Category Archives: Advice

Advice, Books, Light, Technology, Tools

Growing Under Lights

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By Christine Freeburn, Master Gardener

Starting seeds indoors by setting them in a bright window can get you started growing vegetables and flowers early. If you have windows that face south and get full sun all day, you will have better luck, however the winter months can often be dull and cloudy, making your young seedlings struggle and stretch for the light. If you are a serious indoor grower, you will want to invest in some type of light system.

Many gardeners still use shop light fixtures with warm white and cool white fluorescent 40 watt bulbs.This type of light system still works and may be a good first step. LED lights are very popular and available as light bulbs or strip lighting as well as tabletop lighting systems.

FluorescentLED
Less expensive to purchase
Use more hydro
May be phased out of production
Need to be placed close to seedlings and raised as they grow to encourage more compact, bushier plants
Available in white (full spectrum) or red/blue combination which gives off a pinkish purple glow
Don’t give off much heat
Longer life
Higher cost to purchase
Less cost to operate
Do not place really close to plants as bleaching may occur

Natural sunlight has all the colours of the spectrum, so having lighting with a full spectrum will be the best. Plants need light for photosynthesis and they like the red and blue which are at each end of the light spectrum. Blue light helps with plant growth and keeps your plants compact, while red light is important for leafy growth and flowering.

Most seedlings should get about 16 hours of light each day. Invest in a timer that will automatically come on around 6 am and shut off around 10 pm.

There are many types of lighting systems available with lots of price points.

Check out Nikki Jabbour’s article where she talks about her successes and a great variety of lighting options.

Another great article on growing under lights comes from The Garden Professors.

You can invest in a light meter or get the app on your phone to determine how much light is being given off and how far that light can reach. This is also good for testing what your houseplants are getting for natural light from your windows. Be aware that many of the plant lights available now in very stylish designs are not for seed starting but for growing happy, healthy houseplants.

Leslie Halleck’s book Growing under Lights (published in 2018) has all the information you need about lighting for seed growing and plants. In her book, you can learn about kelvins, lumens, watts, footcandles, measuring light and photoperiods of specific plants you want to start indoors under lights.

I found her explanation of photoperiods interesting. This is basically how much light or darkness is needed for a specific plant to flower. For example, for poinsettia to bloom, they need a short day photoperiod, with 14 hours of darkness, while a perennial coneflower requires a long day and so doesn’t flower until days are longer in the summer. Peppers and tomatoes are both warm season vegetables from the nightshade family that many start indoors. They are day-neutral, which means they grow well with 14-18 hours of light. Check here for a book review.

With a renewed interest in food security and growing our own food, starting vegetables under lights is a good step forward.

Advice, Health, Websites

Plant Therapy:  The Dirt on Why Gardening Makes us Feel Good

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By Amanda McIlhone, Master Gardener in Training

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”.  Audrey Hepburn

Gardening has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I retired from social work in 2019, I made the decision to spend my time focusing on things that truly made me happy. While my list was lengthy, gardening without doubt hovered very close to the top.

Currently, I am a Master Gardener in Training, and this is my very first post for this blog. As I was deciding on a subject to write about, it occurred to me that while all of us enjoy different aspects of gardening, we share a similar outcome: we garden because it makes us feel good. So let’s spend a few moments discussing what research says about why gardening—even in small amounts—is good for us.

Given that this topic is vast and my word count is limited, I am going to break our discussion into two parts. This article will focus on a few of the mental health benefits gardening provides. In my next article, coming this June, I will focus on the physical benefits of gardening. Let’s get started!

