Flea beetles – Tiny black beetles that jump away when disturbed. They love to eat brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, alyssum, and more). They are found on seedlings in early spring, then experience a resurgence in late summer and fall. Natural enemies: beneficial insects like tachinid flies and parasitic wasps. Other means of control: horticultural oils (will also harm beneficial bugs). Also try insect netting row covers.

Aphids – Juicy looking green or black bugs. You might notice their white, shed exoskeletons before you notice the insects themselves. Aphids will feed on any plant and readily enjoy new growth or flower buds on roses, nasturtium, and others. Natural enemies: beneficial insects such as green lacewings, parasitic wasps and, most famously, ladybugs. Another means of control: spray insects off plants with a jet of water and repeat as necessary. Also try insect netting row covers.

Lygus bugs – Triangular or shield-shaped beetles with a white heart marking on its back. Lygus bugs are also called “tarnished plant bug” because they can cause deformations on fruits and new growth points. Lygus bugs are found in large numbers in our area because of the quantity of adjacent canola fields that are prime habitat for them to thrive. Natural enemies: damsel bugs, parasitic wasps, spiders, and birds. Other means of control: white sticky traps or diatomaceous earth (both will also harm beneficial bugs). Also try insect netting row covers.

White cabbage butterfly larvae – A white butterfly with a black dot on each wing. These pretty insects lay eggs on the undersides of brassica plant leaves and cause no harm. It is the larvae or caterpillar that hatches from the egg that does all the damage by eating large amounts of foliage. Many growers will avoid the struggle altogether and just not plant brassicas. Natural enemies: ladybugs, green lacewings, parasitic wasps, yellow jackets, spiders, and birds. Other means of control: insect netting row covers and BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray.

Birds – Whereas many local songbirds like finches, sparrows, chickadees, and others can do very good work in keeping the population of pest insects down, there are a few occasions when they themselves become the pest. Birds enjoy small fruits and berries and are adept at snatching them away at the exact moment they ripen. They will also sneak bites of new seedlings, such as lettuce or pea shoots, in early spring when there is little else for them to eat. Means of control: use bird-safe netting on small seedlings and berry bushes. You can also provide feeders.

Mice – Mice are the most troublesome pests to encounter because their numbers increase quickly and they can invade sheds, planters, and sometimes your home. Avoid leaving seeds and dried fruit out after the fall harvest and ensure that they don’t have access to bedding items such as straw and fabrics that will allow them to overwinter. It is best to call on professionals to handle a large mouse issue because breathing in debris from mice can be harmful.

The Seed Viability Test 

Did you find some old seeds and wonder if they are still useable? Instead of wasting time and resources watering seeds that will never grow, do a viability test first. Here’s how:  

Use a dinner plate or platter, depending on how many seeds you’d like to test. Ideally, you’ll test more than just one seed per package. Aim for 5 to 10 if you have a good supply. Lay a damp paper towel across the plate. It should be wet enough that water drops will release if you squeeze it, but not soggy enough that water is floating on the plate. Place seeds in rows across the paper towel. Clip the tips off very hard seeds like squash and sunflower seeds to aid in speeding germination because moisture will more readily affect the seed. Make a key for later reference by writing on a piece of paper what seeds are in what location. Cover the seeds with another damp paper towel, then cover the plate with plastic wrap and place it in a warm location. As seeds begin to germinate, take note of which ones look healthy and which ones are not growing. You can assume that seeds in packets with good germination are good to plant out, and seeds in packets with no germination can’t be relied on. However, you may still benefit from planting them out if it won’t waste too many resources to do so. Some might still produce but the germination rate could be lower than if the seed was fresh. Be sure you know roughly how long it might take to germinate a seed so you can decide whether a seed is viable. Some need more time than others. Refer to your seed package for germination information. If you have seeds with conflicting requirements, you may want to test them on separate plates. Timing can be critical. If you want to test seeds prior to starting them inside so they are ready to transplant after the last frost date, give yourself plenty of time. It can be helpful to note this on a calendar. Germinated seeds need not be wasted when your test is complete. Gently transfer them to a growing medium and care for them as required.

Freezing For Easy Preservation

There is a lot to learn when it comes to food preservation. We may feel we are required to purchase specialized equipment to ensure success. For many who feel overwhelmed and unprepared to tackle the job, their food could spoil in the process of trying to save it. 

For these reasons, freezing is the simplest and most accessible method of food preservation because most of us already have what we need on hand: a freezer. 

Simply washing the food and putting it in the freezer is often enough to consider the job done, but there are a few other things to consider if you intend to keep things frozen long term. 

Blanching: The process of blanching involves placing the food in boiling water for a few minutes before cooling and freezing. Blanching stops enzymatic processes that can cause the degradation of flavour, colour, and texture over time. Blanching can also brighten colour, soften foods slightly for easier packing, and aid in cleaning the food of microbes. As a rule, blanch all vegetables except onions, leeks, and rutabaga. Fruits do not require blanching. Do an internet search for a table of blanching times for each vegetable you intend to freeze. 

Sealing: Protecting foods from freezer burn is a consideration for long-term storage. Removing air from the container is helpful and can be done with a vacuum sealer or by strategic handling. Try quality freezer-safe food containers if they are available, or other products designed to protect food, such as zipper storage bags.  When it comes down to it, if you cannot blanche or vacuum seal it, it is still best to freeze your food instead of letting it go bad. Just try to use it before too much quality is lost over time.

Preserving your own table décor—seed heads, dried flowers, grasses, cones, and branches

Food isn’t the only reason to grow a garden. Harvest your own table décor, too!  A fall bouquet of dried foliage and seed heads makes for a wonderful harvest table centre piece. These plants, cut from the garden, can be dried to preserve their intricate structures. Arrange them in vases or displays with pumpkins, squash, and other gourds for a seasonally delightful vignette on a sideboard or countertop. 

