EWHERE IN THE NEW 



bloom-size Fl pansy. They remain 

 compact, "yet send out multitudes of 

 flower stems per plant." Color range 

 consists of Deep Blue/ Blotch, Lilac 

 Cap, Orange/Blotch, White/Blotch, 

 Pure White, Yellow/Blotch, Pure Yellow, 

 and a formula mixture. 



Pansy SKY Series: This Fl series 

 offers the "Skylines" (winged and 

 blotched) and "Clear Skies" (pure 

 colors). A medium bloom-size pansy 

 series, the "Sky's" do particularly 

 well in the fall. Colors consist of 

 "Skyline" Blue, White, White/Purple 

 Face, and Yellow and "Clear Sky" 

 Red, Yellow, True Blue, and White, 

 as well as a formula mixture of 14 

 pure, blotched, and bicolored types. 



For information: Harris Seeds at 

 716-442-0410. 



Of Impatiens and Onions 



Impatiens is a relative newcomer to 

 the western world, arriving in En- 

 gland in 1896 via the efforts of Dr. 

 )ohn Kirk, Consul-General at Zanzi- 

 bar. In the 1950s, impatiens sultani 

 (named for the Sultan of Zanzibar), 

 renamed wallerana (for Horace Waller, 

 a British missionary), were available 

 as open-pollinated plants and only 

 as a mixture of flower colors. Im- 

 proved by early breeders — Bob 

 Reiman: ('Pixie White, 1958); Claude 

 Hope (the 'Elfin' series, 1968), today 

 impatiens is "America's number one 

 bedding plant" and the National 

 Garden Bureau honors it by naming 

 1995 "The Year of the Impatiens." 



Along with this newest of intro- 

 ductions is one of the oldest — the 



onion — "Egyptians ate onions daily 

 and elevated this bulb to a deity 

 5,000 years ago." Now "one of the 

 most internationally recognized and 

 eaten vegetables in the world, " it is 



also known for its medicinal value — 

 among other things, it lowers serum 

 cholesterol and reduces blood sugar. 



So celebrate — it's the Year of the 

 Impatiens and Onion. For help in 



The Green spot 



FEBRUARY'S THE TIME FOR PLANNING AHEAD. EVEN THOUGH IT MAY 

 be snowy and cold, it's not too early to think about pest control on spring 

 crops. Especially biological pest control. The earlier we get started, the 

 less we'll need to spend and the better off we'll be. 

 Some steps to help insure success are: 



1. Review past records to determine what pests are likely to be encoun- 

 tered and when. 



2. At the time of sowing, regardless of crop, add parasitic nematodes to 

 the growing medium (for control of fungus gnats and other pests likely to 

 be in the medium from the start). Additionally, consider adding a product 

 such as Mycostop (r) (a biofungicide compatible with biological pest control 

 agents) to the growing medium to prevent diseases before they start — espe- 

 cially if good bugs are going to be used this year, so the more toxic fungi- 

 cides can be avoided later. 



3. Upon germination and emergence of the cotyledons, start scouting for 

 pests at least once a week. Use yellow sticky cards to help you scout more 

 effectively. 



4. When plants are a few inches tall — as spring approaches and the photo- 

 period lengthens — start making very small regular releases of certain bio- 

 logical pest control agents to thwart the pests that will soon show up, e.g., 

 release Aphidius spp. (an aphid parasitoid) to greet your first uninvited 

 guests. 



Of course, if plugs are being brought in or cuttings are being taken from 

 overwintered stock, you'll have to alter your strategy to a certain extent. 

 But two rules will always remain the same: scout for pests continuously and 

 act preventively. 



Mike Cherim is al The Green Spot. 603-942-8925. 



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