Gardening Benefits for Our Mental Health

  • Being around nature lowers cortisol, our body’s primary stress hormone.
  • Soil contains beneficial microbes that help stimulate “feel-good” chemicals in the brain. When our bodies come into contact with these microbes—through our skin or lungs—chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins are triggered. All of these help regulate mood.
  • Exposure to natural light boosts vitamin D, which also plays a role in mood regulation and overall health.
  • Successfully growing plants—even small wins—creates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. 
  • Problem-solving in the garden (soil issues, pests, timing) strengthens confidence and resilience while helping keep our brains stay active and engaged.
  • Gardening encourages creativity without pressure or judgment. Creativity itself also helps trigger the “feel-good” chemicals mentioned above.
  • Repetitive gardening tasks, such as weeding, pruning, or even logging plant progress, promote mindfulness by helping us stay present rather than focused on worries or fears.
  • Gardening promotes community in many forms—and community decreases isolation while improving connection.

The practice of gardening compels us to slow down and focus on the task at hand. It requires thoughtful planning, encourages creativity, and rewards us with beauty and bounty for our efforts. In a world that loudly demands we hurry, gardening asks us to be patient, reminding us that nature operates on its own timing and schedule

Slowing our pace in a busy world is crucial to our well-being. For me, one of the best parts of working toward becoming a Master Gardener is knowing that I am part of something bigger than simply growing plants. While the role of a Master Gardener typically focuses on public education and environmental stewardship, it also provides us with an opportunity to help improve people’s lives. For me, this is the perfect way to do something for myself while simultaneously helping others. Does it get any better than that?

Happy Gardening!

Links:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/think-act-be/201906/10-mental-health-benefits-of-gardening

https://vancouversun.com/homes/gardening/dig-in-how-gardening-can-enhance-mood-brain-function

https://www.gardeners.com/blogs/wellbeing-articles/gardening-for-mental-health-9761

https://resources.telushealth.com/en-ca/6-health-benefits-of-gardening

Advice, Herbs, Links, Native Plants, Seeds, Vegetable Gardening, Winter Sowing

Seed Snails – A Good Way to Start Seeds?

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by Emma Murphy, Master Gardener

It’s wintertime – the snow is high, the temperatures are low, and I’ve already completed my winter sowing. So what’s a gardener to do?

Other than catching up on my garden reading, I like to experiment with new things, and one thing I’ve been seeing for a couple of years now are “seed snails” or snail rolls – a clever, coiled method of starting seeds in tight spaces. I’m going to try it this week, so I did a little research.

So, what is a garden/seed “snail”?

A garden snail is a roll of material lined with seed starter mix, then coiled so it looks like a snail shell. Seeds are sown into the exposed spiral of soil, where they sprout and grow until you unroll and transplant them.

Instead of dozens of trays, you stand the snails upright in a container, which makes this method very space efficient. It’s become popular with gardeners who want to start lots of plants indoors before the last frost and who have limited space.

Sprouting seed snail (source: North Shore Gardening Life)

Seed snails concentrate many seedlings in one compact, easy-to-move bundle. So, you can tuck them under grow lights, on a bright windowsill, or use them in winter-sowing containers outdoors.

The continuous column of soil encourages deep, downward root growth instead of circling in a small cell. When transplant time comes, you simply unroll the snail, tease the seedlings apart, and set them into pots or the garden once the risk of frost has passed.

​How to make your own garden snails

The basics – take a strip of plastic or bubble wrap, wax paper (or other suitable material) about 15–60 cm long and 10–15 cm high, quality seed-starting mix, elastic or tape, a tray, and labels. Spread moist seed starting mix along the strip, about 1–2 cm thick, leaving a bare section at one end so it will roll easily.

Roll it up gently into a spiral, secure it, then stand it on end in a tray. Firm the soil from the top and plant your seeds into the visible spirals at the recommended depth, misting lightly and covering with plastic to hold humidity until they germinate.

Seed Snails ready to go! (source: North Shore Gardening Life)

There are many sites on the internet to learn more about the process (some good, some not so good), so I’ve put two good Canadian ones below that really helped me. There are definitely some pros and cons to this method.

If you have used this technique yourself, please comment and let us know what you think?

