Category Archives: Soil

Compost, Garden Design, Perennials, Soil

Maintaining the Garden – Common Garden Practices

April 16, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Sharleen Pratt, Master Gardener in Training

Bed Preparation

This is probably one of the most important practices of gardening. How you prepare your soil will have huge implications on the health and survival of all your plants.
Heavy clay or stony soils are very challenging and can be quite intimidating, but an initial effort to either remove or amend the soil will go a long way in ensuring healthy plants. Two years ago, my husband dug a deep hole in preparation for building a small pond. All the clay, rocky soil was removed. In the end, we decided on a smaller water feature, so I filled the hole with the soil from my composter as well as some good quality garden soil. I ended up creating a garden bed that was rich in nutrients and a soil that had good water-holding capabilities. The following spring, I planted annuals in my ‘new’ garden bed. They were fantastic! The old saying, “Tend the soil, not the plants” is right on the mark! sharleenpratt

Perennial Division

Some perennials can get out of control quickly and benefit from division. One common problem of fungal infections in gardens are plants that are overcrowded without sufficient air movement. They can become spindly and weak and are more prone to disease, as well as insect attack. Remember that some perennials will divide easily while others will not be happy! It’s always best to check with your favourite garden centre or a good perennial book to find out the best time to do the division.

Plants will benefit from dividing when:

They are spreading into other plants
Shoots are popping up amongst other plants
There is a bare patch in the centre of the plant
They are leggy and sparse and not flowering well
Soil around the plant has become clumpy and hard

A general rule for perennials is to divide in early spring and just after flowering. Avoid hot, windy days and ensure that all newly divided plants are well watered for at least six weeks. Dividing is an excellent way to share your favourite plants amongst friends and your perennials will definitely benefit from the division.

Garden Design, Soil

Simple Pet Deterrent for your Garden

April 9, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Lee Edwards, Master Gardener

Do you have pets, yours or perhaps the neighbourhood pets, that constantly tramp through your garden beds, eat or damage your bulbs and flowers, and even worse, litter in your garden? We certainly do! Now, we love pets, but we’d much prefer them to stay out of our garden beds and away from our prized flowers and vegetables. cat-2539225_640

In this article, we’ll share with you our tried-and-true garden hack. A pet deterrent that is chemical free and not dangerous to pets; up-cycled, used, plastic forks, that have successfully deterred many a four-legged invader from our gardens.

How To:

Sink any colour, any size, used plastic forks, tine side up and close together in the ground all over your garden bed; about two inches apart is good. Make sure the forks are snug in the ground by tamping down firmly around them. Also, the stronger the quality of the forks use, the better they will withstand pet weight in the ground.

Then, cover the forked bed with mulch, or your favourite finishing topdressing such as river rocks, straw, etc. Leave about an inch of the fork tines showing above the mulch.

These prickly forks’ tines sitting just above the topdressing make it uncomfortable on the paws of animals thereby discouraging pets from walking through or laying down in the garden bed while maintaining the finished appearance of the garden.

Voila! A simple, eco-friendly, pet deterrent that dissuades pets from lingering in your garden.

Have Fun Gardening!

Lee Edwards is a Realtor, Master Gardener, and co-owner of Avid Gardeners-a Garden Consulting & Maintenance Company. She enjoys spending time with her family and best pal, Sir Max, along with reading, gardening and writing articles for online publications.

Children, Perennials, Seeds, Soil, Vegetable Gardening

Benefits of Gardening for Kids

April 2, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Amy Woodward, Master Gardener

Spring is upon us and summer is fast approaching…what a great time to introduce children to gardening. During the spring, children can start planting seeds indoors or plant cool weather crops outdoors. In the summer children can continue to plant and maintain the garden. During the fall children can harvest and enjoy what has been sown. amy

As I child I can remember countless hours spent outside in the garden. In this electronic age, many kids spend time indoors hidden behind a screen or television. This summer, encourage your kids to limit the amount of screen time and get outdoors and try gardening. Gardening is a healthy, fun activity that has many benefits for kids. I would encourage anyone who has considered planting a garden with children to do so.

