CLOCHE ENCOUNTERS
Want to buy a little more time for your still-
productive summer plants--or maybe even grow your
cold-weather crops through winter? One way to
protect a plant from frost damage and give it a
little extra warmth is to cover it with a "cloche"
a device that's designed to trap sunlight
throughout the day and afford some frost
protection at night. There are all sorts of
commercial cloche-type devices available, but if
you're on a tight budget, you might try the ol'
milk jug approach.
Just cut around three sides of the bottom of a
well-rinsed gallon jug. Then fold out this bottom
flap and place the jug over the plant you want to
protect. You can put a rock on the flap to anchor
it, and maybe pile a little dirt or mulch around
the base of the jug. During the day, be sure to
uncap the jug so that excessive heat doesn't build
up. You may even need to prop up the jug on one
side to allow additional circulation on very warm
days. At night, put the cap back on to hold in the
warmth.
BULB MARKERS
If you've gone a little nutty planting bulbs this
fall, you may be in for a great spring-blooming
treat. But you may also have trouble remembering
what you planted and where it is, which means you
might run into trouble in a few months when you
go a little nutty digging here and there to get
ready for the spring season. To make sure you
give a wide berth THEN to areas where you plant
bulbs NOW, be sure to mark those spots in some
fashion. Even driving a short stake in a planted
location will remind you to be careful where you
dig--but better still, mark your fall planting
efforts with a label that identifies exactly
what's going to come up where.