Start Your Seeds in a Snail Roll! North Shore Gardening Life (Nova Scotia) Super helpful in visualizing the process.

Snail Roll THE New Way To Start Seeds Gardening in Canada – Gardening in Canada (Ashley) Science-based video (10 min) on the method, pros/cons, what soil etc.  

I’m going to try some veggies, herbs, annuals (sweet peas), and native plants, all using different options, and I’ll report back on my experiments in a later blog.

Seed placement – for larger seeds push them down into the soil (source: North Shore Gardening Life)

Common Mistakes with the Seed Snail Method

I thought I’d list a few of the most common seed snail pitfalls I discovered so that hopefully you (and I) can avoid them.

1. Rolling or sowing the wrong way

Sowing seeds before rolling often leads to seeds shifting, spilling, or ending up too shallow or too deep in the spiral. A more reliable approach is to roll the snail first, then plant seeds from the top where you can control depth.

2. Planting too many kinds of seeds in one snail

Mixing different varieties or species in a single snail makes it hard to tell which seedling is which, especially when some don’t germinate. Use only one crop (and ideally one variety) per snail, making shorter rolls if you need fewer plants.

3. Overwatering and poor moisture balance

It’s easy to overwater snails, especially early on, causing poor germination and weak seedlings. Snails also dry out quickly because they contain little soil, so you need careful, even watering over the entire spiral rather than just one side or one edge.

4. Too little soil and wrong mix

Very thin snails or mixes with lots of perlite hold little water, so roots dry quickly and capillary action from the tray is limited. A slightly thicker layer of seed-starting mix with good water-holding but not heavy or compacted works better for this method.

5. Skipping labels and timing info

Label your snail with variety and sowing date. Knowing when you sowed helps you decide whether to wait longer or resow.

6. Letting seedlings stay in the snail too long

Because each snail holds so little soil, seedlings can become root-bound and stressed if not transplanted or potted up promptly. Unroll/pot on once seedlings have a couple of true leaves, rather than waiting until they are tall and leggy.

7. Covering or enclosing without checking

Covering snails with plastic for humidity is helpful but use clear coverings you can monitor and keep them on just long enough to maintain moisture until germination is underway.

Advice, Fertilizer, Houseplants, Soil, Websites

Plant Myth Busters: Houseplant Watering Edition

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By Brandi McNeely, Master Gardener in Training

Information about houseplant care is everywhere — online articles, social media, blogs, friends, and self-proclaimed plant experts. It’s easier than ever to find quick tips and tricks, whether it’s a two-minute TikTok or a viral Pinterest post promising the “secret” to healthier plants. But with so many voices out there, a lot of the information being shared is inaccurate or misleading. So what advice actually helps your plants and what might be doing more harm than good? Here are a few examples of care tips to avoid, and why.

Watering On a Schedule

When looking at plant care guides online, you will sometimes see “water once a week” or “water every 7 to 10 days” under watering directions. The problem is, plants don’t adhere to a schedule when it comes to water. Variables like soil, light and humidity can affect the amount of water required for a plant to thrive. In winter months when light is in short supply and photosynthesis slows, plants will naturally use less water than in summer months. It’s better to check the moisture levels in your soil to determine whether it’s time to water.
Read more here:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/how-to-water-indoor-plants

Banana in Your Watering Can

Place a banana in your watering can and your plants will love it! Here’s the problem – plants require specific minerals and nutrients to survive. A rotting banana peel in your watering can is not feeding your plants, it’s providing an anaerobic environment that promotes bacterial growth and can attract pests. Any nutrients that a banana has to offer need to be broken down into usable forms that your plant can absorb. That goes for coffee grounds and egg shells too. If you can’t compost those materials before use, you’re better off with a balanced fertilizer designed for houseplants.
Read more here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/banana-peel-water-for-plants

