Plectritis is a member of the honeysuckle family that is native to western North America, from Vancouver Island to southern California. LatinPlectritis congestaFamily: Caprifoliaceae DifficultyEasy but slow Season & ZoneExposure: Full sun to partial shade TimingDirect sow in early spring,...
Continue ReadingSalvia is a close relative of conventional sage, but is grown for its handsome blue flowers rather than as a culinary herb. It is a member of the mint family. LatinSalvia longispicata x farinaceaFamily: Laminaceae DifficultyEasy but slow Season & ZoneExposure:...
Continue ReadingLearn how to grow microgreens from seed, and you’ll have an unlimited supply of fresh, nutritious, and tender salad greens. Microgreens can be pulled from the soil and rinsed until all the soil particles have washed away. They can be...
Continue ReadingOats are not particularly cold hardy, so a summer planted crop will die back, holding the soil in place, and providing ample carbon-rich organic matter to till under before planting spring vegetables.
Continue ReadingWhatever type of carrot seeds you plant it’s easy to learn how to grow carrots from seed. Carrots are biennials so they use their leaves in the first year to gather energy from the sun to build a big, starchy root....
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Dactylis (orchard grass) is a long-lived and fast growing perennial that produces faster re-growth in summer than Timothy grass.
Latin
Dactylis glomerata
Family: Poaceae
All over North America, people are deciding to replace their traditional grass lawns with other low-growing, less demanding plants. Traditional lawn grasses form thatch, a thick, tough, almost impermeable layer of root mass. These grasses are selected for their shallow roots and for their rugged ability to stand up to foot traffic and other stresses.
Continue ReadingPotatoes, just like other vegetables, flower in the summer. If the flowers are pollinated, small fruits can form that look like tiny tomatoes. If the fruits mature, they can develop seeds. In most cases, the genetics of potato seeds are not predictable, and may produce undesirable traits. In this case, the seeds are hybrids that have been carefully produced by plant breeders, so they will produce consistent results.
Continue ReadingChickpeas require 90-100 days to mature. Start them indoors approximately 4 weeks before the last average frost date. Optimal soil temperature: 10°C (50°F). Seeds sprout in 14-21 days depending on conditions.
Continue ReadingMicro Clover Seeding Calculator Overseeding an Established Lawn:50g for 1,000 square feet250g for 5,000 square feet500g for 10,000 square feet2.5kg for 50,000 square feet (one acre) Sowing Rate with No Grass (recommended):50g for 100 square feet250g for 500 square feet500g...
Continue ReadingExposure: Full sun to partial shade: At least 4 hours of directs sunlight daily. Zone: 3-10 Timing Sow once the soil has a steady minimum temperature of 10°C (50°F). Try to avoid planting during periods of prolonged hot weather. The...
Continue ReadingHorseradish belongs in the perennial food garden. Once the plants are established, they can be harvested at any time of the year, and the flavour is particularly good in winter, when cold temperatures bring out a sweetness in the roots....
Continue ReadingIt may seem counter-intuitive for a gardener to actually plant what must be the world’s commonest weed. But dandelions have lots of culinary potential, they feed pollinators, and they cultivate the soil with their long taproots. Latin Tarataxacum officinale Family:...
Continue ReadingHere is all the information you need on how to grow hops. Hops make a dramatic addition to ornamental gardens. Highly decorative, fast growing, trouble free, and cold hardy, hops give a flare and interest to gardens that few other...
Continue ReadingCorn Salad is a largely unknown leafy vegetable that has a long history in Europe, where it is know variously as mache, vit, fetticus, and so on. Harvest individual leaves or whole rosettes. These are small, but succulent and tasty....
Continue ReadingBulbs are easy to plant and easy to grow. Flower Bulbs are broken down into two very general groups – Fall planting bulbs benefit from sitting in cold soil. Spring planting bulbs do not require cold soil to trigger flowering....
Continue ReadingSunflowers will grow in just about any well-drained soil, and they are drought tolerant. To grow sunflowers from seed, to grow really big plants with really big flowers, enrich the soil with organic matter and incorporate 2 cups of complete organic...
Continue ReadingThe trick to growing spinach is to grow it fast and harvest it fast, and use the right varieties in the right season. Spinach bolts as the days get long and when the weather gets hot. That’s why spinach is...
Continue ReadingThe succulent leaves of Swiss chard can be used much like spinach. You can even use the big ones to wrap “cabbage” rolls. The colourful stems can be cooked like asparagus. Enjoy the small leaves in salad. They grow easily...
Continue ReadingSummer turnips are great for salads, pickles, and stir-fries. Any place that you would use spinach or Swiss chard, you can give turnip greens a try. Follow along with this handy How to Grow Turnips Guide and grow food. Turnips make excellent pickles....
Continue ReadingThe three species of squash that we offer represent a wide variety of shapes and colours. Each will cross-pollinate readily within their species. For instance, all C. pepo will cross-pollinate with each other, but not with C. maxima or C....
Continue ReadingGrowing Sprouts from Seed Home grown sprouts are easy to grow and fast to sprout. You can grow them in a mason jar, in a kitchen sieve, or in one of several specialized sprouters like the Biosta sprouter. Follow along with...
Continue ReadingBroad beans are a member of the pea family, and are one of the oldest known cultivated plants. Broad beans are also known many other names: fava beans, Windsor beans, faba bean, and horse beans. Follow along with this handy How to...
Continue ReadingLeeks are a valuable addition to the garden because they can be used instead of pungent storage onions from October until April. Even in heavy soils, leeks are easy to grow and have lots of flavour. Follow this handy How...
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