Look for seed heads on: 

• dill 
• poppies 
• allium 
• Nigella 
• Rudbeckia 
• echinacea 

Flowers that dry well include: 

• roses 
• chamomile 
• sunflower 
• strawflower 
• lavender 
• peonies 
• yarrow and others

Dry and harvest other interesting foliage, such as grasses or rosehips, to vary the textures in your grouping. Consider dry woody stems as well, to add height. 

If this idea interests you but you do not have these plants in your garden, ensure that you add their names to your gardening journal for next year, then source some at your farmers’ markets this season.

Ways to preserve the harvest in your kitchen – make a plan

Hopefully you’ve had a successful season and you have grown an abundance of food, but even if your harvest is modest, you’ll still need to figure out what to do with your bounty. 

Reverse menu planning can be a critical technique for making the most of what you’ve grown. Take a moment to jot down what you have and then think about how you might incorporate that into your weekly meal plan. Sometimes it’s obvious. Potatoes and leeks? Make some soup! Sometimes it’s a little more difficult to know what to do with 25 carrots or a handful of basil but, either way, you don’t want to watch all your hard work rot in the fridge. 

Once you know what you have, you can start piecing together a plan. If you have a large amount of something you may wish to preserve it for long-term use. Preservation might look like keeping onions in a cool and dark place to use one by one over the upcoming weeks, but it could also look like freezing, canning, dehydrating, or fermenting.

Begin by using the items with the shortest shelf life first. Herbs and leafy greens will only last so long so don’t let them linger. Root veggies and fruit can last a bit longer but a plan for use should be made. If you’re stumped, an internet search for ways to use each item might spark some inspiration for your menu. If you’re really stumped and need more time, many items can be frozen and then thawed for processing later. Use this technique to extend shelf life and retain the ingredients’ nutrients until you’re able to tackle the job.

Document your garden – take photos, what is working well and what is not? Ideas for next season?

As we are at the peak of the season, now is a fantastic time to document this year’s garden. Take photos from several angles to showcase how tall things are, how wide they have spread, and any empty spaces you might have. 

If you have specimen plants that you wish to single out, take individual photos as well. This might be the easiest way to show season-over-season growth or before and after images of pruning. 

In addition to pictures, make some simple notes in a journal. Document any noteworthy information such as which companion planting scenarios worked well, which plants were hit especially hard by pests, and how you mitigated the attacks. Note the ideas you have for next season or any changes you’d like to make to your infrastructure. 

The purpose of keeping these records is that, during the winter when we are dreaming of next season’s garden, we can review the notes and photos and remember the little details that might otherwise be forgotten. Did the tomatoes need a better trellis? Did the squash overshadow the cucumber? What exactly was that product you used to treat cabbage worms? This allows us to use the off season to prepare for next year and hit the ground running.  Be sure to record which seed varieties performed the best, and which you’d like to pass on next year. Knowledge and learning grows the gardener just as much as it grows the garden. Take a moment to learn the lessons of the season now, while the garden is in its peak season glory.

Fertilizing Planters and Pots 

It’s hot and we’re busy with all the outdoor fun summer has to offer. We need to squeeze it in before the season passes, but one job we must not overlook is fertilizing our planters and pots. By now, the plants have used up the nutrition in the soil and might be wanting a meal. Keep your flowers blooming and your fruits sizing up by adding much needed nutrients to the pots. Try adding both a slow-release fertilizer that will replenish what has been used, and a fast-acting liquid fertilizer to give your plants an instant boost. There is over a month of growing yet to come and it would be a shame to see growth slow down now.

Flowers: Look for a fertilizer with the centre number higher than the first and third, such as 2-8-4, which will provide the phosphorous that plants require to set blooms and put on a show. 

Root veggies: A fertilizer with a ratio of 5-10-10 or similar will encourage roots and vitality while avoiding too much green leafy growth. This type of fertilizer is ideal for potatoes and carrots you might have in grow bags. 

Tomatoes and peppers: A fertilizer with a ratio such as 4-3-7 will aid with fruit production because the potassium content will keep the water and nutrients flowing well, so your plants will maintain vitality and strength as they produce. 

It’s 6–8 weeks until the first frost. Should you start seeds? 

Our gardens are at their peak and many are producing both beautiful blooms and food. This makes it difficult to realize that we are approximately 6–8 weeks from our first frost date of the year and the end to our gardening season—or are we?

If you wish to push your gardening limits and attempt to grow into the fall, now is the time to start seeds! Having seedlings ready as you pull out and harvest your existing crops can ensure you are ready to use space as it becomes available. As we move into fall and our evenings begin to cool, some plants that might bolt in the high heat will be perfect to start now. Consider brassicas such as broccoli and cauliflower; cabbages, lettuce, and other greens; fresh herbs such as cilantro and dill; and peas. As the season progresses, cover these crops with a row cover or cold frame and see just how long you can produce food this fall. Remember, it can be difficult to extend our seasons in our volatile growing zone but you’re sure to fail if you don’t start! Give some thought to this now and ensure that you don’t miss the window for a productive fall.

Strategic Harvesting to Encourage More Production

Just like we deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms, we also need to remove fruit strategically to encourage more production. The life purpose of a plant is to produce seed so the plant’s offspring can take root. If we remove the seeds (often found inside the fruit, or inside seed pods in the case of peas and beans), then the plant will work hard to produce more in an effort to reproduce.

This is important for plants we wish to see produce often over the course of the season such as tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, squash, and cucumbers. Harvest the fruit when it reaches an acceptable size and as often as we are able to, and avoid leaving it to languish on the plants.

In the case of leafy greens and herbs, remove the blooms before they seed to also increase the window of time we have to harvest. Letting these plants go to flower can sometimes result in a bitter-tasting leaf.