Bottom Watering is Best

I’ve seen this trend a lot recently on TikTok, and it isn’t a bad method of watering if you include a caveat: you need to periodically flush salts that build up in your soil. The benefits of bottom watering include deterring fungus gnats and reaching the whole root system, but if you never top water and let your soil drain, you’re allowing harmful salts to build up over time. It’s ok to bottom water, but it shouldn’t be your only method.
Read more here:
https://holubgreenhouses.com/bottom-watering-vs-top-watering-which-method-is-best/

Misting Increases Humidity

I hate to break it to you, but misting your plants does not increase ambient humidity. When you mist, humidity surrounding the leaves may increase for a minute or two, but not enough to have an impact on your plant. Moisture sitting directly on your plant’s leaves can also increase the risk of fungal issues. If you want to raise humidity, use a humidifier. If you don’t have a humidifier, group your plants together. Plants release moisture when transpiring, and grouping your plants can create a micro climate with increased humidity.
Read more here:
https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/house-plants/misting-house-plants-necessary

With so much plant advice floating around, it’s easy to assume that popular means correct. The truth is, plants don’t care what’s trending, they care about light, water, nutrients, and environment. Learning the science behind plant care helps you filter out myths and make choices that actually support plant health. Keep asking questions, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to unlearn what you’ve heard. Have YOU ever followed a plant tip that turned out to be more myth than magic?

Advice, Bees & Pollinators, Birds, Books, Communication, Dreams, Fruits, Greenhouses, Health, Herbs, Houseplants, Information, Native Plants, Overwintering, Perennials, Propagation, Vegetable Gardening, Wildflowers

Time for Reading Garden Books

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by Christine Freeburn, Master Gardener

In this day and age, we spend so much time on our computers, googling all the information we want and need. But there is something about sitting by a sunny window on a cold winter’s day with a good book.

The winter months are a great time to pull out an old gardening book or invest in a new one. The days are now getting longer and spring is coming, but actual gardening is a few months away. Time to learn something new to help you improve your gardening skills. There are many good Canadian and zone appropriate books that can help you.

Below, I have listed a few of my favourite books on my bookshelf. I have also asked my fellow Master Gardeners to share their favourites. Some of the books are out of print, but check your local library, used book stores or online sites. Enjoy!

For the Houseplant Gardener

The New Plant Parent

Darryl Cheng gives advice that is full of common sense. He explains that leaves do die and plant care should be enjoyable, not a chore. He discusses basic requirements for healthy plants including the right light, soil care and proper watering. Great illustrations and nineteen plant varieties are listed in detail. Look for his newer books also.

For the Vegetable Gardener

Plant Partners

Companion planting has been around for years. Jessica Walliser gives us “science-based companion planting strategies” that help with disease and pests, improves soil and supports pollinators. Lovely illustrations throughout will have you dreaming of your next vegetable garden.

Growing Under Cover

Niki Jabbour is the Canadian half of the popular website Savvy Gardening (along with Jessica Walliser). She has several books out, but this one gives great information about how to reduce pests with row covers. Niki has several books out, so check them out.

The Kitchen Garden

Peterborough MG Silvia Strobl first toured Patrick Lima and John Scanlan’s garden on the Bruce Peninsula over 40 years ago and was inspired by both their colourful perennial and productive vegetable gardens. Each spring, she still refers to this book’s excellent information to refresh her memory on time to sow, spacing, thinning, harvesting, etc. for the vegetable crops she grows! Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but you may find a used copy online.

Incredible Edibles

This book by Sonia Day is recommended by Peterborough MG Deb Fraser. It is very basic for the beginner gardener. It answers when, where, how, as well as other questions for herbs and vegetables. She even gives a recipe for each plant. Another book that is out of print. Try used book sites.

Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices & Flavorings

Deb also suggests the Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices & Flavorings, a cook’s compendium by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz. Originally British but published in Canada by Readers Digest, 1992. It is beautifully illustrated and very detailed about the origin of herbs, spices, oils, sauces, coffees and teas around the world. She details the origin of these, how to cook with them and a recipe. When the weather is frightful with a nice warm drink in hand it makes for interesting reading, perhaps planning to add a few herbs to your garden next spring.

For the Perennial Gardener

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden

Peterborough MG Gladys Fowler’s favourite book is the Well Tended Perennial Garden. Tracy DiSabato-Aust’s book has an extensive encyclopedia of perennial species and cultivars and she explains the maintenance and pruning needs of each plant. The explanations and illustrations are excellent.

For the Native Plant Enthusiast

The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region

For Peterborough MG Emma Murphy, definitely this one on native plant gardening – for our region, gives everything you need to know about growing the plant, including propagation, wildlife value and what butterflies and moths it is a larva host for. For a full book review she did on Rick Gray and Shaun Booth’s book when it was published in 2024 click here.

A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee

Peterborough MG Sharleen Pratt says this book by Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla not only goes into great detail about Ontario native plants, vines, shrubs and trees, but it also encourages us all to think about the spaces we create so that pollinators can thrive.

For the Environmentalist

Our Green Heart

Peterborough MG Carol Ireland says it feels good to sit down and read something that requires absolute attention while at the same time causes you to make all the connections between what you are reading and the place trees have in the survival of our planet. This one by Diana Beresford-Kroeger is also on my reading list!

What is your favourite gardening book? What do you have on your list to find and read next? Eleven more weeks till spring!

Check out previous reviews on our website

Favourites From My Bookshelf

Four Great Books

Advice, Dreams, Garden Cleanup, Garden Design, Websites

Gardening Resolutions

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By Marjorie Vendrig, Master Gardener in Training

We all start January with a list of hopes and plans for the coming year; some of us making resolutions for better nutrition and exercise, or improved habits for work and family. Resolutions are distinct from plans and projects and, when put into practice,  resolutions simply become new habits or routines. Gardeners have endless lists of projects and plans along with many resolutions as they prepare for a new gardening year. As with nutrition and exercise, it’s not easy to develop new habits and to maintain these throughout the year. One of the reasons I decided to become a Master Gardener was to acquire new knowledge and skills and update my habits and routines as a gardener.  I felt I needed a solid commitment to learn and educate, and after almost two years in, I am on the road to changing old habits and learning new ones.

When I moved from a large rural property to a small urban lot, paradoxically garden cleanup became much more complicated. I no longer had a large compost system, and there were bags and bags of leaves and garden waste that neighbours set on the curb every week in the autumn.  My Master Gardener course work helped me understand more about soil composition and why and how much of this garden waste could be used in my own garden.  My resolution was to keep all the leaves for mulch and soil improvement –  I didn’t want to put a single bag out on the curb yet I also wanted a fairly ‘tidy’ garden. After a few years trying different methods, I use my mulching lawnmower and have developed techniques and  habits that allow me to avoid the cumbersome and awkward garden waste bags.

Over the holidays, I’ve taken a casual survey asking for gardening resolutions for 2026. Family and friends –  some experienced gardeners, some new homeowners, along with gardeners interested mostly in vegetables, or in houseplants, in garden design or any other of the many aspects of gardening  – have sent me their thoughts on what they resolve to do as gardeners in 2026. The results aren’t surprising, one friend commented that when she looked over her list, she realized she had made the same resolutions for the last ten years! Making the same resolution year in, year out does not equate with failure, it simply means that it’s an important goal, one that’s important to maintain.

As you glance through this list, I’m sure you’ll nod your head in agreement, there might be a few that you will add to your own list, or even some where you can say it is no longer on a list because it  is without thinking. Generally, with the gardening season still far off, gardeners hope to avoid over consumption, have an interest in native plants and informed gardening.  The following resolutions are pretty straightforward; most are fairly manageable tasks.

