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COASTAL FARMERS MARKET PRODUCE NOW AVAILABLE across from the Petrocan on Sundays. |
| Did
you know that urine makes a good fertilizer?
A study from Finland found that tomatoes fertilized with a mixture of diluted human urine and wood ash produced over four times as much fruit as those without. The fruit also had more beta-carotene and more protein than the pee-less ones. This is because human urine contains nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, which are all great for plants. You may be a little hesitant to collect your own urine, but remember fresh urine is basically sterile and odour-free. Also, using urine as fertilizer is not only another step toward a sustainable garden—think of the water you’ll save by not flushing—it’s the free alternative to the store-bought fertilizer. • Urine should be diluted 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine for outside plants, 30-50 parts water for inside plants, and undiluted for lawns, trees and shrubs is just fine. • The urine needs to be used fresh because as urine sits it turns into ammonia and becomes less and less nutritious for plants. • Apply the homemade fertilizer to the roots and spread it around. Don’t put too much in one area and there’s no need to use it every time you water. • If your plants are taking on a yellowish tinge or if they are not growing fruit, cut back on the urineapplication. • Use the urine on your compost. Urine can speed up the composting process. • Male urine is best because female urine burns the ground. Male urine also works to keep unwantedintruders out of the garden, too. Sprinkle some undiluted urine around the perimeter of the area youwant to keep safe to deter pests. |
| More about growing garlic |
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| Garden Smart Event Update |
| Plant pruning tips |
| Steve Whysall on Lori Pickering of Coast Botanical Society |
| Christmas Decorating 101 (per Karen Dyck) |
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What
to do with Jack Every October in Metro Vancouver, pumpkins are transformed into amazing Jack o’ lanterns. Perched on a window sill, porch or front stairs these works of art – historically used as lanterns to welcome deceased ancestors and ward off “Stingy Jack” – light up the night creating an enchanting atmosphere for Halloween. And afterwards…. what do you do with “Jack”? All too often, “Jack” is bagged, tossed and carted off to the landfill where he then rests in pieces. If nearly one quarter of households across the region carve a pumpkin this Halloween, there will be approximately 200,000 pumpkins leftover on the morning of November 1. If each of those pumpkins weighs 5 kg, we will have 1 million kilograms, or 1000 metric tonnes, of pumpkin to manage. That’s about the same weight as 300 elephants. Part of the region’s Zero Waste Challenge is committing to keeping as much material as possible out of the garbage. Residents are encouraged to find a use for their pumpkin rather than throw it in the garbage. Here’s what some people do with theirs… |
| Eat
“Jack” Pumpkins are not only edible but good for you since they are high in fibre and antioxidants including lutein, alpha and beta¬ carotene. So, keep the pulp after carving and check out the 100’s of delicious pumpkin recipes at www.epicurious.com or www.pumpkinnook.com/cookbook.htm. Don’t forget, those pumpkin seeds are nutritious and make a fine snack, check out some recipes on how to make them delicious. Not hungry at the moment? No problem, pumpkin puree is fast and easy to make and freeze for another day. Put “Jack” in the Box Worms like “Jack.” Whether Jack is finely chopped and mixed with yard trimmings, then placed to rest in the backyard composter or in your kitchen/balcony vermicompost bin, the worms will embrace “Jack” and thank you. And in return you’ll get nutrient-rich compost that you can use to grow next year’s “Jack.” Information on composting. Return “Jack” to his Roots Dig a shallow trench in your vegetable or flower garden and place shredded pieces of “Jack” throughout. Fill in the trench and be reassured that you have diverted beneficial solid waste from landfill. “Jack” has Curb Appeal Some municipal yard waste collection programs will adopt “Jack.” Check with your municipality before putting “Jack” on the curb. Pumpkin Trivia It is estimated that over one million kilograms of pumpkins are carved up annually in the Lower Mainland and potentially sent to landfill. Pumpkins are orange because they contain massive amounts of antioxidants such as lutein, alpha¬ and beta¬ carotene. These nutrients turn to vitamin A in the body. The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon." Pumpkins are grown all over the world on six of the seven continents, with Antarctica being the sole exception. Pumpkins are 90 percent water. Using pumpkins as lanterns at Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic custom brought to America by Irish immigrants. All Hallows Eve on 31 October marked the end of the old Celtic calendar year, and on that night hollowed turnips, beets and rutabagas with a candle inside were placed on windowsills and porches to welcome home spirits of deceased ancestors and ward off evil spirits and a restless soul called "Stingy Jack," hence the name "Jack o' lantern.” For years, the city of Keene, New Hampshire held the world record for the most lit pumpkins in one location. But, on October 26, 2007, Boston, Ma. shattered the record with 30,128 lit pumpkins! Rumor has it; they are still "glowing" over this feat. |
| Mulching
is a yearly routine in my garden, and I look forward to it. A layer of mulch in vegetable beds, around fruit trees and in ornamental shrub and perennial beds will benefit your garden in three main ways: it suppresses weed growth, reduces the need for water and adds organic matter to the soil. When winter comes, mulch is a protective barrier against heavy rain, which compacts the soil. And it protects plant roots from harsh freeze and thaw cycles. The specially formulated mulches below will do all this and also provide many of the special nutritional needs of each part of your garden. Easy Vegetable
Garden Mulch 2 bags chicken manure Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to vegetable beds after planting. Fruit
Tree Special 2 bags
fish compost Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to the drip line of the tree. Shrub
and Perennial Beds 3 bags
fish compost Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer over shrub and perennial beds. Rock
Garden and Sedum Mulch 1 bag turkey
grit, available at garden or feed stores You can use any size of grit - fine, medium or coarse. You can also use a fine volcanic rock, such as zonolite. Evergreen
Hedge Mulch 1 bag fish
compost Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer under coniferous or broadleaf evergreen hedges and trees. Lawn
Booster 1 bag steer
manure Two weeks prior to raking in a 5-cm (2-in.) layer of compost, lime your lawn. The lime will sweeten the soil, making the nutrients more available. On the day of application, mow your lawn. Leave the clippings on and rake them in with your lawn booster. Water after application (consider watering with a compost tea). Summer
Rose Mulch 1 bag mushroom
manure Mix all ingredients except the garlic cloves and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to the drip line of the rose. Tuck the chopped garlic in under the rose drip line; the garlic provides sulphur, which helps resistance to black spot. Rhododendron,
Azalea and Camellia Mulch 1 bag fish
compost The fish compost is slightly acidic and the coffee grounds also add acidity, while the greensand contains necessary trace elements. These plants are shallow-rooted, so chicken and steer manure should be avoided, to avoid burning their roots. |
| Steve
Whysall has been the garden columnist for The Vancouver Sun for almost
20 years. His full-colour In the Garden page appears every Friday in
the At Home section. He is the author of four bestselling books –
The Vancouver Sun’s Best Plant Picks, 100 Best Plants for the
Coastal Garden, The Blooming Great Gardening Book, and 100 Best Plants
for Ontario Gardens. Three of his books were No. 1 bestsellers in B.C.
In 1999, he was the first recipient of the Communicator of the Year
Award, given by B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association. Leave your comments
below for Steve Whysall or e-mail him directly swhysall@vancouversun.com |