Root veggies can also go to seed. In the case of radishes, the seed pods can be food, so letting them seed will increase your yield rather than hinder it. Other root vegetables, such as carrots and turnips, are biennials (they only produce seed in their second year) and because we harvest them after only one season, the point is moot, and we needn’t lend a thought to it.

Because apples and other fruit trees only flower once a season, harvesting fruit from these plants will not result in further flushes of produce. In this case, it’s best to let the fruit mature and harvest as it ripens. 

Mulching

Many people mulch their perennial garden beds as the finishing touch to their design. Mulch can tie the look of an area together and help cover unsightly soil. Wood chips and bark are the most used materials and are available in many colours and types of wood—each having their own benefits.

Mulching in the veggie garden is important too. Although you can use wood mulch, it has a few drawbacks when we are looking to use it in contact with our veg gardens, one being the size of the pieces that take a long time to break down. If pieces are too large and take longer than a season or two to break down, they will end up mixed throughout the soil in future seasons and might tie up nitrogen reserves from the soil. Instead, use a finer-sized product like garden straw, leaves, compost, or dried grass clippings. These will break down rather quickly, releasing nutrition into the soil, but in the meantime will provide many benefits to your garden such as:

• Water retention: water will evaporate more slowly if the soil is covered with a layer of mulch. 
• Habitat for beneficial insects: spiders and ladybugs will enjoy somewhere to stay out of the heat of the day, or to shelter in bad weather. 
• Temperature management: cover the soil to insulate against the heat of the summer and help keep the soil cool. 
• Weed suppression: keep weed seeds from contacting the soil to prevent them from germinating.

Apply mulch to your vegetable garden after the seeds have germinated and you can safely work around them. Use a layer that is approximately 2 cm thick and avoid mixing it into the garden soil. Reapply as required. Don’t forget to mulch planters and pots too.

Watering Basics: How often and how much 

Watering your garden during summer heat can make or break your harvest, but don’t just rely on air temperature when deciding if you should water or not. Plants can be tricky and might wilt with the afternoon heat. That doesn’t mean they need watering. The same plant might perk up after an hour in the shade. They do this to close their leaf stomata (small pores in the leaf), reduce surface area, and conserve water loss from their foliage if their roots can’t take up water fast enough to stay hydrated. To know if you should water or not, put your finger in the soil to assess moisture levels. If the soil feels damp, there is no need to water. If the soil is dry, go ahead and give it a thorough soak.

When you water, direct the flow of water to the soil so that it can make its way to the roots where it is needed and allow for deep saturation. For in-ground plants, small transplants with un-developed root systems will need water closer to the stem whereas established plants have roots that have filled out the soil and can search for moisture. This means you’ll need to water transplants and annuals more often than perennials.

Planters, pots, and baskets should be checked frequently as they might require watering daily or more often in hot weather. The limited volume of soil can only retain so much water and if the plants are on hangers and blowing in the wind, they can dry out quickly. You can easily learn how dry a planter or basket is by checking the weight. If it is light, give it water until it feels heavy again.

Remember that waterlogged soil can be just as much of a detriment to a plant’s health as dry soil. The best way to know if your plants need water is to observe the conditions of your garden and act accordingly. This will save water over the course of the season and ensure plants are thoroughly saturated when needed.

Cut and Come Again

Waiting for plants to come to maturity is a feat of patience, but what if you could enjoy the fruits, or rather the greens, of your labour faster? There are many plants that allow a partial harvest and, by leaving the roots undisturbed, will regrow for more harvests until the fall frost.

This method of harvesting is particularly helpful if you only need a small amount of produce for the dish you are currently making.  Have a sandwich on your plate and wish you had just two pieces of lettuce for it? Go ahead and get those two pieces! Harvest them from the lower growth around the bottom of the plant, and leave the centre growing tip undisturbed. Be sure only to harvest one-third of the plant matter so that it can continue to produce energy for future growth.

Here are some plants that you can cut, then cut again:

• kale
• lettuce
• celery
• chard
• spinach
• beet greens
• mustard greens
• spring onions
• herbs
• chicory and other leafy greens

Fertilizer Basics

Fertilizers play a crucial role in nurturing a healthy garden by providing essential nutrients to plants. Understanding the basics of fertilizer application is key to fostering robust growth and bountiful yields, but, depending on how you garden, you might not need to use them much at all.

Commercial fertilizers generally comprise three primary nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). These are represented as N-P-K ratios on packaging. Each nutrient serves specific purposes: nitrogen aids in leaf and stem growth, phosphorus supports root development and flower production, and potassium contributes to overall plant health and resilience.

If you have a well-established garden that has been treated well and often with organic materials such as compost, worm castings, and mulches, then your plants might well have all the nutrition that they require. Plants typically will pull what they need from the soil, and adding more than they need won’t really be advantageous.

If you suspect that you have a nutrition deficit or if you have a new garden established with bagged potting mix or other fill, then fertilizing might be required. If you are unsure, then test your soil to give you an idea of which amendments, if any, are needed.

Synthetic fertilizers offer precise nutrient concentrations and quick uptake, whereas organic ones such as composts, manures, or blood meals, will release nutrients slowly and improve soil structure and microbial activity. Follow package instructions carefully to avoid over-fertilization, which can harm plants and the environment.

Generally, a balanced fertilizer (one where the three numbers are the same, such as 10-10-10) is applied at the beginning of the growing season to provide a comprehensive nutrient boost. Flowering and fruiting plants might benefit from additional feeding during their active growth phases, but avoid fertilizing dormant plants or feeding during extreme weather conditions. Keep in mind that potted plants only have access to what is in their pots. You might need to fertilize these more often than plants in the ground.

Should You Succession Plant?

We have such a short growing season in the Calgary area that wasting any precious time means opportunities missed. Succession planting is the practice of starting another set of seedlings a few weeks after the first. What this means is that, if you find yourself with empty space after pulling out say, your potato harvest, then you’ll have some lettuce starts that can immediately go into the potato bed. You won’t have to wait for new seeds to germinate and you won’t have to baby tiny seedlings in the heat of the summer.