Why kids should garden:

Creates more family time
Reduces stress
Encourages children to eat more vegetables
It is educational & healthy
It is good exercise
Helps reduce waste
Teaches responsibility

Getting Children Interested in Gardening:

Give children their own space such as a square foot garden or their own container
Supply children with their own tools
Plant flowers that attract insects
Grow interesting plants
Promote composting

Gardening activities:

Convert a sandbox into a garden
Set up a worm farm or make a bat house
Use eggshells to grown plants in
Plant in old rain boots
Make garden markers from rocks
Create a fairy garden
Make a small greenhouse

Recommended Gardening activities for kid’s websites:

https://kidsgardening.org/garden-activities/

https://www.kcedventures.com/gardening-with-kids

https://www.parenting.com/family-time/activities/10-inspired-gardening-projects-kids

Compost, Perennials, Pruning, Shrubs & Trees, Soil

Some tasks to get started on now…

March 26, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By MJ Pilgrim, Master Gardener

Spring is just starting to peek through the winter cold and soon it will soon be time to start getting your hands dirty again. Before you break out your trusty garden tools and seed packets, there are a few garden chores you need to tackle to get your garden off on the right foot.

Inspect Raised Garden Beds: Check garden beds for any damage. Over the winter, rain, snow and ice can damage the wood frames of a raised garden bed. Repair or replace as necessary.

Check Your Garden Tools: Get your garden tools a good wipe down and inspect for rust on the tool heads. Oil and sharpen if necessary, paying particular attention to wooden handles that show signs of splits or cracks; rub them down with boiled linseed oil.

Turn Your Compost: It’s time to turn your compost pile and check for any that is black and crumbly and thus ready to use. Making your own compost is free and a great way to amend your soil! Add compost to improve soil by scratching in finished compost into the top one inch of soil.

Top Dress Garden Beds: If you run short of home-grown compost, use well-seasoned manure to top-dress your garden beds in preparation for planting. If you planted a winter cover crop, now is the time to dig it into the soil in preparation for planting the beds.

Plan to Divide Perennials: Spring is a great time to think about dividing or moving plants around as you walk around your gardens. Any plant that has gotten too large or that has a bare spot in the centre is a good candidate. Sharing is a cost-efficient way to add more plants to your landscape, but be mindful of pests, disease, and weeds. Only share plants from your garden that are healthy and inspect plants from friends or plant sales thoroughly. If there are any signs of distress or discoloration, do not plant it in your garden.

Weed and Mulch: Eradicate those pesky early spring weeds (or late fall weeds that didn’t get attention) before they get too comfortable in your garden. Be careful of where you step as it will compact the spring soil. Remove any young weeds first and then put down a layer of mulch. Alternatively, you can plant your garden tightly with perennials, annuals, trees, and shrubs to crowd out weeds. Leaving bare earth anywhere is a recipe for a weed-infested space!

Prune: Remove any dead branches from shrubs, trees and perennial foliage after new growth has begun. Prune the spring bloomers, like forsythia and rhododendrons, as needed soon after flowering is complete. Thin and shape hedges after the first flush of new spring growth.

Taking the time now to complete a few essential spring garden tasks will bring you benefits for the rest of the season.

Links, Seeds, Soil, Vegetable Gardening

Seeds: All of the Dirt

March 5, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Judy Bernard, Master Gardener

Spring is almost here!

rucola-salad-plant-leaf — *Home gardening by Kaboompics, 2015, used under CC0 1.0.*

The seed catalogues have arrived and been perused. Seed varieties have been chosen and ordered. Or not. It’s not too late. It’s almost never too late to buy and plant seeds as different things can be planted almost throughout the growing season.

In addition to Canadian gardening catalogues, you can buy seeds at hardware stores and garden centres. If you are looking for something different, Seedy Saturday or Seedy Sunday is a good option. In Peterborough, it is held on the second Sunday in March at the Emmanuel United (formerly George Street United) Church basement. Many local growers grow their own seeds including many heritage varieties and share/sell the extras they don’t need. There is also the Peterborough Garden Show in April where you can buy seeds not generally available elsewhere.

Let’s get started:

You can buy soil specially prepared for starting seeds. It had the best texture for small seeds to be able to put down roots. The soil should be damp like a wrung-out sponge. Using clean containers, fill them with the potting soil. Read the package carefully for the needs of the seeds. Label your seeds carefully so you will know what you are growing.

