All Gardens Great & Small by York Co. Horticultural Agei Tom Becker HOLIDAY PLANTS MAKE GREAT GIFTS While the poinsettia is the traditional plant of the Christmas season, other beauti ful flowering plants are avail able. Buy a holiday plant to add to your collection or use it as a gift. Here’s a few ideas. • New Christmas cacti varieties, lodel No. Capacity—Old Rating 125 Bu 235 Bu. 270 Bu. 310 Bu 370 Bu 430 Bu Capacity Cu. Ft. Struck Level 75 143 167 185 235 275 Model No. Capacity—Old Rating Capacity Cu. Ft. Struck Level NO LEASE PAYMENTS - NO INTEREST Till January 1, 1999 On All H & S Equipment ADDISON FARM & INDUSTRIAL Addison, PA BARTOSEK AGRI S&S West Springfield, PA JOHN BROWN EQUIP. Perryopohs, PA W.C. CRYTZER KlltaiTnmg, PA D&E EQUIPMENT Bloomsburg, PA DOTTERER EQUIP. Mill Hall, PA ECKROTH BROTHERS New Ringgold, PA ECKROTH BROTHERS Oretield, PA FINCH IMPLEMENT Hanover, PA For More Information, Contact Your Local Dealer Or H&S Manufacturing, Co. Ripley, NY (716)736-7595 schlumbergera species, with shades of red, pink, purple, white, orange and even yellow flowers make a great gift. Look for larger flowers, prolonged flowering and more compact types this season. The Christmas cactus is easy to grow and very long lived. • Holiday cacti prefer bright, 125 235 270 175 175 Bu 105 Low Interest Financing Available See Your Local Dealer For Details FUNNER EQUIPMENT Prospect, PA G&D FARM EQUIP. Manheim, PA GALLUP & TENHAKEN Edmboro, PA HARTS FARM EQUIP. Cochranton, PA HESS FARM EQUIP. Canton, PA HETRICK FARM SUPPLY New Bethlehem, PA HOOVER EQUIPMENT Tyrone, PA McDOWELL FARM & IMP. Grove City, PA McGARVEY EQUIPMENT Reynoldsville, PA HEW ALEXANDRIA FARM SUPPLY New Alexandria, PA indirect light, temperatures of 60 to 70° F and an evenly moist soil during flowering. Exposure to cold temperatures (carefully wrap plants when transporting them outdoors in winter), mov ing plants from one location to another, drafts and excessive watering can cause the buds to drop from the plants before blooming. After the plant stops bloom ing, keep it in a cool, sunny win dow. In summer, put it outside in light shade and leave it there as long as possible into the Fall. Take stem cuttings in the sum mer using a terminal ‘leaf pad or stem tip. Cuttings root easily for many varieties. A basket of African violets make a charming holiday gift. Hundreds of varieties are avail able, in colors ranging from pur ple, lavender, orchid, blue, cerise, pink, wine-red, white, 370 430 310 222 262 Bu 152 222 Bu 129 NORTHEAST DISTRIBUTORS & EQUIP. W Clifford PA NORMAN D. CLARK Honey Grove, PA SCHEFFEL EQUIPMENT Somerset, PA SMITH IMP. INC. Mercersburg, PA SWEGER LIME & EQPT. Avella, PA TOBIAS EQUIPMENT Halifax, PA TRIPLE H TRACTOR Peach Bottom, PA WATSON INC. Sharon, PA ROBERT WILKINS Saxton, PA 262 Lancaster Farming,' Saturday, December 13, 1997-Bit two-tone, splotched, and white edged. Make sure the basket is lined so that pots can rest on pebbles. On a smaller scale, miniature violets, about six inches across, are a good choice for friends with limited space. Unlike the standard or large varieties, miniatures and micro-minia tures that are less than 3 inches fit into a wine glass. Include per sonalized directions with your gift- African violets like average warm, bright light, (east or south window in winter) or arti ficial light using 2-40 watt fluo rescent tubes about 12 inches from plants. Provide 14 hours of light each day. Buying a poinsettia for a gift? Whether your preference is red, white, pink, peach, yellow, mar bled or speckled, look for plants with fully mature, thoroughly colored and expanded bracts. Avoid plants tinged with too much green around the bract edges, which would indicate that plants are not at peak bloom. GENERATORS MARTIN ELECTRIC PLANTS • Manufacturer of: DIESEL, LP GAS, NATURAL GAS, PTO Automatic & Manual Start Systems USED UNITS ALSO AVAILABLE Call Us For All Your Generator Needs! MARTIN ELECTRIC PLANTS 280 Pleasant Valley Rd., Ephrata, PA 17522-8620 800-713-7968 Tel: 717-733-7968 Fax: 717-733-1981 Check to make sure that the secondary smaller bracts wfuch surround the cyathia (the true flower, in yellow berry-like structure) are fully colored. Look for plants with lush green foliage that are undamaged and unmarred, dense and plentiful, all the way down to the soil level. Also, look for plants that are balanced, full and attractive from all angles. The height of the plant from the rim of the pot to the top of the plant should be 1-1/2 to 2 times the height of the pot. Lastly, look for plants with strong, stiff stems; good leaf and bract retention, with no signs of wilting, breaking or dropping. These are all signs of a durable plant that gives the longest pos sible period of enjoyment in your home. Questions relating to this article can be sent to; Tom Becker, Extension Agent, Horticulture at 112 Pleasant Acres Road, York, PA 17402- 9041 or phone (717) 840-7408.
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