Succession planting is also beneficial for species of plants that are prone to bolting. If the timing just wasn’t right and the hot weather came on too fast, causing a planting of cilantro to bolt and become bitter, then you can pull your second set of seedlings out and replace them, maybe in a shadier location.

If you have the space and the resources to devote to an additional sowing of seeds, then succession planting can allow you to capture additional opportunities for more harvest. Give it a try!

Using Trellises

Supporting some plants with trellises in your garden is an excellent way to optimize space, promote healthier plants, and increase yield. The following three garden favourites benefit greatly from vertical support, keeping them off the ground, reducing disease risk, and making harvesting easier. 

Tomatoes are vining plants that can sprawl if left unsupported. Indeterminate tomato varieties grow throughout the season, reaching considerable heights and producing abundant fruit. A sturdy trellis system provides essential support and prevents the plants from drooping or breaking under the weight of the tomatoes. Install trellises, such as cages or twine, early in the season and, as the tomato plant grows, gently guide the main stem along the trellis, securing it with soft ties, clips, or twine. 

Cucumbers produce long, trailing vines, and curly tendrils. A trellis allows cucumbers to grow vertically, saving space and facilitating better air flow that might prevent disease like powdery mildew from taking hold. Install a trellis or a sturdy support structure when you plant your seedling and ensure that it’s tall enough to accommodate the cucumber’s growth. You can train vines to climb the trellis by gently guiding the tendrils, but don’t worry if you forget–the plant will find its way. 

Peas are climbing plants that naturally send out tendrils to grip onto supports as they grow. Without a support structure in place, pea plants will climb each other, or neighbouring plants. When planting peas, set up the trellis along the row, about two to three inches from where the seeds have been planted. Avoid pulling or forcing the vines onto the trellis, as this can damage the delicate plants. You can buy netting specifically designed for peas.

Choosing the right trellis material is not as crucial as you may think. Sturdy materials like bamboo poles, wooden stakes, or metal cages work well, as do strings, netting, or fences. Ensure that the trellis is firmly anchored into the ground to withstand the weight of the growing plants and strong winds.

Beneficial Insects 

There is an entire ecosystem of bug life living in our gardens and yards. Some of these insects cause trouble and we gardeners struggle to control them to avoid damage to our flowers, fruits, and vegetables. But some of these insects can help us win the battle–if we let them. 

Many insecticides that we use can save us from the bad bugs, but they often harm the good bugs too. This leaves us stuck in a never-ending cycle of pest mitigation throughout the gardening season. 

If we create an ecosystem that welcomes beneficial insects, the beneficials will help us keep the pests at bay and do the work for us. To do this, we need to practise patience. When the pests arrive, it can often be a week or two before the beneficials arrive on scene. If we spray pests and kill the beneficial bugs’ food source, we give them no reason to establish and increase their numbers in our gardens. Instead, try mitigating pests by mechanical means. Use insect netting or blast pests with water. You won’t get them all, but this leaves dinner on the table for the beneficials.

Some beneficial insects you might encounter in your garden: 

Green lacewings – a bright green, flying insect with long, lacy wings. These are voracious eaters and will consume huge numbers of aphids, caterpillars, and thrips. You can find their eggs laid at the end of a fine hairlike structure on the undersides of leaves.

Parasitic wasps – These are smaller than a typical wasp, usually black or dark brown, and look nothing like a yellow jacket, though yellow jackets can eat pests, too. A parasitic wasp may have a long stinger at the end of the abdomen but don’t worry, they are harmless to humans and not aggressive. These wasps lay eggs inside or on a pest insect such as aphids, lygus bugs, cabbage white butterfly larvae, and others. 

Ladybugs – Most growers know this garden friend. A small red or orange and black beetle with a rounded shape. But do you know what it looks like in its immature form? It looks nothing like a ladybug when it is young, but it is at this stage that it can eat the most aphids–often about 400 before it pupates into an adult!

Common pest information

Flea beetles – Tiny black beetles that jump away when disturbed. Love to eat brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, alyssum, and more). They are found on seedlings in early spring, then experience a resurgence in late summer and fall. Natural enemies: beneficial insects like tachinid flies and parasitic wasps. Other means of control: horticultural oils (will also harm beneficial bugs). Also try insect netting and row covers. 

Aphids – Juicy-looking green or black bugs. You might notice their white, shed exoskeletons before you notice the insects themselves. Aphids will feed on any plant and readily enjoy new growth or flower buds on roses, nasturtium, and others. Natural enemies: beneficial insects such as green lacewings, parasitic wasps and, most famously, ladybugs. Another means of control: spray insects off plants with a jet of water and repeat as necessary. Also try insect netting row covers. 

Lygus bugs – Triangular or shield-shaped beetles with a white heart marking on its back. Lygus bugs are also called “tarnished plant bug” because they can cause deformations on fruits and new growth points. Lygus bugs are found in large numbers in our area because of the quantity of adjacent canola fields that are prime habitat for them to thrive. Natural enemies: damsel bugs, parasitic wasps, spiders, and birds. Other means of control: white sticky traps or diatomaceous earth (both will also harm beneficial bugs). Also try insect netting  or row covers. 

Cabbage white butterfly larvae – A white butterfly with a black dot on each wing. These pretty insects lay eggs on the undersides of brassica plant leaves and cause no harm. It is the larvae or caterpillar that hatches from the egg that does all the damage by eating large amounts of foliage. Many growers will avoid the struggle altogether and just not plant brassicas. Natural enemies: ladybugs, green lacewings, parasitic wasps, yellow jackets, spiders, and birds. Other means of control: insect netting row covers and BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray. 

