2022 Spring Home and Garden

Page 28 2022 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April / May 2022 2022 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April / May 2022 Page 29 Another tool that is needed each year are plant tags. Smith grows a variety of similar plants, such as four or five types of tomato plant. As they sprout they all look alike so identify his varieties is very important. But, he doesn’t waste the extra money genuine plant tags. Instead he uses mini blinds. He finds old ones at stores such as Good Will and Pink Shutter and cuts them into five or six inch sticks. He writes the plant variety on the stick with a Sharpie and puts it in the tray. As the seeds sprout and become hardy, Smith transplants them into larger pots and if the weather is cooperating, he moves them outside to his greenhouses. Smith has three portable greenhouses that he has purchased over the years at, of all places, Aldi’s in Lincoln. The store has in the past offered the greenhouses on sale for about $20 each and he’s bought them one at a time. He has also over the years collected some swing frames. He lines those up in a sunny spot in the back yard, covers them with 3mil clear plastic and that becomes the greenhouse for the larger plants such as his tomatoes. The frames he’s gotten for next to nothing or even free from folks he knows who are wanting to get rid of them. The plastic he buys at local stores such as Ace, Farm and Home or Wal- Mart. He saves the plastic when he tears down the greenhouse and uses it multiple years. Now, there is no denying that Smith puts a lot of time into growing his plants from seed. He’s one who enjoys staying active and for him nothing he does is work. That may not be CONTINUED u When the seeds are well sprouted that is no longer needed and is removed so plants can grow to greater height before being transplanted into individual pots. Smith doesn’t spend a lot of money on the larger pots. Using something that is four to six inches, he has a collection of cottage cheese containers that he uses and he says that some of those folks who stop to visit the garden each year, bring him pots that he uses over and over again. He uses a simple wooden ruler to scrape off the excess, then adds plain water to the reservoir tray, puts on the clear plastic dome and takes the tray to live under the lights until the seeds are well sprouted. The clear plastic dome keeps the humidity inside the growing area. CONTINUED u