Top bowl - shishito peppers |
Top bowl - shishito peppers |
About 5 years ago we planted a Valiant Grape plant in the back yard garden, on the west side against the fence. Valiant is a cold hardy variety of grape suitable to the Edmonton climate. The west side of our garden gets warming morning sun, and full sun until late afternoon. The site is sunny & warm & the fence gives the vines something to climb on.
Valiant grape vines flourish along the fence on the west side of the garden, behind squash plants.
Impatiens, 4 weeks old, in little pots. |
It's still a bit early to start most seeds, but about 4 weeks ago I sowed some varieties that require a long growing season. Impatiens, Wave Petunias, Wave Pansies, peppers and celery. I also sowed a variety of herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram, lemon balm, Greek oregano). It's early, but I have adequate artificial light, lots of pots to transplant the growing seedlings into, and for later, a small outdoor greenhouse with a spaceheater for use in early April.
I sowed most seeds in small individual but connected plastic cubes filled with damp potting mix, patted down gently. The seeding cubes come in a variety of styles. They could be hexagons, or 6 packs. If you have lots of room, treat your seeds to 4 inch individual pots. I use all kinds of seed starting pots - whatever I have. Note, however, if the containers are too small, seedlings will quickly outgrow tiny pots.
Don't bury tiny seeds deeply in the potting mix - just lightly cover them with soil, pat them gently to make contact with the soil below. Spritz with water. (Lettuce seeds like some light to germinate, so don't bury them).
Put the seeded pots in a tray and onto a seed heating mat- out of direct sunlight. The mat keeps them at a steady warm temperature, ideal for germination. It also improves germination rates, and seeds will pop up uniformly and quickly. If you don't have a heating mat, place the tray in a warmish spot, again out of direct sunlight.
Cover the tray with a clear plastic lid to keep the air and the soil evenly moist. Ideally the potting mix is damp but not soggy. Occasionally, give the seeds a gentle misting with water if the potting mix seems dry. Too strong a blast of water may move the seeds down and around in the potting mix, never to be seen again.
If the seeds are expensive, or I only have a few left, I plant one seed to a little pot.
Once they seeds sprout, at the first sign, move them under lights. In our northern location, (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) the seedlings need artificial light to grow stoutly. A southern window just doesn't provide enough light. Without artificial light at this time of the year, seedlings grown indoors will get spindly. The basement flourescent lights are on a timer and they stay on for 16 hours a day. The seedling tops are fairly close to the lights, about 4-6 inches away.
To improve seedling strength I run a gentle fan over them for about 30 minutes, twice a day. If the fan is too strong, too close, or on for too long, the seedlings will weaken. You want them stressed just a bit, to toughen them up.
If you start the seedlings too early, you might run out of space under the lights on your growing racks. If that happens, do 'shifts' where the seedlings spend 12 hours under lights & 12 hours in darkness - 2 shifts. This involves some moving around of your trays each day, but only for a few weeks.
Water the seedlings, ideally from the bottom - where the potting mix absorbs water. This reduces chances of disease. Keep the seedlings well watered, keep them growing.
Parsley beside a pepper plant |
Herbs under lights |
Tomatoes sprouting up, in hexagon trays. |
Anyone with young kids will appreciate its little size. It is perfect for pre-schoolers to pick and eat straight from the tomato plant in the garden.
I bought Candyland hybrid seeds from William Dam Seeds, located in southern Ontario and other seeders sell them too. This is my second year growing Candyland. I start all my tomato plants indoors in early March and grow the seedlings under flourescent lights in the basement. Out they go into the garden when days & nights are warm in Edmonton. I provided some support for the plants, to keep them up off the ground,
Serve them as a snack, toss them in a salad, throw them into a pasta dish - or just head out to the garden and feast on them right off the plant.
Vibrant impatiens |
My favourite shade-loving flower is impatiens. They grow best in dappled shade and are softly beautiful & delicate with both vibrant and pastel colours.
This spring I grew Beacon impatiens from seeds bought at
T&T Seeds. I am quite pleased with the results. I planted each seed in its
own little pot in early February. The pots were placed on a heat mat, and every seed
germinated. I grew them under lights for a few months, and then placed them in a
south facing window. As they grew, I transplanted them into
bigger pots.
Once the impatiens started to branch out and bloom, I cut off the
flower heads with about one inch of fleshy stem. This trimming gets the plant
to branch out, creating more blooms, and the plant is full, not leggy.
Impatiens grown from seed |
Even easier, just plant each stem with a few leaves directly into a loose, moist potting mix.
Place the cuttings in water, or in potting mix, in a bright room, but out of direct sunlight. They will grow roots.
The cuttings in water developed roots quickly, and after about 2 weeks, I planted them into a moist potting mix and they grew well.
The cuttings placed directly in the soil also rooted really well too.
All of the cuttings have flowers on them (early May). I will clip them as well, to create fuller plants with more blossoms.
