return will need more water and if you give a plant more water there had better be enough light to the given plant so it will use that water Pretty straight forward right Well that happens when a plant receives heat without sunlight Plants do not unders tand heat without light please tell me where does this happen in nature It does not can use artificial light which will help to some degree but that will only go so far with numbers of plants that can fit under the lights and decorating with plants is com promised The plants active factory receives a good watering but in sufficient sunlight means slow activity and slower transpiration rate the water sits in the soil and cannot be used The end result is overwatenng lack of oxygen to the soil and anaerobic microbes microbes that work without ox ygen start to decay the warm water logged soil If you increase the sunlight to a plant an increase in temperature will arise and the plant will use more water When the water increases the sunlight and heat must increase and the same applies if you decrease any of those three factors If they do not you will have trouble So what is the solution have to heat your home m winter yet Mother Nature provides little JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING if any sunlight and what we do receive is weak You must keep your plants in cooler locations i e away from heat registers or fluctuating heat like when the stove comes on Allow your plants to dry between waterings and be sure they never stand in water Dry is better than wet If you accidentally over water a plant take it out of its container to allow oxygen to dislocate the water and once the plant is back to an evenly moist state place it back in it s pot and return it to it s original site This is a last resort maneuver Usually when a plant is over watered I would recom mend repotting and discarding the oil soil So keep that triangle in mind and evaluate your plants for bet ter houseplants Any questions should be directed to Tom at the Garden Hotline 5198332117 No Money Down No Payments and No Interest Until March 1992 Just purchase or more using your Radio Shack credit card and get this great Christinas Shopper bonus 0n Approved Credit Watch all those Christmas TV classics anytime you want with a VHS VCR MEMOHEX MENU 1 CLOCK SETTING TIMER SETTING PROGRAM CHECKCLEAR PUSH NUMBER TO SELECT PUSH PROGRAM TO QUIT On screen programming makes set up easy save head design provides top quality special effects With remote control Cable compatible tuner year event timer 16 Exciting 4note polyphonic keyboard adds extra special quality to Christmas carolling or all your favourite music save 69 note polyphonic keyboard has built In 5pad drum set Create original drum beats With preprogrammed rhythms Includes built In speakers Merry Melody Mate An cassette player lor kids With headphones J Lightweight design Yotill find something for everyone this Christmas at Radio Shack 95 save 20channel base scanner Scans frequencies 20 save Black mini speakers 40 2054 White mini speakers lor Strike Eagle II and Stealth Fighter 25 save Handy pocket islly 95 Fits easily in your pocket 22 Sale ends Nov 30 1991 DIVISION CANADA LTD Canada Check white pages for the Radio Shack store or participating dealer nearest you Radio hack A New Spirit of Giving Teaching Values and Virtues to Children MR ED MUTTART bsc meo BSc Institute of Pit and Muter of Education UBC- VllKOUKf educator and world traveller presents a stimulating workshop or parents teachers and social workers on how to teach children those values and virtues that make for harmonious human relationships and positive selfesteem Thursday November 21st Old Town of Kalton Hills Municipal Building Committee Room Trafalgar Road BBSS 800 Itw Ml