  1. Plan garden projects in advance, keep notes of successes and failures.
  2. Prune for shape but also at the right time of year.
  3. Buy only what will get planted right away – and have the space prepared.
  4. Buy only the right plant for the right spot.
  5. Water and fertilize house plants on a regular basis.
  6. Source plant material from Canadian or local growers.
  7. Stay on top of deadheading, particularly to encourage new blooms.
  8. Learn more about growing and pruning clematis (or dahlias, or roses, or fruit trees, or anything else!!)
  9. Buy only what grows in my zone.
  10. More focus on native plants.
  11. More focus on plants to promote pollinators.
  12. Try a few new veggies in the garden.
  13. Fertilize, particularly with compost tea – and keep to a schedule for fertilizing.
  14. Learn more about pest control.
  15. Get better at composting.
  16. Stay on top of goutweed (or other invasives) eradication.

For me, these next two are the most interesting and in some ways, the most challenging:

  • Consider how AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be influencing gardening information or trends and respond accordingly.
  • Make gardening more fun, less work and obligation

References for additional resolutions:

https://www.gardendesign.com/holiday/new-years-resolutions.htm

https://thedailydirt.com/2025/12/26/gardening-resolutions-to-consider-for-2026/

www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/9748-tree-pruning-guidelines.pdf

https://www.almanac.com/new-years-resolutions-gardeners

Advice, Drought, Garden rejuvenation, Information

Growing Wilderness in the United Kingdom

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By Thom Luloff, Master Gardener in Training

This autumn, I’ve had the incredible experience of doing a teaching exchange at Hartpury University in Gloucestershire, England.  In between teaching, hiking, and bird banding, I was able to cycle over 300 miles of beautiful English country lanes, stopping at castles, nature reserves, and some incredible gardens along the way.

Hidcote Manor

Walking through the gates of Hidcote Manor in the Cotswolds, it is easy to feel as though you’ve stepped into a painting. The clipped hedges, winding paths, and carefully designed garden rooms are alive with the hum of pollinators and the flutter of birds. Down the road at Sudeley Castle, wildflower meadows are stitched into the landscape, part of a growing movement in the UK to “rewild” gardens, restore soils through regenerative farming practices, and build habitats that bring nature (yes, hedgehogs!) back into cultivated spaces.  Interactive songbird huts, topiary animals, and forest school playforts do their best to situate nature at the heart for all ages.

Hidcote Manor

As a Conservation Biologist, this experience has offered very good perspective.  In Britain, every hedge, flower border, and restored meadow is a choice made against the backdrop of land pressure. With centuries of agricultural intensification and urban sprawl, biodiversity has been whittled down and what is left is very small, isolated, and still heavily managed by humans.  The birds that flit in the hedgerows, the butterflies in the long grasses, and the rare orchids tucked into meadow corners are treasures precisely because they are fragile—and rare.

Hidcote Manor

This sense of loss combined with preciousness shapes the way the British approach gardening: nature is folded into design not as ornament but as necessity. Even the grandest estates now showcase pollinator gardens, bird-friendly planting, and soil-friendly techniques that acknowledge the land’s limits.  My teaching partner in the department here summed this up pithily when she said: “We don’t conserve wilderness, we have to grow it alongside our tomatoes.” 

Hidcode Manor

This past summer, much of Britain faced a severe drought. Gardens once lush with green lawns and blooming perennials turned brittle and brown, testing the resilience of even the most historic estates. For visitors, it was a stark reminder that climate change is rewriting the rules of gardening everywhere. Those manicured, clipped expanses of green that once symbolized order and wealth are now increasingly viewed as unsustainable. Pressure is mounting for landowners to let go of the perfect lawn and instead embrace wilder, woodier landscapes that store carbon, provide shade, and create habitat for wildlife. What was once considered unruly is being reimagined as resilience—an acceptance that in the face of climate change, neatness cannot take precedence over nature.

