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Written by Administrator
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Your soil is a critical part of the success of your garden and there is a great, simple way you can replenish your soil AND help out the environment - COMPOST!
The benefits of a backyard compost pile are:
- a place for kitchen veggie/fruit scraps to go, so it is kept out of the landfill,
- producing the micronutrients that will then go into your garden soil.
How to Make A Backyard Compost
A backyard compost should be comprised of roughly equal parts of the following:
- “green” items (grass clippings, vegetable scraps, manure, coffee grounds, seaweed)
- “brown” items (straw, corn stalks, sawdust, coffee chaff, dry leaves, newspaper)
Ideally, these can be alternately layered but in some cases it is easier to just add the materials as they become available. In a small back yard you may not have much room for compost but if you have the space it is helpful to have it in three sections so that it can be turned from one to the other as it ages.
If you do not have the space for much compost you can either use a small, commercial composter or you can layer the above materials straight onto your garden beds in the fall when you are finished using the growing areas.
If you live in an area where there is a local coffee roaster ask them if you can have some of their coffee chaff, a bi-product of the roasting process. It is lighter that the texture of sawdust and mixes well into a compost heap. Likewise the used coffee grounds which you can often acquire (for free) from a local coffee shop, they are usually happy to get rid of them. A coffee roasting facility may also have burlap sacks available that the green coffee beans come in. These are good for covering crops you are going to over winter, during severe cold weather. They also work when you want to start a new garden area. Lay them down on grass or whatever is already there, then start placing composted materials or soil on top of it and your new garden will be on its way. |
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Written by Amanda McLeod
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 When planting seed remember that the rule of thumb is to plant the seed approximately 3 times deeper that the width of the seed. Many seeds are so tiny that they will need only a skim of soil to cover them. The soil should be kept moist until the seeds germinate. It is often a good idea when planting later in the season, such as August, to put the seeds a little deeper so they will not dry out so quickly. They can be planted far apart, about the width the plant will eventually grow to, or they can be planted closer together and then thinned, using the thinnings to eat right away, or transplanted to another spot. This way you can see what other space you have by the time the plants are up.
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Leaf Mold - Extra Organic Material for You Garden |
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Written by Jeff Strachan
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 It will soon be time to begin collecting fallen leaves for the compost or for making leaf mold and providing a winter blanket for your winter garden beds. Leaf mold is a great way to enhance the organic nutrients of your garden using a simple naturally occurring resource that most of us have to rake and dispose of anyway.
To make leaf mold, pile the leaves in some kind of bin system, such as a wire cage or garbage cans, and they will break down over the winter and be ready to provide extra organic matter for your garden in the spring. All leaves are good except for those from the black walnut tree, which will impede the growth of certain plants.
You can collect leaves from parks if it is allowed, just remember that if you are gardening organically you will want to check to make sure they are not using herbicides. Many municipalities now restrict the use of herbicides and pesticides so the leaves are safer to use for those of us who are organic gardeners. I prefer to run the lawn mower over the larger leaves so that they break down completely by the spring.
Another great use for the leaves is to spread them as mulch on your winter vegetables that will stay in the ground, or just add to the garden beds to provide more organic matter for next spring.
Depending on where you are living, another useful ingredient for composting or just adding to your garden beds in the fall is seaweed, if you live anywhere near the ocean. Seaweed is full of very beneficial components and will be a good addition to your garden. The green, leafy variety that washes up on the beaches and is no longer actually growing is the best type and breaks down easily. Kelp is good too but would take a long time to break down unless it is chopped up. |
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How to Grow Garlic From Seeds |
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Written by Amanda McLeod
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 The fall is most often recognized as the time of harvest but it also representing a planting time. Garlic need to be planted in the fall for next years crop. If you grew is successfully this year you can save some of the best ones for seed.
Plant the healthiest looking cloves only, never any that show areas of rot.
Separate the cloves from the bulb, leaving the skin in place and plant with the pointed end up, with just enough soil to cover, and about 6-8 inches apart.
On the west coast it is a good idea to mulch the bed to protect from the worst of the weather. They will then grow throughout the winter. |
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Late Summer/Fall Planting in Southern BC |
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Written by Amanda McLeod
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 It’s not too late to plant seeds or seedlings if you live in the south coastal area of B.C. You can have a steady winter diet of greens such as kale, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, oriental greens, corn salad and lettuce to get you through the winter months. If your planting beds are ready, and not already full of produce being currently harvested, you can now put in seeds that will mature before the days get too short and the evenings cool off. If you need to wait longer, to clear some space, seedlings can be put in but they will need to be watched more closely as they will need regular watering, if August remains hot.
Some plants, such as baby bok choy can be planted in pots, on the deck if garden space is limited, and it will be easy to protect if the weather turns suddenly. If you are buying seeds make sure you put in the over wintering or cold hardy types at this time of the year, rather than the early, spring varieties.
Remember too that most of the root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, and beets can stay in the ground all winter long. Dig them as you need them, not only will they taste better but they have more nutrients as they are as fresh as you can get them, not trucked from California. These vegetables will last til at least February in the ground. They can be mulched with leaves or straw when it starts to get colder, towards the end of October. It is best to keep the ‘shoulders’ of the plants mulched so they are not subjected to the freeze/thaw rotation. If you can get leaves in your area and want to break them down somewhat, collect them when they are dry and then run the lawn mower over them to shred them. Many parks have a lot of trees and the leaves may be available for the taking. Free mulch!
Winter Carrots - leave them in the ground and dig them when you need them. This is a great way to keep them fresh and crisp.
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