And I'll plant them outdoors in semi-shaded spots in my front yard once there
is no danger of frost. Impatiens are tender and will die when temperatures
hover around freezing. They also require a steady supply of water, as they thrive in moist soil. I grow them in planters.
Soft white delicate impatiens |
Jar & string for rooting cuttings |
Impatiens cuttings not yet trimmed |
Trimmed cuttings ready for rooting |
Cuttings in jar filled with water |
After 2 weeks in water, roots are well formed. |
Six years ago I began propogating succulents. Here's what I learned.
Succulents are hardy. They do well when left alone. They don't like to be touched.
They need a sunny window, a fast soak of water every week or two, good drainage holes in the planter, and a potting mix that drains well.
In winter, they do well grown under lights, if you have that set up. But they will survive in a south facing window in a northern location, like Edmonton.
A few varieties will survive outdoors in a cold winter (Hens & Chicks), but most will die when temperatures drop.
A potting mix with lots of peat will retain too much water. Cut a regular potting mix with about 1/3 small gravel, perlite, or coarse sand. A potting mix that drains well ensures the roots will not get soggy.
Propogation of succulents
Some succulents send out 'babies' that put down roots. Others root in the soil from tendrils sent out. Some expand underground. All succulents take their sweet time.
Certain types of succulents can be propogated with leaves. This is straightforward enough. Snap healthy bottom leaves off. Snap them off cleanly and fully. The leaves must be complete and undamaged in order to grow roots.
Roots grow on their own |
Tray of perlite layered on top of potting mix cut with gravel. |
The tray pictured above has a thin layer of perlite over the potting mix (cut with coarse gravel), to create a dry, hospitable environment for the leaves to sit on. There is only about 1.5 inches of potting mix. There are drainage holes in the tray. Eventually, roots grow down into the potting mix. You don't really need the perlite. You can let the little plants grow in the tray for a few months, or move them to a smalll pot when the roots are well established.
Roots will also grow from a succulent leaf if propped up above a small vial of water. The water should not touch the base of the leaf. After a good base of roots has formed, plant the roots in the potting mix. Generally, let them settle in the mix for a few days before watering. Succulents need water but not too much. That's why good drainage holes in the container are imperative.
Roots grow in the air too |
All of the above can be propogated by leaves. |
Succulents will stay small for a while if planted in shallow and not too fertile potting mix. Eventually the stems will elongate. A succulent head can be snapped off with about 1/2 inch or less of stem, and roots will from from the base of the stem. Just place it in dry potting mix for the first week or so. They store water in their leaves, and use this to start up the roots.
Check out this mini garden in my neighbourhood, at a nearby condo complex. I took this picture on October 16, about one week after Edmonton had a first frost.
Sheltered on north, full sun, raised bed, warming blocks, warmth reflecting walls |
Why is this tiny garden still flourishing? It has to do with the microclimate where the garden is situated.
This tiny garden sits in a sunny and sheltered spot. It's about 15'x8' and is bordered and sheltered on the north by the condo. Cold northern winds do not cool this garden. It's also sheltered a few feet out on the east and west sides by condo walls and cement steps. Warmth is held in by the sheltering walls.
Tomatoes still ripening |
All of these things combine to create warmth at night in the garden, and extend the growing season. For cold climate gardeners, we are offered some clues on how to extend our growing season in northern cities like Edmonton. Just common sense, really.
A little snow cover |
Enjoying the beauty of our glorious parks in Edmonton. Hawrelak park skirts the North Saskatchewan River, Lots of wide trails for walking. Relax in the fresh air, get a bit of exercise, unwind with the trees.
Hawrelak Park in Edmonton |
October 11 Hawrelak Park Edmonton |
October 11 Hawrelak Park Edmonton |
October 18 Hawrelak Park Edmonton |
October 18 Hawrelak Park Edmonton |
October 10, 2020.
The first frost on average in Edmonton is sometime around
September 24. This year we saw temperatures dip to 0 degrees C a few nights
ago, but we still have not had a hard killing frost in south Edmonton. The last frost of 2020 was May 7. One hundred years ago the average last frost was May 27 and the first was September 6. There has been quite an expansion of frost free days in Edmonton. The source for this information is Edmonton Weather Nerdery thank-you very much.
Pumpkins and Heart of Gold squash |
We harvested 5 Jack O’Lantern pumpkins, 7 Acorn and 5
Heart of Gold squash. Since mid July, we have harvested zucchini, which is a summer squash, non-stop - from 6 plants. We started all of our squash plants in pots from seeds in late March. They
were grown under lights in the basement. Squash plants need warm temperatures.
Leaves will die when temperatures approach freezing. After we planted them out in mid May, we were on guard for cold temperatures, and one night we covered them. We also covered them on nights in October if temperatures threatened to hover around freezing.
Today we pulled up a few beets and small onions that still
remained in the garden. A red pepper, cherry tomato and basil plant in pots survive in the unheated greenhouse.
In mid September, we planted our favourite and easiest crop – garlic. Each year we plant more and more, this year about 225 cloves in 2 8x4 raised beds and 1 4x4 raised bed. See how we grow this great crop here.
