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come Filbert T (Sttrw* Some people have called Af­ rican violets temperamental plants. It s not true. They are no more difficult to raise than many other container plants. While they require plenty of light, .they do not like burning sun. They like evenly moist soil at all times and good humidity. They also require regular feeding. Using a good timed re­ lease plant food such as Ortho's African Violet Food 6-9-5 will make things easier for you. A single application feeds plants for four to six months. African violets flower best with only one crown. The crown is the area where the stems come together and join the roots. New crown growth can be removed and used for rooting new plants. ». - M.. m , h i "f - M* f»r » •"? PAGE 7 •PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY, MARCH tf, 1WI Raise plants at home that from exotic places One of the joys of container gardening is that you can raise plants in your home or apart­ ment that are natives of faraway habitats. It's not unusual to see bromeliads (plants of the pineapple family from the West Indies), bonsai (popular in the Orient) or African violets (orig­ inally collected in Africa in the late 19th century) all sharing space in the same home. Our container gardening habits have been influenced by the fact that we Americans do a lot of traveling. When we see plants that appeal to us in other parts of this country, or abroad, we attempt to find them locally. As a result, wholesale grow­ ers have found it profitable to propagate more unusual plants. Today, many plants unheard of by our grandparents are avail­ able from specialty growers and importers. The Ortho book "House Plants Indoors/Outdoors" pro­ vides a list of suppliers around the country who offer unusual and special plants by mail. Among the offerings afe bonsai, dwarf citi«$4u(H>sual suedes of orchitis'and African vrolets. If you want to get started with plants from faraway places, one of the most popular ones to begin your collection with is the African violet. No doubt that its popularity stems from the fact that no other plant equals it in ability to thrive and bloom indoors for months on end. With a few plants and proper care, it's possible to have continual blooms year round. The leaves of the plant are velvety, dark green broad ovals. They grow on short stalks in rosette fashion. Flowers may be fringed or ruffled in white or shades of pink, red, violet, pur­ ple or blue. Getting rid of lawn's 'uninvited guests' easily Hundreds of types of insects live in the typical lawn. Many are hardly visible and do very little harm., But there are some pests which can invade your lawn and do serious damage. For exam­ ple, the sod web worm, grubs of various beetles and chinch bugs can destroy a lawn within a short time if conditions are right for their development. The two important questions for the homeowner are: How can you tell if the lawn problem is being caused by insects? And if it is caused by insects, how can the damage be stopped? To diagnose the problem, the first thing to do is look. Look very closely. If you get down on your hands and knees, chances are you will be able to spot the invader in action. Some of these pests appear at night, others in sunny comers and still others in a shady spot. A hook such as Ortho's "All About Lawns" describes the habits and characteristics of the most common lawn pests and tells how to control them. For example, sod webworms start working on a lawn in late spring. They chew grass blades off just above the thatch line. As a result there will be small dead patches about 1 to 2 inches in" diameter. If nothing is done to stop these pests, the damage will spread until the lawn is covered with large, irregular dead patches. Sod webworms feed at night. Look for them by carefully breaking apart the damaged areas with your fingers. They can be forced to the surface of the grass by drenching a one square foot area with a gallon of soapy water. To control these insects use an insecticide such as Ortho's Diazinon Soil & Turf Insect Control. It comes in ready-to- use granules and can be applied with an Ortho Whiriybird or other type of lawn spreader. Another pest is the ar- myworm. Enough of them, and your grass can be eaten right down to the soil level. Like the sod webworm, their calling cards are round, bare areas in the lawn. They are yellowish white and can further be identified by an upsidedown "V" on their heads. Control them with a product that contains Dursban, such as Ortho's Lawn Insect Spray. Lawn damaging insects can be grouped according to where they are most active, above or below the ground, and the type of damage they do. Control methods are different for each group. Chinch bugs, leafhoppers, spider mites and similar pests live above the soil surface and damage the lawn by sucking plant juices. To control them, first mow the lawn and remove clippings. Then water heavily. Wait until * the grass blades are dry and then apply the insecticide according to label directions. After the ap­ plication, don't water for two days. Sod webworms, cutworms, armyworms and fiery skipper larvae live at the soil surface and feed on the leaves. To control, mow the lawn, remove clippings and water heavily. When the grass blades are dry, apply the insecticide according to label directions. It's best applied in late after­ noon when the insects are active. An easy way to apply the in­ secticide to your lawn is with Ortho's Lawn Sprayer. After the application do not water for two days. If the season is appro­ priate, fertilize your lawn to aid its recovery. Grubs, wireworms and ground pearls live below the surface and feed on roots. To control, mow the lawn and remove clippings. Apply insec­ ticide according to label direc­ tions and water heavily after spraying. However, not so heavily that you wash away the insecticide. Fertilize to aid the recovery of the lawn if the sea­ son is appropriate. A final thing to remember: A healthy, well-maintained lawn is one of die best protections against insects since it will be less subject to serious damage. To check for chinch bugs, work a bottomless metal can into the affected area and fill with warm water. Most will not be in dead or green areas, but where the grass is just beginning to turn yellow. When abundant, they will float to the surface within a few minutes. Unless, of course, they are. If not, you can make them Squirrels by giving them memberships unique Club® Our Squirrels Club is an ideal way s to get your children ^ started on a very sound savings pro- ; gram. And it's fun, too. There are membership cards and certificates, funny club buttons, squirrelly balloons, stick-on-decals, and lots of other nutty things. And that's just for starters.The Squirrels Club is an educational club that keeps kids involved. They are remembered on their birth­ days and receive special notices of contests and activities. Members also receive a free subscription to "The Nutty News',' a colorful sixteen-page quarterly newsmagazine filled with all kinds of fun things to do. So if you have children under 13 and want to help them learn how to save and have a good time doing it, why not give them mem­ berships in our Squirrels Club. It's that kind of nice gift that the kids in your life will never forget--the gift of thrift. information on -- our Squirrels ' _ I'm interested in your Squirrels Club. Please send me further information. Club, drop by our office or send in the coupon. __ MemberFDIC NaT ION aL aaiMK OF vrHeNRY | 3814 W. Elm St., McHenry 385-5400 I Serving the Bank Needs of the McHenry AreoJ Pay us a visit at Booth No. 50 and meet