Garden Wisdom Blog

In the cool, damp, and dark season from late fall to early spring, not a lot is growing outside. Even the plants you may have under cloche protection or in the greenhouse will be growing slowly, struggling to turn the low light levels into useful energy for vegetative growth. This is the right time of year to learn about soil science and think about how you can improve your garden soil before new seeds are sown or transplants go out in the spring. There are four central issues that offer a better understanding of garden soil and how it can...

“Green manure” is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These plants can be as effective as animal manure in producing humus, thereby increasing soil fertility and structure. Green manure cover crops are inexpensive to plant, and serve multiple purposes. Best of all, they can be put to work during times of the year when growing food crops is not feasible. A central concept of organic gardening is the notion of feeding the soil. We literally add organic matter to the soil to provide food for...

Cilantro and dill are both good examples of umbelliferous plants. When these plants bloom, the flower structure is in a shape called an umbel — scores of tiny flowers arranged on a more or less flat or umbrella-shaped plane. Other umbeliform plants include carrot, Ammi, parsley, parsnip, celery, and fennel. Using these plants for this purpose is known as companion planting with umbellifers. Because of their flowers, all of these plants attract beneficial predatory insects. Because dill blooms relatively early in the year, it is particularly useful as a companion plant. Watch for ladybug larvae and adults hiding along the...

What is manure? Broadly speaking, manure is organic matter. Animal manure is the feces of animals—primarily of livestock like horses, cows, and chickens. It may be “pure,” but it often includes bedding or litter materials like straw or sawdust, in which case it will also contain animal urine. Facts about manure. Depending on the source, manure is very high in organic matter as well as nutrients essential to plant growth. As animals digest the plants and other food they eat, they are broken down by anaerobic bacterial action in their stomachs. Manure is, in some ways, like compost that has...

Why grow strawberries at all, when there are so many plump, juicy ones available in the grocery store? For me, that’s like asking, “Why grow tomatoes from seed when the stores have lots, even in winter?” Anyone who has enjoyed a home grown tomato will understand the inescapable truth about harvesting the fruits when they are truly ripe, and at the peak of their flavour potential. They do not compare to the relatively bland and watery tomatoes available in most grocery stores that are the product of a mass production greenhouse system. The luxury of harvesting truly ripe fruits for...