For Canadians, the contrast is striking. Canada is a country of seeming abundance: boreal forests that stretch for thousands of kilometers, wetlands that teem with migratory birds, and prairies that still hold echoes of bison herds. Diversity here can feel endless, and because of that, sometimes it is taken for granted.  

Yet, abundance should not breed complacency. Canada faces its own ecological crises—loss of grasslands, declining pollinator populations, and habitat fragmentation in every province. There is much to learn from Britain’s careful stewardship of what little remains, especially in recognizing that a garden is not just personal space, but part of a shared ecological fabric.

Standing between the flower borders of Hidcote and the meadows of Sudeley, the lesson is clear. British gardens show how intentionality can transform even limited landscapes into havens of biodiversity, while Canadian gardens remind us of the wealth we still have—and the responsibility to protect it. In both places, the garden is more than a private retreat. It is a living classroom, teaching us how to care for what is precious, whether rare or abundant, in a changing world.

Thom Luloff is a Professor of Conservation Biology at Fleming College.

https://sudeleycastle.co.uk/what-to-do/gardens
Advice, Houseplants, Propagation

The Price of Growth: How Plant Propagation Shapes Plant Prices

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By Brandi McNeely, Master Gardener in Training

While shopping for plants at my local big box store recently, I came across a beautiful Monstera Thai Constellation at a reasonable price. If you’re a plant collector like me, you might think, that’s awesome! If you’re not, you might ask, what’s a Thai Constellation, and what’s the big deal?

Serious plant collectors can tell you what’s trending in the market and the crazy prices these plants sell for. Thai constellations are a natural sport of standard Monsteras, with showy variegated leaves (whereas the standard plant is solid green).

In the last few years, specimens have been selling for hundreds of dollars in specialty shops – but now they are readily available in large quantities at relatively low prices in big box stores. Why the change? To understand this, you need to understand propagation techniques.

Seed Starting

When you purchase your annual flowering plants in the spring, chances are they were started from seed at the nursery. Many plants (marigolds, zinnias, and celosia) are easy to start from seed and grow quickly, making seed starting a cost effective method of propagation for nurseries. So easy in fact, that many people start their own at home using this same method.

Division

Some plants are propagated using division. Think of your garden in the Spring when hostas begin popping up. You can use a spade to cut the plant in two, instantly doubling your plants. Some tropical plants are propagated using this method, including snake plants and calathea.

Grafting

Grafting is the horticultural technique of joining two different plants to grow together as one. When you purchase a Honeycrisp apple tree from a garden center, the tree is a Honeycrisp stem (scion) grafted onto the rootstock of another apple variety. Honeycrisp won’t grow true to seed and must be grafted in order to produce true fruit.

Cuttings

Have you ever cut a stem from a house plant and rooted it in water on a windowsill? Nurseries use this technique on a much larger scale. Using stem cuttings and growing medium, nurseries can produce large quantities of plants for sale (although this does require time to allow the cuttings to grow into small plants). Pothos are a great example of plants that are easily propagated through stem cuttings.

Tissue Culture

This brings us back to the Thai Constellation. Monsteras are easily
propagated through stem cuttings, but growing one variegated offshoot
for stem cuttings takes time. Tissue culture is a relatively new practice in the houseplant industry, where plant tissue is grown in a nutrient rich medium to produce a large volume of plants in a laboratory setting. These plants are a clone of the mother plant, ensuring consistent characteristics within large scale production. Tissue culture can produce plants on a large scale fairly quickly, driving down the cost of new, rare variations.

One plant can take years to grow into a small, steady supply of plants. Low supply and high demand results in high prices for buyers.

With advancements in propagation methods like tissue culture, the once-exclusive world of rare plants is becoming more accessible to everyday plant lovers. What was once only available to collectors willing to pay top dollar can now be found in the garden section of your local store.

Understanding how propagation influences both supply and cost helps explain market trends and reminds us that behind every “rare” plant, there’s often a bit of science making it possible for more people to enjoy its beauty.

