Rec and Sports

Growing Gooseberries

Tomatoes grow best in soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. For early crops in regions with winter frost, start plants indoors or in a hotbed five to seven weeks before night temperatures are expected to stay above 60; set the seeds 1/8 inch deep. When seedlings become about 1 inch tall, transplant them to individual 3- to 4-inch pots. Move the plants to the garden when night temperatures are expected to remain above 60.

To prepare the ground, scatter a 1-foot-wide band of 5-10-5 fertilizer at a rate of 1 1/2 pounds to every 25 feet of row; dig the fertilizer in thoroughly, and set the plants 2 to 3 feet apart in rows 4 feet apart. For later crops, sow seeds directly outdoors when night temperatures can be depended upon to stay above 60.

The genus is closely related to Cattleya, and the plants are sometimes difficult to tell apart. From the early days of hybridizing, laelias were crossed with cattleyas to such an extent that there are more laeliocattleyas than interspecific hybrids. Laelias are evergreen epiphytic plants, their size varying from 15cm (6in) to 1 in (3ft) tall. A number of the smaller growing species have pets. brightly coloured flowers held on upright sprays above the foliage for plants, such as Laelia cinnabarina, produce slender pseudobulbs with single, semi-rigid leaf. The larger nests such as L. crispa, resemble cattleyat while others, which include L. ar3ceste are more distinct with squarish pseudobulbs and a shiny single leaf Their flowers are carried on tall, slender flower spikes, at the end of which the large, 10cm (4in) blooms are held in a loose cluster.

Gooseberries grow in full sun or light shade, but do best in partial shade in the southern part of their growing area. They thrive in a moist highly organic, medium to heavy soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. For berries within two years, buy one- or two-year-old plants. Plant them about 5 feet apart in the fall, and set them 2 to 3 inches deeper than they grew in the nursery. Cut the plants back to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. During the first winter cut the original stubs and all but the six strongest canes to ground level; during the second winter cut out all but the original six canes plus the three strongest canes of the current year. During the third winter prune out all but the three strongest canes of that year’s growth plus three of the six canes of the first year’s growth. Each winter thereafter cut out the three oldest canes and all but three of the current season’s growth; thus each plant will produce fruit on one-, two- and three-year-old canes.

These plants are good, robust growers that grow with amazing ease and fora large, clustered plants within a few years The small-growing plants such as L. flava and L. cinnabarina need more specialist care because their pseudobuiln can easily shrivel and the plants quicien dehydrate as a result. Temperature for Laelia orchids is intermediate-growing (cool-growing for Mexican species).

Grow in 10cm (4in) pots of bark compost (growing medium). The smaller species can also be grown on bark. Water well during the summer but allow them almost to dry out in winter when resting. Give some shade in summer and full light in winter. Height: 15-100cm (6-36in).