Birds – Whereas many local songbirds like finches, sparrows, chickadees, and others can do very good work in keeping the population of pest insects down, there are a few occasions when they themselves become the pest. Birds enjoy small fruits and berries and are adept at snatching them away at the exact moment they ripen. They will also sneak bites of new seedlings, such as lettuce or pea shoots, in early spring when there is little else for them to eat. Means of control: use bird-safe netting on small seedlings and berry bushes. You can also provide feeders. 

Mice – Mice are the most troublesome pests to encounter because their numbers increase quickly and they can invade sheds, planters, and sometimes your home. Avoid leaving seeds and dried fruit out after the fall harvest and ensure that they don’t have access to bedding items such as straw and fabrics that will allow them to overwinter. It is best to call on professionals to handle a large mouse issue because breathing in debris from mice can be harmful. 

Seedling Care

Your seeds germinated and your transplants are in! Now what? Here’s how to keep them happy and growing in these critical early days.

The best way to ensure the success of small seedlings is to keep them protected from extremes: extreme drought or wetness, extreme heat or cold, full sun or full shade, too much fertilizer or too little. If you can mitigate extremes by using row covers, providing well-draining soil, keeping soil evenly moist, covering with cloches or mini cold frames if there is a risk of frost or shade cloth if there’s a heat wave, and can ensure your soil has a gentle source of nutrition, 90% of the work has been completed.

The other 10% is pest protection. Flea beetles, aphids, and cabbage moth can decimate small seedlings, as can larger pests like mice or even a dog or cat. Most of the time there is little to do aside from wait for reinforcements, or beneficial insects, to arrive, which they usually do a week or two after you see the first pests. If you feel you are experiencing extreme pest pressure, however, you might want to spray insects away with water, or use a gentle horticultural oil, or an insect netting.

Direct Sowing 

Sow seeds directly into the ground after the last frost date; this is often the simplest way to start your garden. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind before you do so.

Know your date to maturity 
The seed packet will give you days to harvest or days to maturity number. For example, romaine lettuce is listed as 60 days. That number means that from the day you put the seed in the ground, it will generally take 60 days before you are able to harvest that item. This is not going to be 100% accurate because you’ll need to consider variables such as germination time, weather, fertility of the soil, watering. While you won’t know the exact date your item will be ready to eat, you’ll have a good idea of how long it will take to grow from seed. Some plants, like basil, may not show a date at all and that is because you could harvest it at any point once it has some leaves.

Days to maturity or days from transplant 
Some seed packets will list a days-to-maturity number, but they are counting not from the day the seed goes into the ground, but instead the days from transplanting seedlings. Seed packets will often tell you to start seeds several weeks before the last frost date and, if they do, you can be sure the days to maturity number refers to days from transplant and not days from germination. When in doubt, try an internet search.

How deep should you plant the seed? 
Generally speaking, the smaller the size of a seed, the closer to the surface of the soil it should be sown. As a rule, plant your seeds two to three times as deep as the seed is wide. So, for a pea seed that is roughly a centimetre in size, plant it about 2.5 or 3 cm deep. For more precise information, check the seed packet but know that you do not need to be exact. The seeds will usually find their way towards the surface just fine.

Keep moist 
Seeds will not germinate in dry soil. Keep them gently moistened until you see them sprout and then watch that those tiny seedlings don’t dry out (although avoid drowning them as well). It is often best to plant seeds before a forecast rainy period so the watering can be done for you.

Transplant 

How exciting—it’s time to transplant! This process is relatively simple. However, here are five things to remember to ease the transition.

1. Ensure that plants are hardened off before planting them. See the above article on hardening off for tips on how to do this successfully.
2. Most plants can be popped out of their nursery containers and put in the ground at the same depth, planted with the stem beginning at ground level, but some should be planted deeper, and some should be mounded. A quick internet search of the species you’re working with could be advantageous. 
3. When you remove the plant from its container, take a moment to observe the roots. Some plants really dislike any disruption to their root systems. Again, an internet search should give you the information you need. Cucumbers are one of these types—avoid disrupting the roots as you transfer them into the ground. But many plants will benefit from a light tousling to loosen roots and ready them for exploration, especially if the roots have begun to circle around the base.
4. Newly transplanted plants will not yet be able to access water and nutrients from the full area of their location because their roots have not yet grown into those spaces. Be sure to water at the base a little more often until they are established. 
5. Some plants may benefit from additions directly into the planting hole before transplanting, such as adding compost, worm castings, or fertilizer; perlite or grit for drainage; mycorrhizae powder to jumpstart the fungal network; wood ash; sulphur.

Where to plant

Deciding where to plant what, in the space that is available to you, is a complicated thing. Many of us feel as though we have just one chance to get it right as we begin to put seeds and seedlings out in the spring. Let’s take some of the pressure off by realizing that that mindset just isn’t true for most plants. Many seedlings can be moved and, while you don’t want to disturb them often, if something really isn’t working, you’re better off to move it before it becomes stunted. Some seedlings, of course, should not be moved. Carrots are one crop that should be seeded and left alone until you’re ready to harvest. If you decide that your carrots are in the wrong spot, just re-seed in the preferred location.

Consider: Lighting conditions—As the sun moves over your garden throughout the day, the amount of light available to each plant will change. Tall fences or trees could provide shade in the afternoon but allow early morning sun to reach an area until noon. Knowing this is the key to providing enough light for plants that need it and shelter for plants that are prone to bolting or scorching. Observe your garden before planting or refer to that gardening map you created earlier. 

Water availability—Plants that suck up a lot of water should be planted in areas where they can access it, such as low points in the garden, while Mediterranean herbs could be planted in places where water drains more easily. 

Area and volume of soil—Plants with smaller root systems are often happy in planters or shallow beds, whereas plants such as carrots will need deep and loose soil to form correctly. 

Nutritional requirements—You can grow hungry plants such as squash or tomatoes in planters, but be sure to provide lots of nutrition within the growing media. Less hungry plants like greens and lettuce will require less maintenance in most cases.

