Garden Wisdom Blog

Soil Blockers have been around for many years, but their popularity is spreading fast, largely by word of mouth. Using this Soil Block recipe and Soil blockers will eliminate the need for plastic seedling trays and insert flats, so they represent an ecologically sound alternative for people who find themselves starting masses of seeds. A soil blocker creates individual cubes of lightly compressed soil. A single seed is planted in each block and grown into a seedling to the stage it is ready to transplant into the garden – or into a larger soil block. Because the sides of each soil...

One of the facts about carrots is that the wild ancestors of the modern carrot (Daucus carota sativus) probably first appeared in the regions of modern Iran and Afghanistan. The plants were cultivated primarily for their aromatic leaves and seeds, as the roots were woody, bitter, and white. Centuries of selective breeding resulted in softened the roots and increased the sugar content, but it wasn’t until the 17th century when Dutch growers produced the familiar orange carrot we know and grow today. The culinary versatility of carrots, combined with their nutrition, ease of growth, and centuries of cultivation, has resulted...

Have you heard the chickadees chatting about their spring plans? Yes, spring is on the way. The birds know it and the plants know it too, as the tiny tops of bulbs begin to emerge from the soil. Gardeners are good at celebrating spring. In the winter, we dream of future plants, making garden plans and ordering seeds. When spring comes, we’re more than ready for action. But what action should you take? Here’s what you can do to get your garden ready for the season. As we stand on the cusp of spring, take stock of any vegetables that...

Learn how to attract hummingbirds. The two most common hummingbird species in British Columbia are the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) and Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna). The Rufous is a migratory species that usually appears in the Lower Mainland around the middle of March, and stays throughout the summer. These birds migrate as far north as Alaska, and then take their winter months primarily in Mexico. Anna’s Hummingbirds are found mainly along coastal North America from Alaska in the north down to Baja California. These birds often stay in one area all year round, and they can be quite territorial. Anna’s...

Predatory nematodes can be applied in the spring to combat chafer beetles, wireworm, and other soil dwelling beetle larva. Predatory nematodes are effective against over 250 species of insect pests. Only insects that have a soil dwelling stage (egg, larvae, pupae or adult) can be controlled by nematodes. Therefore, the nematodes are best used as a preventative. In field crops they infect cutworms, grubs, root borer larvae, root weevil larvae, flea beetle larvae, carrot rustfly larvae and other pests. Parasitic nematodes invade and destroy white grubs, pill bugs eggs & larvae, Japanese beetle larvae, crane fly larvae, and other harmful...