P483 Teletext 483 Dec30 20:41:47 ————————————————————————— by FRED STRICKLAND DEC 30-JAN 1 ——————————————————————————————————————— WINTER TAR WASH Winter tar oil kills insects and their eggs on deciduous plants. It is used mainly on fruit trees and bushes. Spray or brush on before bud-break (often the end of January). Take care: it will harm any green growth, ponds and paintwork. Cover them up and wash off any drift. Read the instructions. Avoid windy days. ——————————————————————————————————1/5—— Weekend index 480 My weekend 482 SLIPPED UP ON A SOAP? p419 Pets Stars Recipe QuizP483 Teletext 483 Dec30 20:49:43 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND DEC 30-JAN 1 ——————————————————————————————————————— WEEKEND JOBS Early Veg Choose areas in which you want to sow early crops in February and March. Cover them with clear polythene, fixing it down with timbjt or soil. This will warm the soil. Grape vines Untie and lay the top half of the main stem (rod) out sideways. Tie it in. This makes more buds break lower down the stem. Tie it back up in spring when growth starts. ——————————————————————————————————2/5—— Where to put your cash in 1996 542 WEN B'HAM v WOLVES TICKETS p451 Pets Stars Recipe QuizP483 Teletext 483 Dec30 20:42:23 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND DEC 30-JAN 1 ——————————————————————————————————————— TO SOW EARLY OR NOT TO SOW EARLY Early flowers Sowing two months early produces flowers only two weeks early. Late-sown plants catch up quickly. Extra work With short days, low light and humid conditions, early-sown plants need a lot of attention. They also need potting on, using more heated space. Too little propagator space Get more in March by using windowsills indoors. ——————————————————————————————————3/5—— Drawbacks of the Microsoft Network 652 TAKE THE GRANDCHILDREN OUT! p672 Pets Stars Recipe QuizP483 Teletext 483 Dec30 20:40:31 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND DEC 30-JAN 1 ——————————————————————————————————————— WHAT TO SOW If you want to sow this early, plants to consider include: Small ones: for example annual lobelia take less space to grow on. Slow ones: fibrous and tuberous begonias are often sown early. Hollyhocks: Avoid "rust" disease. Sown now they will flower this summer. Tomatoes: only 3 or 4 plants can produce an early crop. ——————————————————————————————————4/5—— Fun & Games 450 Digitisjr 470 BUNDERMAN HAS THE PC ADVICE p653 Pets Stars Recipe QuizP483 Teletext 483 Dec30 20:48:06 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND DEC 30-JAN 1 ——————————————————————————————————————— CUTTING BACK DECIDUOUS HEDGES The end result Aim to cut back at least 6" further than the final line of the hedge. You can then build up a pattern of twigs over 2 or 3 years. Wildlife If you don't mind the looks of it, leave parts of the hedge intact to preserve the habitat. Cut them in two or three years when the remainder has grown back to provide shelter. ——————————————————————————————————5/5—— A look at hibernation habits 463 ALL THE LATEST COLLEGE/UNI NEWS p666 Pets Stars Recipe Quiz