Plant Spacing Guidelines

If you made a garden layout map, now is the time to dig it out and refer to it. Take inventory of the plants that you have and think about how they will fit into the previously made plan. If you didn’t make a garden layout map, you may find it worthwhile to do one now.

Be sure to consider that plants will need more than just enough room to grow. Plants that are too close to each other will fight for resources like nutrients and moisture in the soil, but they will also prevent each other from getting enough sunlight, and some may overtake others. 

In deciding where to place each plant, gather information from the seed packets or an internet search, or even refer to photos of last year’s garden. Did you find any sections of your garden too crowded? Now is the time to learn from past mistakes and, although we are often tempted to cram many plants into our spaces, they will usually grow better and provide larger yields if given enough space.

You can maybe bend the rules a little by making sure taller plants won’t block light from shorter ones and by planting items with shallow root systems on top of ones with deeper ones. For example, plant lettuce near potato plantings. The lettuce will grow on top with the roots never bothering the potato roots and, because lettuce grows quickly, you can likely harvest it before the potato plants grow tall. If not, lettuce enjoys shade anyway so the potato foliage may provide wanted shade. You can squeeze in a few extras by making sure every plant can get what it needs. 

Beginner gardeners will often enjoy the simple guidelines of the square foot gardening method

Hardening off

If you’ve started seedlings indoors and are thinking about moving them outside, there’s one more step to complete before they’re ready and that’s called hardening off.  Your seedlings have grown in the lap of luxury inside your home. They are in filtered sunlight or gentle grow lights, a nice steady and warm temperature, and virtually no breeze. The moment you put them outside in the real world will be the moment they start to struggle. Don’t worry though, because getting them ready is easy and here are a few tips.

• Before putting them out, you can strengthen seedlings against the wind by using an oscillating fan to blow a breeze over your seedlings while they are still indoors.  
• Transition them over time. At least a week, but preferably two weeks, of part-time exposure will ease seedlings into outdoor life. Be sure temperatures are favourable.
• Don’t attempt to put plants out until daytime highs are over 10 °C and avoid exposing plants to low temperatures until they have had some time in the warmth first. The same goes for any other extreme we experience in Calgary. New seedlings can fry quickly in a heat wave. Put plants outside in the shade, starting for an hour or two and, over the week(s), extend that time until you’ve left them out all day.
• Overcast days are best. The outside shade is still more intense than light inside your home. As time moves on, begin exposing them to gentle morning sun and then, eventually, try them out in light that will be similar to where they will finally be planted.  
• You may want to set a reminder so you don’t forget to bring them indoors for the night, especially if there is a risk of frost. It is heartbreaking to lose months of work to one freeze.
• Don’t forget to harden off new plants purchased from garden centres because they will need adjustment time, too.

Using row covers

Row covers are a simple tool commonly used by gardeners to aid with a variety of problems. From frost protection to pest control, you may find it helpful to stock a few types of row covers in your shed. Covers are typically suspended above the garden plot with half hoops of PVC pipe or large gauge wire, but can also be installed with stakes or hung with rope. 

Kinds of row covers and their use:

• Garden fleece: when risk of frost is forecast to protect plants from freezing temperatures. 
• Greenhouse plastic: to provide protection from winds and cold temperatures while still letting the sun inside, much like a cold frame. 
• Insect netting: to keep pests, such as cabbage moths, from laying eggs on your plants. It can also be helpful for protecting your plants from pests like lygus bugs. 
• Covers and netting: to save your strawberries from being carried away by birds before you can snag one for a taste. 
• Shade cloth: to reduce the risk of small seedlings burning to a crisp in a heat wave. 

Choose the covering that will help you solve the problem you’re faced with, and change or remove the covering as required. They can be stored and used year after year if they are in good condition. Remember to weigh your covers down with bricks or stone, or clip them onto raised beds so they don’t blow open, which would expose your beds to the very thing the cover is meant to protect them from.

Extend the season with a cold frame or greenhouse

Gardening in Zone 3/4 is not for the faint of heart. Late frosts, cold nights, hot days, hail, chinook winds, and wild temperature swings can take out young seedlings quickly. Providing protection to plants when they are just starting can really help ensure success. If you are lucky enough to have space for a greenhouse, consider one to aid in starting your season off right. If you don’t have space or funds for a full greenhouse installation, there are still things you can do to provide a greenhouse-like environment for seedlings. 

Try a cold frame. These are essentially a greenhouse in small form and provide the same function by protecting from wind and frost. You can install one permanently alongside the foundation of your home, or use one temporarily right on top of your garden beds, then remove and store as the plants grow.

If that is still outside your resources, get creative. Temporary covers can provide many of the same benefits. Try clear containers like large plastic water bottles or food storage containers. Just cut off the tops, turn them over and press them into the soil around your seedlings. Clear storage bins can work the same way.  Remember that it can easily get too hot inside a greenhouse or cold frame on sunny days. Be sure to watch the temperature and open doors, and windows, or temporarily remove small structures. Wind is also something to consider. Be sure that structures are installed and anchored to prevent wind damage, and weigh down plastic containers with stones or bricks to prevent them from blowing away.

Potting up your seedlings

Your indoor seedlings are doing well and have one or more sets of true leaves, but you might be wondering if you should pot them up into a larger size pot. Here’s how to tell: 

• Your seedling seems to be drying out faster than before, and you’re watering far more often to keep up. 
• Your seedling has roots protruding from the bottom of the pot or, if you gently remove the plant from the pot, you can see the roots are beginning to circle around the bottom of the pot. 
• Your seedlings (often tomatoes) are growing too tall and falling over. 
• Your seedlings were started in a sterile medium. 
• Your seedlings were started in a sterile medium and are beginning to discolour or you have noticed that growth has stagnated. 

Any of these conditions is a sign to pot up your plants. For tomatoes and squash that are tall and toppling over, prune off a set or two of lower leaves, leave the growth tip and at least two sets of leaves intact, plant the seedling deeper into the pot, and cover the stem. This will allow more roots to form along the stem and create a more robust root system.

