Used coffee grounds – myth vs fact

Good morning, There is a lot of information on the web regarding the use of used coffee grounds and gardening. I am hoping you can answer the questions below: 1. can i put my used coffee grinds in my “cold”…

Spring bulb treatment

My daffodils and tulips are nearing the end of their blooming season. Shall I leave them in the ground or dig up the bulbs, dry them out, and replant them in the fall? If I dig them up should I…

Potting Soil for Planters

I have big planters ( indoor and outdoors ) Should the entire planter be filled with soil ? I’ve heard that a filler can be placed half filling the planter , what would be a light filler material before we…

Soil condition

I live in North Toronto near Eglinton Park, which used to be a brick yard. The soil in our backyard is clay. We have a number of trees shading the garden and we are the lowest yard so we get…

Cattle Manure

Hi I live in zone 5, Ottawa. I need cow manure but all I see available online now is cattle manure with spagnum moss/peat. Is this okay for my perennial flower bed?…

Compost that does not contain plastic

Are there brands or varieties of bagged compost that do not contain plastic waste, such as small pieces of plastic bags? In recent years the bagged compost I’ve got at garden centers and such contains pieces of plastic, that look…

Leaf covering for the winter

…..we have placed garden leaves over our flower beds for the winter for the first time and we are wondering when would be the ideal time to remove them to the benefit of the wee beasties below ??………

Winter Compost Piles (Street Side Left Behinds)

Hi, Regarding Compost Zone 5B. Street side leaf pick up comes every year in late October here in Cambridge. Last year a large amount of product was left behind and is still sitting curb side in late Jan 2020. Is…

Adding Earthworms to Raised Beds

We’ve had 3 large (10′ x 3′ x 27″ high) planter boxes built and filled them with CIL Enriched Triple Mix and a thick layer of cedar mulch. I want to introduce some earthworms into the soil but given the…