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Page 45,Spring Home Living (B) April 25,1984 Shrinking backyards provide space for vegetable gardens By Dick Raymond Newspaper Enterprise Association You don't need an acre to grow ali the fresh vegetables you can eat. You can grow 65 onions in a 10-inch pot. Or 144 onions in just 1 square foot of garden. Back yards are shrinking. Most peo­ ple want to have room for a lawn, flowers, trees and recreation. They don't want a vegetable garden taking up all the space. That's why wide-row planting has become so popular. Instead of sowing seeds single file in skinny rows, I plant them in bands the width of a rake. In­ stead of wide walks, I encourage gardeners to devote most of their cultivated soil to the raising of vegetables. For example, most seeds packets say to sprinkle carrot seeds in a narrow row, which can take about 15 feet in the garden. But, in a 16-inch band, you can sow that packet in just 3 feet. This simplifies thinning and picking, since the whole crop is within arm's reach. When the carrots are finger-sized, I keep thinning by harvesting the tender little ones. That gives the main crop more room to mature. Most vegetables thrive in clusters. Left to their own devices, that's the way they flourish in nature. A colony of plants stands up better to harsh weather, and the strongest plants sur­ vive. In the garden, vegetables, like heads of cabbage, planted in a wide row spread out to touch each others' leaves. This method, which I call "shoulder to shoulder," does several good things: -- The broad leaves shade the ground, keeping it cool and moist. -- Less moisture evaporates from the soil, so more remains for the plants to use. This can be the difference between success and failure in long, hot, dry spells. -- The blanket of vegetables create their own "living mulch," to choke out weeds. Weeds can't find as much sun­ shine, nutrition or space in which to get a foothold. They lose the battle and die, or grow too weak to make it to the seed- producing stage. Head lettuce, like cabbage, can be planted in a staggered pattern of 3, 2, 3, 2,3 -- with each plant 6 inches from the others. If you count this up, you'll see that makes 13 heads in a 3-foot row. If you plant as many vegetables as possible in wide rows, you can grow two to three times the amount of food you're now growing -- in the same amount of space. Or, to put it another way: Shrink the size of your current garden, by half or even two-thirds. Following my plan­ ting system, you can harvest the same Quantity, but cut way down on the time Continued on next page We Have All Your Planting Needs *s£l<ec • •Cain •Currants •Peony Roots •Onion Plants •Onion Sots •Raspborrlos •Strawborrlos •Grapos •Rhubarb •Bluoborrlos •Clomatls •Troo Poonlos •Sllvormound •Burpoo Soods •Am. Bittersweet ESTABLISHED 1965 614 RAFFEL ROAD, WOODSTOCK -- 338-2764 J.S. BLAKE «msimcin» 1 •Remodeling *€081001 Built Homes We will design and draw plans for your new home or remodeling needs NO JOB TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL FREE ESTIMATES •Carpentry •Garages *Siding *Rec Rooms •Wood Decks *Basements • Additions REASONABLE RATES Call John Blake 385-5593 -- AAcHenry Fully Insured A PLUS FOR McHENRY COUNTY &Uf4fal "PtuA, 3944 MAIN ST. (ACROSS FROM McHENRY DEPOT) McHENRY, ILL. • 344-5445 CRYSTAL •Beer Mugs >Salad Sets •Vases •Glasses and Barware •Irish Coffee •Stems HOUSEWARES •Baking Tins •Cheese Boards •Kitchen Gadgets •Salad Spinners •Marbleware •Corning-French White & Bisque Casseroles •George Briard Ice Buckets •Teakwood Salad Sets BRIDAL REGISTRY BRIDE RECIEVES FREE GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR 10% OF ALL SALES TO HER ACCOUNT. •GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE MANY IN-STORE SPECIALS! COUPON I Rent Mm R«C DOCTOR A McHENRY LUMBER •n° 4030 W Wain Si _ \§ MrHei«y. II BflflM ! ; P^W C I81SI 3B5 4600 Steel Hicksiw Frimc Holds I if in biadr Iwct l $3.00 SW'M the original steam *?y ™*ta' carpet cleaner with the Monday thru Thursday vibratlng brush ONI COUPON nil MNIAl COUPON iXPHKSl J» u | MM Qui WOOD DOOR SPECIALI Many styles & sizes lo choose from Some with minor detect AT CREATLY REDUCED PRICES! (LOSE OUT ALL OLYMPIC STAIN PRODUCTS $£00 A" Remaining Stock Gals. OFF PRICE AS MARKED CRAZY PRICES ON OUR VANITIES & TOPS! •Many stylet to choose from CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW PRICES I 9.77 fc, W Whilt Stppllrt Twin Pack firt Extinguishers Two sizes oo ant! small*3 woikshoi Quantities Limited W EARLY FOR REST SEIECTNNI •while supply lastsiH Mc HE N R Y ( / U M B E R JhiiZl/alus.\ CONVENIENT SHOPPING HOURS WON fRI 6 00 6 00 SATURDAY 7 30 4 00 SUNbAY HOURS « 00 I 4030 WEST MAIN ST. N\c MC NDY, ILLINOIS 385-4600 GOURMET COFFEE, TEA & ACCESSORIES •Cold Water Toddy •French Press (Bistro) •Syphon Coffee Makers •Melitta Drip Makers •Infusers •Espresso •Coffee Grinders •15 Flavors Tea •Coffee Beans (Ground to your taste)