Start seeds indoors

Starting seeds indoors is a fantastic way for gardeners without outdoor cold frames or greenhouses, to get a jump on the growing season. On average in the Calgary area, the growing season has roughly 100 frost-free days. This means that many plants, if sown directly in the outdoor garden, will be hit by the fall frost before they reach the production stage. Starting seeds indoors before the last spring frost increases the available growing time so the plant can produce for us.

What you will need:

1. Pots, or something to start seeds in, such as a seed starting tray. Feel free to use items you may already have, like spent food containers. Some gardeners make pots from newspaper or toilet paper tubes. Err on the side of caution and choose small containers rather than large ones. You can always pot up seedlings if they outgrow the pot. 
2. Consider the growing medium. There are pros and cons to all mediums, but for starting seeds, choose based on the following:

• A sterile seed-starting medium will lessen the chance of mould or fungus affecting young seedlings. 
• A fertile seed-starting medium will lessen the chance of seedlings running out of food before being transplanted into the garden. Either way, you may need to mitigate any fungal issues or fertilize once seedlings have their first full set of true leaves.

3. Consider the light source. If you don’t have adequate light in front of large windows, supplement with grow lights. Grow lights provide a higher intensity of light and you can program them on timers to provide more hours of light in the day.
4. Have a plan. Timing is imperative: tomato plants sown too early will take over your home before it’s warm enough to plant them out, and onions sown too late will never reach a nice, large size. On a calendar, note the last frost date for your area (usually after the May long weekend) and work backwards from there, based on information on the seed package, to figure out when to sow your seeds.

Seed Germination

While a seed knows how to grow, there are a few things we can do as gardeners to help it with its complicated job. A seed will germinate and grow when all the circumstances are correct for it to do so. This means it’s our job to identify what those circumstances are and to put them in place for the seed to use in the locations where we want them to grow.

 Temperature – some seeds have a wide variety of temperatures at which they will germinate, and some require cold stratification before exposure to warmer temperatures.

Moisture – seeds will not germinate if they are dry, and some need more moisture than others. 

Light – some seeds require darkness to germinate whereas others prefer to see the sun. 

The good news is that you can easily find most of this information on the seed packet. The only other thing we need to do is figure out how to generate those conditions in our growing locations, and we have tools at our disposal to help. 

• Try heat mats to increase warmth under seed trays for starting seeds indoors and outdoors, and try creating a greenhouse effect with containers, domes, or actual greenhouses.  
• Try self wicking pots, misters, drip irrigation, or bottom watering for maintaining adequate moisture levels. 
• Try grow lights or ensure that seedling pots are located near bright windows or in locations outdoors that will provide adequate light. Ensure that seeds are planted at the correct depth.

Winter Sowing

Winter sowing is the process of planting seeds in containers that can then be put outside in the cold. This allows the container to act as a mini greenhouse and protect the seeds as they germinate and grow. 

Starting plants this way saves us from caring for seedlings indoors and allows us to get a head start on the gardening season. Winter sowing also mimics the natural process of seeds spending time outdoors and being exposed to cold temperatures (cold stratification). Some seeds will not germinate without going through a cold stratification process. One of the largest benefits of growing this way is that seedlings will not need much hardening off because they’ve been exposed to cold and sunlight along the way. Most often seeds are sown in milk jugs, but any container can be used if it will provide enough protection and enough space for seedlings to grow.

Tips for success:

• Our growing season experiences many temperature fluctuations. Keep containers covered in snow, if possible, to provide insulation.
• If the snow is all gone and the temperature is warm, be sure to keep the containers from drying out.
• Store containers in a partially shady place so young seedlings don’t get too hot.
• Ensure that containers have adequate drainage and large enough holes for a bit of snow or rain to get in

For in-depth instructions on winter sowing, visit the Royal Botanical Gardens of Canada tutorial

Getting seeds for less 

Some gardeners grow food to lessen their grocery bill but, if the aim is to reduce expenditure, then saving money at all stages of growing food is helpful, too. Getting our gardens going in the spring can be an overwhelming financial outlay, but these six tips will get you growing for less: 

1. Trade with friends—you have seed, they have seed. Meet up and share! 
2. Use previously saved seed—saving seed from last season’s garden is a gamechanger. If you’ve never done it, make a note to try harvesting seeds from your plants at the end of this season and, if you have done it, it’s time to remember where you put them for safe keeping. 
3. Check your library–seed libraries are out there! Ask your library if they have one or suggest that a library starts one. Seed libraries are a fantastic community resource. 
4. Scavenge seed from grocery scraps—scrape seeds from your store-bought tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Not all seeds will be ideal, but many will germinate. 
5. Check your pantry—whole seeds (not ground) from your spice bottles, such as dill, mustard, and coriander, are often viable as are most dried beans and some pseudo grains like amaranth or quinoa. 
6. Skip the seed and grow from propagations—if you had a cherry tomato plant growing indoors over the winter, propagate suckers for new and free plants to use outdoors this season. 
7. Overwinter. Some plants can be overwintered indoors and moved outside again in spring. Try this with peppers, citrus, hibiscus, and more.

How many seeds to start? 

It can be difficult to know how many seeds to sow for each plant you wish to cultivate, but these tips will help guide you as you make your garden plan for the upcoming season: 

Read your seed packs 

As gardeners it can be difficult to resist the urge to stuff as many plants as we can into our space, but doing so could mean smaller yields as they compete for resources. Some plants can be planted densely, and some need more space to sprawl. Read your seed pack and it will tell you how far to space each plant from its neighbour. Then, calculate how many you will fit into your growing space and maybe add one or two extra seeds as a back up. You can always thin, sell, or give plants away if they all grow well and space becomes tight. 

How much do you eat?  

