As lawns and gardens appear from under blankets of snow, all the winter debris is revealed.  The urge to get the rake out and clean-up is great.  But wait!  Allow the ground to de-frost and dry up before cleaning up. …

As you plan your vegetable garden, include some flowering herbs and annuals in it to encourage the beneficial bugs to visit your garden.  This is especially important if you plan to grow vegetables such as zucchini and cucumbers which have…

Vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, beets, peas and radishes all enjoy cool soil and can be usually be planted starting in mid to late April – check the long range forecast first in case some very cool weather is coming…

To prevent soil compaction and damage to plant roots, wait until the soil is dry enough to crumble in your hand before walking and working in your garden. If you must step into the garden for some reason (to prune,…

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…

A few days of unseasonably warm temperatures does not mean that summer has arrived. We live in Southern Ontario and weather can be variable. Before deciding on what gardening chores you can do now, check the long range forecast. Look…

Students at the Colorado State University studied varieties of lettuce seeds to determine which were most resistant to bolting.  Batavian lettuce varieties, a cross between leaf lettuce and head lettuce,  came out on top.  The most resistant Batavian cultivars were…