Advice, Planting, Shrubs & Trees

Where’s the Flare?

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By Lois Scott, Master Gardener

Let’s talk root flares on trees.  The root flare is the part of the tree where the trunk turns into the roots and the root flare needs to be at the soil surface. 

Photo:  Root flare of a young Ironwood tree, Ostrya virginiana in author’s garden.

People are often counseled that plants should be planted in the ground at the same level they were planted in the pot.  In my tree and shrub planting experience I have usually found the root flare submerged in the potting medium.  If I planted at this same level, it would mean their roots would be buried too deeply.  Roots need oxygen and when they don’t get enough, they are not efficient at taking up water or nutrients which thereby starves the rest of the plant.  Some trees can struggle along for a number of years but extra soil on top of fine roots can mean an early death sentence for your tree.  It gives some truth to the adage “plant it high it won’t die, plant it low, it won’t grow”.

Photo:  This shrub’s root flare was buried approximately 9 cm in potting medium.

When I bring home a woody plant, I like to get the potting medium off the roots by root washing the root ball.  Root washing is a process very well described by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott.  https://gardenprofessors.com/why-root-washing-is-important-an-illustrated-cautionary-tale/  It is helpful to have a dormant plant (although I don’t always practice what I preach) and to do this on a cool day in the shade.  I put the root ball in my wheelbarrow and use the hose to rinse/blast the potting medium off.   Sometimes this can take quite a while!  Then I look at the root ball to establish where the root flare is and to also check for and remove problematic circling and adventitious roots (roots that grow from non-root plant tissues such as stems).  When planting I backfill with the soil removed from the planting hole and mulch with a wood chip mulch.  It is best not to mulch with sheet mulching like cardboard or paper and never, never, never with landscape fabric.

Providing the best planting situation for your new tree or shrub will hopefully promote the best growth possible.

Photo: Picture of a perfect flare on a deciduous tree.

Resource

Chalker-Scott, L.  How Plants Work (2015).  Timber Press Inc, Portland, Oregon.

All photos by Lois Scott

Advice, Garden Cleanup, Health, winter

The Five Stages of November Gardening: From Denial to Hibernation

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By Mary-Jane Pilgrim, Master Gardener

November can be a odd and awkward time for gardeners. The blooms of summer are long gone, and even the hardiest plants are starting to fade. As we temporarily pack up our tools for winter, many of us go through something like the five stages of grief—only with more dirt under our fingernails than we usually have when grieving.

1. Denial
It starts with pretending the frost and snow aren’t really that bad. You convince yourself that a touch of frost won’t actually kill your tomatoes and that they’ll bounce back by noon when they get a bit warmer. Spoiler: They won’t.

2. Anger
Then comes the frustration. Why did you forget to cover the basil? Why didn’t the weather app warn you about that early freeze? You glare at the sky, muttering about how unfair it all is, and plan to move south at the earliest opportunity.

3. Bargaining
You start making deals with nature: “If I bring the pots inside, maybe they’ll survive.” You shuffle plants indoors, rearranging windowsills in a desperate act of hope with space in the south window at a serious premium. You conveniently forget that most plants won’t actually survive inside of our dry as a desert homes—but you’ve gotta try, right?

4. Mulching
Reality sets in, and you finally take action. You clean up the garden beds (leaving flower stalks for our nesting insects, of course), spread mulch, finally finish planting those tulip bulbs, and then tuck everything in for winter. The tools have been oiled and the mushy hosta leaves are in the composter, just in time for the fluffy stuff to start falling. It’s a quiet, grounding ritual—part farewell, part promise to return but mostly it’s acceptance of our fate as Canadians in a four season climate.

5. Hibernation
At last, peace. You sip tea by the window, dream over seed catalogs, and plan next year’s garden. November reminds us that rest is part of the growing cycle too—and even gardeners need a little dormancy.