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PAGE 16, WEDNESDAY. APRI L 17. 1985. WHITBY FREE PRESS our plants grow your complete one stop gardening shops in the durham region Thickson Road North 655-3331 (Just 2 miles north of Taunton Road) 1625 Dundas Street W., Whitby 668-8190 (Just East of Durham Road No. 23) NUSEYSTC vde Él 8 c 0 $100 AS MARKED l01i 150 5% 151- 200 7% 201 - 250 10%/ 251 - 300 120/ 301 - 400 15%/ 401 - 500 170/ 501 750 200/ 751 1000 220/ 1001- OVER 250/o oshawa garden service takes great pride in the quality of their nursery stock wth a 100%~l guaran- tee on nursery stock purchased the guarantee extends for one ear from date of purchase the claim must be accompanied by the original sales slip and the unsuccessful plant a credit will be issued for the amount paid towards the purchase of the same or other merchandise this guarantee does no apytroe vrwne.prnialanas paio and oold c O O 000Gu Onte unioý,vvjesolieln qare, n h To mulch or not to mulch MtahIîiing is tlie application of a cove<ring layer of material to flu. sîil srae 'Uhe iiosf 'oninioi materials for gardi'ns are natuirl substances, 50(11 as plant residltes I grass cIll)pifgc . peut. manuire, gravel, cand, sawduitst, and strav. B ROO K L1è1'N'NUR SE R1ES 11/2 m. West of Brookl in on Hwy. 7 655-3671 N EW T HIS e6Y EA R FRESH CUT FLOWERS FOR BOUQUETS SILK FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS SPRING oSALE Featurîng: A good solectlon of our own fIeId grown NURSERY-STOCK -EVERGREEN UPRIGHTS -FRUIT TREES -SPREADERS -PERENIALS -SHADETREES .-ANNUALS -BLUESPRUCE ,antiurîîqîajng& -AUSTIAN PINES gam111igas -SHRUBS :.îîaîhi *VANDUERMMEER NSERISON * RE-PENING 4 FOR ALL YOUR ê * GARDENING NEEDS *-FERTILIZER-PEAT MOSS- * SOIL-SAND- *LARGE VARIETY OF GOOD QUALITY4 4' *VISIT OUR GREENHOUSE AND SEE OUR 4SELECTION 0F BEDDING PLANTS, * PERENNIALS AND PANSIES (IN BLOOM) * i EVERY ITEM AT REASONABLE PRICES * OPEN 7DAYS AWEEK 9-6 * DRIVE A LITTLE <AJAXIT ô SAVE A LOT îi«EM5~ ioiitural mîtîches cani be tilled convenicnfly into the soil af tIse end oif flieseassn. Heavy paper, glass svool. aluminionm foil, and poly- ethylene plastic arc a fesv of flic nianufatured maiterials which cao be tsscd as niulchcs. 'I'hese niulches cannot be tilled into flic soil casily, butt corne cao bc lcft in tlic garden for several miasons if they arc not damageil. Mulclîing conserves sil moisture. contt'ols weeds, pro- vides iinter protection for perennials. reduces soil coin- paction and regîlates cril femperattîre. That means nîulching can reduce your work load in the garden and inîprove plant growtb, says Ilorticulturiet Jerald Rickels of the Uiniver- sity of Guelph's department oif horticultural science. -Also witli fruiting siegetables like tornatocs, melons, and cucumbers tic well as strawberries, moct cyntlîîtic mulches and sontie nattiral mulehes kcep the fruit frîînî reting dircctly on the. soil. Tlhese fruits are cleaner and lcivelîss ilciav uni1 îiscîîlîr- atiiîn". hliiiàau. (lsiîising flie riglit nitîliliis vcer% inmportant tii a coninier- riul griisvîr wcliiinust nmatchi tlic typie of nîttîcl ithithe fi' riil tcurt-fully tii obtatin a liiglier vield and oîffset the cost f <iffIe niulîli. A gardi'n is liki'ly.tii huve niasor ni.t% sut griîss iiffer- entîs s ft a nsîlch . so a giiri-ner ruas clîiist.'a i<Is tii mi un ie tIi.' a1pearaiiii' of fli garilen andl tii ri'iltcc ssrk I preve nt ssedinlo I D & S LAWN MAINTENANCE @Government Lcensed *Weed Control s Ferti izing *Seeding *Crab Grass Control *Misc. Landscapîflg 668-0832 M ISRTRIM *Complete Lawn & *Garden Maintenance 0 Fr Com petv Pricea raII666-4700 *Peat Loam *Comnpost @Sand e.tr DE LtVERED & ORI INSTALLEC TOP SrIe me 1½hMles North Hwy. 2 Brook Rd., Pickering A colored mulcît may he at- ýsk boutourCallnowfor 3rene.per Car.- " e Iee i.n enlysis ~4~-~fr tractive in the garden but ifs effect on plant growth must be considered. Dark-colored niaterials and transparent plastics warm the soil and tend to improve growth, especially in the cool spring months. Light-colored rnulches are reflective and cool the soil, as do bulky ,aulches. cucli as straw wvhich formis a layer of insulation on the soil. Qooling the soil might he beneficial during hot summers, but by then most plants have grown and shade the mulch s0 that soil temperatures are not altcred much by either light or dark mulches. For general use, dark- colored maîches are pre- ferable. Applying a natural muIds to the soil might be easier if the plants are already in position, although care must be taken not to damage the plants. If the mulch is not disturbed and mixeil withi the soil. and if the plante arc small. trans- planting coald be donc after tIhe mulch is applied. A layer oif mulch should pre- vent light from rcaching the soul sttrfacc f0 control wecd growth. As lîttle as two centimetres «r tliree centimctrcs (one inch to tw<î inches) may bc ail that is necessarv for a material sîsch as sand. Straw is hulkv and is compressed later, so the initial application nii he as miuch as 15 cm f0 20 cm (six in. t() eight in.I dcep. Plastic or paper muiches are generally placed over the soil jîlet before planting or seeding. ,lro prevent blowing by the %vind. thse edges rmist be hýuricd rom pletely in the soil or hielîl down by stones. bricks, or hîmber. Bef<îrc placing jiaper or plasticfilme. the sil should be as smîsitî as possible f0 ensure that the material is in close contact %vith the soil surface. Tlhis enables greater amotints oif heat to be transmittcd tlirîugli tlecmulcl f0 the soul. Stits oîrlIsoles for the plants f0 groisrtlsroîtgh can be cîîf befîîre or after the asaterial is placed in tlie gartlen. After a rein or wvatering, ad- ditirînal tins slits or lioles sliotld hi' nade in the nittîcî licrever puddles oif svatcr icftr on tlie surface. ...MMMILIW ýà Il,