Spread the seeds on top of the soil, and then add a dusting of the soil mixture using a sieve to the recommended depth on the package for small seeds. Larger seeds can be pushed gently into the soil. Gently pat the soil, so the seeds are in good contact with the soil. Spray the top of the soil with water. Place a plastic cover lightly over the seeds, allowing for some air circulation.

Some seeds need light to germinate, others don’t. Again, follow the directions. Seeds germinate best with a little heat. The top of the refrigerator is a good place to put them. Once the seeds have their second pair of leaves they can be transplanted into bigger containers. The nice thing about starting seeds indoors is that it can extend the growing season for you and give you many vegetables (or flowers) earlier than you would otherwise have if you just planted them directly. Other plants like tomatoes and peppers need to be started early as they have a longer growing season for them to mature before frost takes them.

Here are some interesting websites which including Starting and Planting calendars:
http://littlecityfarm.blogspot.ca/2011/01/annual-seed-starting-planting-calendar.html

http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/seeding-and-planting-calendar-vegetables

https://www.almanac.com/content/starting-seeds-indoors

Bulbs, Compost, Garden Design, Perennials, Shrubs & Trees, Soil

The Right Way to Plant Trees, Shrubs and Other Plants

February 26, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

by Lee Edwards, Master Gardener

The task of planting is among the many tasks avid gardeners faces every season. Therefore, we’ll focus on the proper way to plant trees, shrubs and plants thereby reducing transplant stress while promoting lush, healthy, plants and root growth.

1. Dig A Proper Hole

To achieve the correct hole size that allows a plant, tree or shrub’s roots to stretch out, dig a hole wider than the width of the plant’s container; about two to two and a half times wider, and as deep as but not deeper than the container’s depth. Then, water the hole.

2. Remove Plant From Container

Ease the plant from its container, gently pushing up from the bottom. If roots are densely packed outside the container (rootbound), loosen the roots before removing the plant. Do not pull on the plant’s trunk, stem or branches when removing from the container, as this may severely damage the plant.

3. Inspect and Prune

Once out of the container, inspect the plant thoroughly. Prune damaged, girdling (circling), dying roots, and suckers. Water the roots, wrap with moist paper, and place in a shaded area away from the wind until ready to plant (same day). If you plan to plant in a few days, cover the paper with mulch and water thoroughly.

For bareroot plants, prune, completely wet then wrap roots, and keep shaded until roots are fully hydrated. For burlapped and dug plants, cut away burlap/wires, prune, wet then wrap roots, and keep shaded until ready to plant.

4. Prepare Soil

Soil is important. Use the soil that was dug from the hole and amend it as needed; for example, add loamy soil to clay soil to ease denseness, or organic matter to sandy soil to slow the soil draining quickly. Ensure the soil is suitable for the plant being planted with sufficient nutrients to satisfactorily support and sustain the plant.

5. Plant Properly

The depth a plant is planted is important. If a plant’s crown is too far below soil level, stunted growth or crown rot may occur. A crown planted too high above soil level may cause sunscald and unnecessary drying out.

Place the plant in the pre-dampened hole and spread out its roots. Make sure the roots sit on firm soil with the crown slightly above soil level to safeguard the crown from sinking below soil level after watering. Fill the hole halfway with soil and tamp down with your hands. Water thoroughly to remove any air pockets. Fill the hole with the rest of the soil and create a shallow, bowl shape at soil level around the plant. Tamp down firmly.

6. Water and Mulch

To reduce transplant stress, water the roots slowly and thoroughly allowing the water to completely sink down and around the roots. Add mulch as needed to maintain moisture then water again. For the next six weeks, regularly water taking care not to allow the soil to dry out.

Have Fun Gardening!

Garden Design, Links, Perennials, Soil

Got the Winter Road Salt Blues? Some Advice on What to Plant

January 22, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners 1 Comment

by Emma Murphy, Master Gardener (Twitter @Hey_MzEmma)

It’s an unfortunate reality. We live in Canada and we get snow, lots of snow. And then there’s the ice. So our industrious public works folks are out there putting down road salt (sodium chloride) and sand to keep us moving. We also apply salt or sand on paths and walkways on our property. Unfortunately it seeps into the soil and kills plant roots. Road salt mixed with melted snow creates a mist that blows on to our properties, especially when cars splash through melted snow. Having lost a few very nice plants to a combination of huge snowbanks and road salt, I was curious about what plants can survive (and maybe flourish) in a front garden that inevitably gets doused in road salt.