The Conversation Jean Paul Langlois |
Date seed packets |
Buying Seeds
It has been surprising to me to discover that some old seeds continue to sprout, often years after purchase. Some seeds have germinated 5 or 6 years after I obtained them. Keep leftover seeds!
Remember, though, that all seeds lose viability over time - at different rates, mind you. Tomato seeds retain viability well, but onion seeds do not.
The ideal time to buy seeds is just before you plant
them. Seeds bought just before planting should be the freshest. Some seed companies put a ‘best before’ or ‘packaged on’ date on the packet,
others do not. Some packets reveal the date just under the flap, but you need
to open the packet to see it. I keep
unused seeds from year to year, so before I open a packet of seeds I mark the
year I purchased them on the seed packet.
It is worth mentioning that some seeds never sprout, new or old. This is rare and frustrating. I have had newly purchased rosemary seeds never germinate, but old ones in my seed collection, remained viable. Mostly though, new seeds reliably germinate. Just be patient.
I usually buy some of next year’s seeds (tomato and squash) in September.
Yes, these seeds may be older than those sold next spring, but some tomatoes,
squashes and popular or unique seed varieties are hard to find. So if I see
seeds for sale that I really want to plant next year, and I think they may not be
readily available, and over-all they have good germination rates over time, I buy them in
September. Another benefit of having
seeds on hand is that I can start them as early as I want in winter. I start next year’s peppers in February, and
grow them under lights in the basement. I like to start herbs early too, so that
they are a good size when transplanted outside.
Seeds are not cheap. Have you noticed that recently, there seems to be fewer seeds in each packet. And they cost more. Seeds are cheaper if you buy in bulk but I usually buy the smallest packets because I like to
experiment with different varieties. I just garden in my backyard, and I give some seedlings away, but I don't have a big production.
Favourite tomato seeds, like Sungold, are quite pricey. With
this in mind, I plant only one expensive seed in each pot. When you pay $5 for
15 seeds, you want 15 plants. When seeds were cheaper, we would plant 3 seeds
to a pot, and pluck out the weaker two. No more.
Save all leftover seeds in their packets. Write gardening hints about the variety on the packet, such as “try growing in a pot” or “attracts slugs”. Fold the top over and close the packet up with a paper clip. Store seeds indoors in a cool, dry place, not in direct sun.
Can you save seeds from plants for next season? Yes, if the variety is not a 'hybrid'. Collect the ripened seeds at the end of the season. Save peas, beans, lettuce, tomatoes (not hybrid), poppies, dill, oregano.
Some backyard gardeners think they need new seeds each season. No! Save your seeds from year to year. If in doubt about their viability, plant a few in a pot early in spring. If they all sprout, you are good to go. If only one of three sprouts, keep that in mind when planting.
You can also test their viability by putting a piece of paper towel in a small clear plastic container. Add a bit of water, place some seeds on the paper towel, close the lid, and see how many seeds sprout. You just want the seeds sitting on the moistened towel, not floating in water. Check the sprouting time on the packet. Give them enough time. If they sprout, plant them.
Carmine Jewel Cherry |
If you have been out walking today (August 1) you’ve probably observed throughout Edmonton a small
cherry tree resplendent with bright red fruit. These gorgeous dwarf trees
are so beautiful many gardeners place them in their front yards. They are perfectly shaped with an upright rounded form, and by August they are covered in cherries.
We have one called Carmine Jewel. It was developed by the
University of Saskatchewan, and released in 1999, so the cultivar is relatively
new. Other similar hardy dwarf cherries are named Cupid, Juliet, Romeo, Crimson
Passion and Valentine. Each one is a little different. They were bred to flourish in our northern climate. (By
the way, the University of Saskatchewan has great advice for home gardeners https://gardening.usask.ca/ ).
The cherries come in bush or tree form. They sell out quickly in spring at local nurseries. We paid about $70. You might be able to find one a little cheaper. Ours is more of a bush, although it grows on a single stem. We planted it a few years
ago and today, August 1st, it’s loaded with tart medium sized ripe cherries. Our
Carmine Jewel bush/tree stands just over 6 feet high, so the cherries are easy to pick. Hold a bowl under them and pull the cherries off the stem. The tree may grow as high as 10 feet, with a width of 7 feet.
These dwarf trees are self-pollinating, so only one is required to get a good crop. The birds don’t seem to go after the cherries, either. They prefer the nearby saskatoons.
The Evans cherry has been grown in Edmonton for many decades. The fruit of the newer dwarf varieties is similar to the Evans cherry fruit. The difference of course is the size of the tree. The Evans cherry tree takes up much more space and grows higher.
Do you like sour cherries? Try them with something sweet. Like chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Take out the pits and add them to a smoothie. Are they healthy? Well if you google that, you will find multiple claims about the amazing health benefits of sour cherries. I think they are pretty healthy.
(One gardener who grows several varieties told me that Carmine Jewel was his favourite.)
Carmine Jewel June 27 |
Carmine Jewel cherries, July 27 |