A trap crop is one that you plant to attract pests away from a crop that you want to protect.  For example, you could sow a row of white turnip in advance of sowing your lettuce crop.  The flea beetle…

Seedlings started indoors need good air circulation.  Use a small fan on a low setting to simulate the outdoor breezes.  You may need to water more frequently.  If you don’t have a small fan, gently brush your seedlings with your…

Asparagus plants are either male or female.  The male plants tend to produce more harvestable spears as they do not have to expend energy on producing seeds.  Guelph Millenium is a Canadian all male hybrid variety of asparagus.…

Raised vegetable beds can be built from a variety of woods such as naturally rot-resistant red cedar or black locust.  Very effective raised beds can also be built by using the corrugated steel window wells – attach two together.  Pressure-treated…

To eliminate any overwintering insects and diseases on fruit trees, apply dormant oil spray as directed on the package.…

Late winter/early spring is a good time to prune your deciduous plants for structure, or to remove damaged, diseased and dead branches. The structure of the plant is more visible during the dormant season, which allows you to make more…

A wide variety of containers can be used to start seeds indoors – the containers that your salad greens came in, yogurt containers, pots that you have saved from last summer, purchased pots and cell packs from the garden centre. …

Start tuberous begonia tubers indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost date.  Place them in a shallow container filled with a growing medium that is porous but moisture retentive and does not contain fertilizer or manure.  Coarse sphagnum moss,…

Hard to believe when the ground is thick with snow and the air is frigid, but spring is not far away at all. Now is the time to prune out any damaged, diseased or tangled / crossed branches and stems…

Now that the days are getting longer, it is time to start to feed your houseplants. Give them half the recommended dosage of plant food every other week rather than full strength every month.  Be sure that the growing medium…