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Show April 23-Ap-rfl 29, 1981 FOCUS 5D Gairiemers a Mead Start A remote controlled alarm reminds Maryann Chapman to stoke up the wood stove in the greenhouse. p.m., Maryann said the alarm beeps her CB so she stokes the stove and it usually doesnt go off again until S a.m. "It costs us about $6 a month to heat the two greenhouses, she said. Besides the danger of sudden frost, there is also the possibility of allowing the greenhouse to get too hot. At high altitudes fewer ultraviolet rays are filtered out of the afternoon sunlight and burning the plants becomes as great a hazard as freezing them. To circumvent this problem, Phillip installed a vent which automatically opens when the temperature reaches 90 degrees. Even though the Chap mans have ingeniously found a way to control our otherwise uncondusive climate, there have still been other hurdles to overcome. Once the plants began to thrive, slugs, and mites decided die Woodland Nursery might be a fine place to spend the winter. Not willing to resort to chemical fumigation, Maryann went to the drugstore and purchased "the stinkiest and cheapest pipe' tobacco I could find." The pests were smoked out in no time. In keeping with their abstinence from chemicals Maryann uses manure and woodash as her only fertilizer. It seems to work the Chapman's havent pur chased a vegetable from the grocery store in 13 years! As Maryann walks over to the newer and larger greenhouse, there is a sense of excitement about the impen- ding rush of customers. "Last year, we were sold out by June 1, Maryann recalls. "We've planted twice as much this year and hope to keep our prices the same." One of the Chapmans' most valuable commodities doesn't carry a price tag. "I love to answer questions." Maryann says. "We have a large library and we've experimented with a lot of varieties." Best of all their experience has been gained Maryann recommends watering once a day with warm water. in a backyard similar to our own. Maryann isn't going to recommend a 90 day egg- plant but she has discovered a white eggplant with a shorter growing season. In the vast and confusing tomato department. Maryann recommends the over the cherry. salad-tomat- Heinz and Pole King (though she carries these too) for its 50 day growing season and its versatility in salads, sauces and for canning. Soon the Woodland cash register will be ringing Already cardboard full-tim- e. flats are stacked to the ceiling and bulk seed bins are marked with the price Woodland Nursery sells seed in bulk. The besl way to determine how much you need is to know how long your rows are. per ounce. ("I don't know the equivalent of a packet of seeds but if you tell me your rows are I can tell how much you need." you says Maryann of the bulk method.) Next to the counter how-lon- are burlap sacks full of disease-fre- e guaranteed Idaho russets. Gardening is definitely a work." says Maryann, who is in a position to know. "Most people though think that you spend most of your time weeding. It's not true. Most of the time is spent harvesting, if you're lucky." she adds with a smile. lot of |