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Use cold frames to extend the growing season

You don’t have to stop gardening after the first frost. You can easily use a “cold frame” to keep producing late into the fall and early winter. The main difference between a raised garden and a cold frame is that a cold frame captures and retains heat. Raised beds can also offer the opportunity to be used as cold frames because the bed warms quicker than the ground. You will need to cover it with a lightweight clear plastic cover or a discarded window sash when it gets cold to get the heating effect. The cold frames act like mini greenhouses because they capture the heat ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...

DEAR ANNIE: Grandma stuck between two parenting styles

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and I absolutely adore our grandchildren, and spending time with them is one of the great joys of our lives. The problem is that our son and daughter-in-law have very different parenting styles, and we keep finding ourselves caught in the middle. Our son is much more relaxed about things like bedtime, sweets and screen time. Our daughter-in-law is stricter and likes to keep the children on a very specific routine. For example, our son will tell us it is fine if the kids stay up late watching a movie, but later our daughter-in-law will be upset because they were ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: No ice water on orchids is allowed

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve seen a few of your columns regarding watering orchids with ice. According to Arthur Chadwick of Chadwick & Son Orchids, orchids are tropical and can be damaged by ice water. Regular watering with room-temperature water is best. — Steve L., via email Steve, I think people want to give the orchid a slow watering, but you’re correct. Room temperature is actually a safer way to water any tropical plant. Tropical plants are beautiful but require a little more care than a regular houseplant. — Heloise DEAR HELOISE: A couple of weeks ago, my cat was very ill ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Explaining DRESS syndrome

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you explain what happened to me with a condition called DRESS syndrome? I had back-to-back urinary tract infections (UTIs) that were about six weeks apart. For the first one, I was treated with three days of an antibiotic, and it went away. For the second, I was given another week of the same antibiotic. My UTI symptoms improved quickly, but after three days on the antibiotic, I developed a rash. I first noticed spots on my legs, but by the next morning, they were on both of my legs and arms with some on my belly and upper back. The following day, I had fever, ...