As a rule, plant more of what you love to eat and less of what you don’t. If you really dislike it, maybe don’t grow it at all. Many growers fawn over fancy tomato varieties but, if tomatoes don’t interest you, instead grow something that does. If beans are your favourite and you wish to freeze some for the winter, plan on sowing more of these and reduce the quantity of other plants if need be. 

Light will guide the way  

Maybe you love to eat spinach but have a small amount of space in the shade and the most amount of space the sun. You’re better off to plant fewer plants in the spot they will grow best instead of trying to plant more plants in a location that will make lush growth difficult. Keep this in mind as you plant out your growing spaces and adjust accordingly.

Make a garden map!

You don’t need graphic design skills or a colour-coded spreadsheet to benefit from making a garden map, although you certainly can go that route if you have access to software programs and a skillset to match. For the rest of us, pencil and paper will work and provide some insight into how we might plant our gardens more efficiently.

To start, sketch out a top-down view of your garden space, balcony, or yard. Try to make it as close to scale as you can but remember, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Next mark the orientation (north, south, east, and west) so you will know how the sun travels through the day. If you are unsure, find your home on a map or simply observe where the sun rises and sets. Observation will also help you determine which areas are in shade and which enjoy full sun. Mark these spots on the map as well by crosshatching the shade areas with pencil and circling full sun spaces. You may benefit from measuring your plots, beds, or planters, and then writing these measurements on your map. 

Now that you have the layout, lighting, and rough measurements available to you, you will be able to plan what items to plant where, how many seeds to start, and where you might be able to squeeze in one more thing.

Use your map year-over-year to keep track of where you’ve put perennials and adjust the map as you learn what worked and what didn’t.

Big Bounty

If you have a small amount of space and can only grow a few plants, these four suggestions will get you the biggest return for your efforts by volume or money saved over the grocery store.

Cherry tomatoes – Those little clamshell packs in the grocery store are expensive, and cherry tomatoes grow quickly, producing fruit continuously until the hard frost hits. Grow in pots or buckets to save on space. 

Lettuce – Most lettuces have a relatively short time to harvest ( 30–40 days), which means you can quickly be eating fresh lettuce on your burgers. Use the cut and come again method to keep the bounty coming in for weeks, and plan to sow a second harvest to refresh your crop going into the fall. Lettuce grows well in containers or semi-shaded areas where you may not have success with other crops. 

Zucchini – We’ve all heard the jokes about having to pawn off excess squash to our friends, family, and neighbours. These jokes are funny, but they also ring true because the size of the yield can’t be beat for zucchini, patty pan, and other summer squashes. Grow zucchini in pots or tubs to save on space. Just be sure to provide plenty of nutrition. 

Beans – There are many varieties of beans to choose from and, like lettuce, they will produce quickly and often until the frost. Beans also have a higher protein count and that means they go a long way in our diets, allowing us to spend less on proteins at the store. Plant as many as you can for the best yield and don’t forget that these plants can be tucked into smaller spaces and even flowerpots.

Perennials to start by seed

If you’re looking to cut your spring gardening costs year over year, perennials are how you’ll do it! Many perennials are sold as tubers, crowns, or propagations, but did you know you could also grow them from seed?

It might require more time and patience but, in the end, it will save you money as seed is often less costly than a crown or plant. Here are some perennial edibles to consider starting from seed: 

Asparagus, walking onions, Jerusalem artichokes, rhubarb, strawberries, sorrel, horseradish, elderberry, and rose (petals, hips). Also try herbs such as anise hyssop, lovage, sage, chives, lemon balm, bee balm, and mint. Small seedlings for larger plants (rose, elderberry, etc.) may require more protection as they mature to ensure that they aren’t crushed or scorched.

So Many Choices! What Should You Plant?

With so much variety available to us, it can be difficult to decide what plants we want to grow and which seeds to purchase. Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding what to grow for the upcoming gardening season: 

1. What does my family like to eat? There’s no reason to struggle through cabbage moth control if nobody likes to eat broccoli or cabbage anyway. 
2. What are the light conditions in my gardening area? If you’re trying to grow lettuce in full sun against the house, you may struggle. Take a few days to observe how the sun travels through your plot and plant to your lighting circumstances. 

How much space do you have to work with? A lot of things can be grown in pots if that’s all you must work with, but choose plants with smaller root systems and lower water requirements. On the other hand, if you have loads of space, consider taking advantage of this by using your resource to the fullest with crops like corn and squash. 

Seed Starting Mediums – Which Should You Choose?

What makes soil made for seed starting different from other soils? And does it matter? The beauty of gardening is that each gardener will develop methods and techniques that work best for them over time. Some prefer to use a seed starting mix which is, at it’s core, devoid of nutrients and sterile. These mixes are designed to hold moisture around the seed until it can germinate. The seed itself will contain all the nutrients it needs to germinate and grow its first set of leaves and the beginnings of a root system. After that, it will need sunlight and soil nutrition to be able to grow more. At this point, you may decide to use a fertilizer or transplant it into a soil with nutrients mixed in. Young seedlings are susceptible to damage by bacteria and fungus which is why they are removed (sterilized) from seed starting mixes. But it’s your choice. Either use a standard potting soil with nutrition built in and possibly need to mitigate fungus and bacteria, or you’ll need to add nutrition to a seed starting mix when the seedlings are large enough to want a meal. Over time you will discover a method that works best for you!

Should we starts seeds now?

Well, maybe. If you love growing hot peppers then you may wish to get those seeds started soon indoors because these plants need warm temperatures to germinate and grow. There are some flower varieties you may want to start soon as well, such as geranium and snapdragon. Maturing these plants for longer inside will mean you see flowers faster outside. But for most garden staples, it’s a little too early. Plants like tomatoes will be jungle big by spring and take over your house. It’s best to wait a little longer for those. Refer to your seed packets for best information on timing for each species. Most packets will tell you when to start the seeds