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Sprinf Heme Living (B) April 25, 1984 Page 10 Hormone spray insures fruit from flowers when used twice a week Continued from preceeding page ^ much of the day as possible. They tend to grow a bit "leggy," stretching for the full force of the sun. Don't worry. That stem will become the main branch of an incredibly healthy root system. Add a little ordinary house-plant fertilizer when you water the young plants. This, too, will give them a boost. 5. Begin to "harden" your plants a month before average date of last frost for your area. On sunny days, set them outside for an hour or two. Gradually, over a 10-day period, build them up to half a day, then finally keep them out all day and night. If frost threatens, bring them in. They freeze to death very easi­ ly. 6. About two to three weeks before the final frost date, transplant the tomatoes into the garden. Soak the cartons well and set out the plants in the garden an inch deeper than they were in their final containers. Pixies are really a bush variety, and don't need caging or stak­ ing. But some other varieties of tomatoes will. 7. Be sure to provide heat-trapping, frost-protecting devices. This doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Old tires can circle the plants. Some stakes and plastic, used tent-style, are good. Secure the plastic with soil and stones. This makes a mini-greenhouse. If frost is predicted, give a little more protec­ tion for overnight: an old blanket, newspapers, paper bags, bushel baskets. 8. For insurance, I spray the flower clusters twice a week with "Blossom Set," a hormone spray available at garden centers. This ensures that the flowers turn into fruit. Pixies are very reliable and heavy-fruiting tomatoes, and need this less than some of the other early but more conventional tomatoes. This method of growing tomatoes is not a lot of work. It does take extra ef­ fort, but it's worth it for that super-early harvest. Much of the advice holds true for main crop tomatoes, too. The big dif­ ference is that you should transplant the more ordinary varieties into your garden in a shallow trench and strip the young plant of all leaves but the topmost cluster, so as to force lots of root growth from the former stem. Planting so much of the eventual roots close to the surface means the plant will get that much more warmth, which tomatoes love. CUSTOM KITCHENS •Rutt •PennvHIe •Schmidt KITCHEN APPLIANCES bv • Jennaire • Kitchen Aid • Maytag • Insinkerator • Tappan •Thermador BATHS bv • Kohler • AmericanStandard •Eljer •TUB SURROUNDS by Swan, Mustee*MOLDED MARBLE TOPS and WALLS by Lippert HEATING bv •Lennox •Heil •Weil-McLain •Burn ham AIR CONDITIONING bv •Heif • Lennox BATH SHOP ACCESSORIES •Shower Curtains*Wicker*Wood • Ceramics • Lucite •China •Soaps • Pictures •More This On* it Different No electricityiKINETICO is the ONLY automatic water conditioner that uses no electricity! A turbine water meter does it all! United States Patent No. 2891552 Twin Softening Tanks All other home water conditioners have only one softening tank! KINETICO'S twin tanks alternate so you are never without soft water. An EXCLUSIVE benefit that is impossible with single tank systenr^. Now over 1,000 in Service Locally ] Popular Science Magazine, October, 1977 describes Kinetico's advantages as: "Ingenious", "Phenomenol" and "Incredibile." everything you know about water conditioners Ten advantages ONLY KINETICO can give you! SpocHkoHont: Calliffi Electricity Required? Are timers computer* or tontort required? It Site of Unit Needed toted Upon Number in fomlly? Metered Regeneration of twin Tonkt toted on Amount of Wotor Utod? Unlimited Doily Potential Groin le During It Soft Wetir Utod To Regenerate trine tec It wrath end Rinto Cyclot? Working Pert* Of Volvo Operote In Soft Wotor At All Timet Reducing Cot fly Service? It Soft Woter Available 74 Hourt For Pay? Call About Our New Rent To Own Progrom Home Improvement Center and Bade Butik 670 E. Calhoun, Woodstock - 338-6929 Get to Know Kinotico ̂Huemann Water Conditioning DIV. of Huemann Water Mgt., Inc. SERVING NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR OVER 18 YEARS 3607 Chapel Hill Rd. Jobnsburg" MeHenry, II60050 Service On All Makes 815-385-30*3 24 HOURS Free Water lest & Rental Rates on Request i