What Does Road Salt Do?

The negative effects of road salt on humans and the natural environment have been well documented. The Smithsonian magazine has two great articles on the subject.
The Hidden Dangers of Road Salt What Happens to All the Salt We Dump on the Roads?

Road salt doesn’t just dissolve into thin air. It splits into sodium and chloride ions and gets absorbed into roadside plants, licked up by wildlife or accumulates in aquatic ecosystems—sometimes with devastating consequences. All that saltiness can help invasive or even toxic species spread, not to mention increase traffic danger due to deer and moose drawn to salt-covered roads. (From a gardening perspective, if you want to deep dive into the nasty things that happen to soil structure from salts, this article by the Soil Science Society of America provides some great insight.)

What Perennials Can Handle Road Salt?

Our Savvy Gardening friend Tara Nolan (@ThatTaraNolan) (who you may remember as a speaker from our 2017 Peterborough Garden Show) recently posted a great blog post on how we can combat the road salt challenge in our gardens.

Salt-tolerant Plants that will Survive in Road Salt-laced Soil

So what are some of Tara’s favourites salt-resistant plants?

Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’)
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Columbine (Aquilegia)
‘Karl Foerster’ reed grass (Calmagrostis acutifolia ‘Karl Foerster’)
Silver mound Artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana Silver Mound)

Some other ones I found doing an Internet search:

Rugosa roses (Rosa rugosa)
Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris)
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Catmint (Nepeta)

So, if your garden is looking less than wonderful due to winter salt damage, try some of these options!

Annuals, Bulbs, Compost, Fruits, Houseplants, Perennials, Shrubs & Trees, Soil, Vegetable Gardening

The Soil in Your Garden

January 8, 2018 peterboroughmastergardeners 1 Comment

by Christine Freeburn – Master Gardener

For the plants in your garden to be the best they can be, you need to start with the best soil you can make. Enhancing your soil with compost and manure is the best way to do this.

Soil provides physical anchorage for plants

You need your soil to have enough texture to hold your plants without being so heavy that it strangles them.

You should know what your SOIL TEXTURE is. To do this, you can try this simple test:

fill a quart jar one third full with a sample of your soil
dig down into the soil to get a sample
fill the jar with water, put the lid on tightly and shake well.

As the soil settles, you will be able to see different layers. The bottom level is the sand portion. Next will be silt. Silt has larger particles than sand, but smaller than clay. Last will be clay.

The amount of each that you have in your soil will determine what type of soil you have….clay, sandy, silty or any combination of these. The best soil is sandy loam, which is about 60% sand and 40% clay.

This will also tell you how your soil deals with water….does it drain well or hold and stay wet longer.

You can amend your soil to improve the texture, but it is a constant challenge. Sometimes it is better to accept what type of soil you have and grow plants that prefer a sandy soil or a clay soil.

Soil supplies water and nutrients to plants

When you water, water the soil and roots of your plants, not the leaf portions. Water is absorbed through the roots and channels up into the leaves.

pH

Another thing you should know about your soil is it’s pH…is it acidic or alkaline. pH has a scale of 1 to 10, with acidic soil have a low number. Most plants like 6.0 to 7.5. This is where they can best absorb the nutrients in your soil. You might have heard that plants like rhodendrons prefer acidic soil, which would have a lower pH.

Knowing the nutrients in your soil is important also. You can send away to Guelph University to get your soil tested, however that can be expensive. You can use an inexpensive soil testing kit also. It will also test for pH.

There are 3 big nutrients and these are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. You will be familiar with them as the three numbers on fertilizers. Many fertilizers are synthetic, however you can get organic types.

Nitrogen is for leaves and greening of your plants.

fish emulsion
blood meal

Phosphorus is for bloom

bone meal

Potassium is for roots and overall health of plant

wood ash
composted seaweed

Other natural fertilizers

animal manures – make sure they are well composted or they will burn your plants or be full of weeds
manure tea – dilute manure in water, let sit for a week, then water plants
comfrey tea – another good nutritional source
epson salts – put a tsp in hole when planting

Know your soil, it’s texture, pH and nutritional content

Grow the plants that will thrive in those conditions or be prepared to make amendments

Soil is a living thing which needs to be enriched on a regular basis

Compost and Topdress

Annuals, Bulbs, Compost, Perennials, Soil

Planting a Flower Patio Container – Things to Consider

June 14, 2017 peterboroughmastergardeners 1 Comment

by Pat Freistatter

Location of Container

Sunlight – how much sunlight will the container will receive – afternoon sun is hottest – choose plants for those light conditions

Viewing Container

larger leaves with coarse textures and tall spiky grass can be viewed from a distance and make a visual statement
fine textured plants invite you to look more closely at the detail
a taller pot may be needed if you want the flowers to be viewed from afar

Container Size and Material

Container needs to be big enough to hold enough soil for the growing season
Fiberglass or plastic pots do not dry out as fast as clay and other porous containers.
Three to seven 1 cm holes need to be drilled into the bottom of container for adequate drainage.

Soil Mixture Contents

Materials such coconut husk fiber and sphagnum peat moss help retain water
Black earth (humus), composted manure, perlite, lime, and fertilizer support plants throughout growing season.

Colours and size of plants

White flowers catch your eyes and help other darker colours jump out
A variety of leaf shapes and sizes increase drama and interest in your pot

Plant soil and moisture requirements

All plants in container need to have same moisture requirements – don’t mix plants that like dry conditions with those that prefer wet feet

Structure

Thriller – tall centre
Filler – plants around thriller
Spiller – plants that spill over the edge of the container

Note: if the back of your container will be up against a wall, then the taller plants should be at the back

Container Maintenance

Check planter daily to ensure it doesn’t dry out
Fertilize container every couple of weeks with water-soluble fertilizer
Remove dead flowers to encourage re-blooming.
Empty and wash out containers at end of season

Compost, Garden Design, Soil

Making a New Flower Bed – the Easier Way

January 31, 2017 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

by Dianne Westlake, Master Gardener

Perhaps the easiest way to make a new flowerbed involves no digging or turf removal. In addition to using less physical effort, this method provides a healthy environment for growing beautiful plants. The soil is fertile with the added bonus of improved drainage.

Lay out the perimeter of the new bed using a garden hose. Water the area well or wait until Mother Nature provides the necessary moisture. The next step provides a biodegradable barrier for weeds and grass using a layer of newspaper (6 to 10 sheets thick.) Do not use the shiny coloured advertising flyers for this purpose. (This is a good way to use some of those newspapers that you are setting out in the recycling bin each week.) To keep the paper from blowing around while you work, sprayed with water or anchored with soil. Uncoated corrugated cardboard can be used instead. This material works as well and does not blow around as easily.

Next add a layer of topsoil or triple mix to a depth of four to six inches followed by a layer of compost (three to four inches). The compost layer suppresses the weed seeds that can be present in the soil layer. While compost does a good job, other organic mulches should work as well. What is needed is a weed-free source of organic material. Cost and availability are important concerns. Compost in the quantity required for this type of project, is available through the City of Peterborough, Waste Management Department. Delivery can be arranged within the city or the county. Smaller quantities are available at the Ecology Park.

Water well and allow the layers to settle for a few weeks if possible. However, if need be, the beds can be planted immediately. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball, back fill, firm the soil, water and replace the compost layer. Monitor the amount of settling regularly to ensure that the root ball does not become exposed. Add a top dressing of compost if necessary. Water the new plantings regularly until the planting is established. The layer of newspaper or cardboard and the grass or weeds will rot within a few months, adding to the friability and fertility of the soil.

If you have the luxury of time, leaves (or manure) can be layered with soil on the newspaper or cardboard in the fall and allowed to decompose over the winter. Keep in mind that excess amounts of decomposing fresh organic material may deplete the nitrogen in the garden. In the spring, plant the bed and spread mulch over the surface.

Following this method will result is a raised bed that will warm earlier in spring and provide excellent drainage. An annual top dressing with compost feeds the soil and prevents germination of seeds of both self-seeding flowers and weeds. Earthworms will take the organic plant material down in the bed where the roots can make use of the nutrients.

Previously published in the Peterborough Examiner.