In the news is the potential foreign takeover of one of Canada’s largest companies—Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan—and the question on everyone’s mind is…just what the heck is potash anyway? OK, to be honest, what’s for dinner is probably a more burning question. But given that fruits, vegetables and grains will probably be part of your menu, you might be interested to know that without potash, you couldn’t successfully grow those plants or any others. Here’s what you need to know about potash and healthy plant growth.

Canada, specifically Saskatchewan, is the world’s leading producer of potash, which most people recognize as a fertilizer. Today most potash comes from mined sources, but at one time, potash was quite literally ash from pots. Water was run through wood ashes and boiled down in pots, leaving potash-rich ash. The terms potash and potassium are sometimes used interchangeably, which practically speaking is OK, but technically incorrect.

Potash is a potassium compound and, the potassium in it, is absorbed by plants as a positively charged particle called a cation (if chemistry is your thing). On fertilizer labels, the three major nutrients legally must be listed in the same order with nitrogen occupying the first spot, phosphate the middle and potash the last. Fertilizer labels also always list the percentage of potash rather than the amount of potassium available. So, for example, a 10–30–10 fertilizer formulation has 10 percent potash but only eight percent available potassium. But enough with the math, what does potassium do for plant growth, and do you really need to add it to gardens in the first place?

In the fertilizer hierarchy, nitrogen takes the gold medal because it’s responsible for rich, luxurious plant foliage and is needed by plants in the largest quantity. Phosphate—the silver medalist—is the engine providing energy for plant growth. Potash or, more accurately, the potassium in it takes the bronze, probably because its role isn’t quite as easy to define. Potassium really is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades nutrient, which plants need in fairly large quantities. Plants can’t manufacture proteins and sugars, nor use water efficiently without potassium. It also plays a role in activating about 60 enzymes. On a side note, if potato chips are your thing, potatoes with high potassium levels are needed to make nice crispy and not-too-dark coloured chips. Potassium is also often referred to as the winterizing nutrient because it purportedly increases winter hardiness in various plants, which explains why it’s quite prominent in fall fertilizer blends.

So, while potassium is critical for plant growth, do we really need to add it to our soils? Well, most prairie soils are naturally quite high in potassium and, therefore, benefit little from the addition of potash. During all the years we grew vegetables on our farm, annual soil tests consistently showed high potassium concentrations. Although we didn’t need extra potash, there are areas (north central Alberta and around Carrot River, Saskatchewan) where potassium levels are quite low and the addition of potash can dramatically increase crop yields and quality. Also, while it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, rich loams usually have lots of potassium, but sandy soils don’t. Sand isn’t that great at holding on to potassium, particularly when rainfall or irrigation is heavy.

Unfortunately, if you’re an urban gardener, the prairie-soil generalizations don’t hold. That’s because soils in urban home gardens range from beautiful, potassium-rich loams to a mixture of God-knows-what since native soils are most often stripped away when homes are built. And the rules don’t apply to container gardening either because most potting soils are peat-moss rich but potassium poor. Unless you provide potassium regularly, the plant vigour in your containers will invariably suffer.

If you use fertilizers or amend your soil with organic materials you will inevitably be adding potassium to your soil because most commercial fertilizers contain the nutrient, as do all composts and manures. Thankfully, having too much potassium is rarely a problem except if the total concentration of salts (potassium is a salt) rises to very high levels. When this occurs, plants have the same problem as humans do when stranded on deserted ocean islands—water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink! If this is the case, you may notice brown leaf tips on affected plants.

It’s not only plants that benefit from potassium. For human health, potassium is essential for heart function. Fruits and vegetables are good sources, and as I mentioned earlier, potatoes contain lots of potassium. Hmm…I’m thinking if I were a stressed out member of the PotashCorp, the proposed takeover might be the right excuse to tuck into a few bags of potato chips.

How do 500,000 square feet of show space and 2,500 garden exhibitors grab you? Well, sore feet and getting lost might be a problem for me. But if you want to see the hottest trends and newest products, Spoga+Gafa—the largest gardening trade show in the world—is where you go. That’s why my brother Bill and sister-in-law Valerie were in Cologne, Germany this week. They’ve been looking at robotic lawn mowers, garden fashion clothes, outdoor showers, display tables, green-wall kits and much more. Once they return with a list of products, I’ll let you know what you’ll likely be seeing at the Enjoy Centre next spring. Meanwhile, check out the Spoga+Gafa blog for a peek at the future of gardening.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Similar Tastes
Drawing similarities between grass and garlic may seem like a bit of a stretch. But both are perfect for September planting. Grass seed loves cooler fall temperatures and establishes quickly at this time of year. Garlic bulbs also root quickly at this time of year and are amazingly cold tolerant, which means they’ll survive a winter. For best success, always start with the high quality grass seed and garlic bulbs. Any cost difference is easily recovered in the performance of the plants.

Miss: Pushed Aside
Mushrooms are often categorized as either edible or poisonous. But I think there’s a third classification: territorial. One large mushroom in our show garden decided it didn’t like a dianthus plant living on the top floor. So the fungi, rather unceremoniously, evicted the dianthus by catapulting it out of the soil. Judging by the photo, maybe malicious is also a good descriptor for some mushrooms.

Question of the Week
How do I overwinter my perennial container?
The garden is the safest place to overwinter your perennials. In the fall, remove the individual plants and replant in a flowerbed or garden plot and water them well. If you prefer—and if the plants haven’t outgrown their home—you can plant the whole container in the ground to the level of the rim. Mulch and water well. Then, in the spring, dig up the container, clean it off, water and fertilize and the plants should start to grow again.

Science & Technology
Needed Intervention
Sadly, demolition of the Pavlovsk Experimental Station near St. Petersburg, Russia has been approved to make way for a housing development. The agricultural research facility is home to more than 6,000 varieties of apples, plums, strawberries and other fruits. Up to 90 percent of them, including more than 1,000 strains of strawberries, aren’t found anywhere else in the world. On the bright side, the potential destruction of the experimental station has caused such outrage that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is poised to step in and stop the development. I think Pablo Eyzaguirre, an agrobiodiversity specialist, nicely summed up how tragic the loss would be, saying, “It’d be ironic that a country like Russia that is facing a major health crisis from chronic diseases would contemplate destroying such a resource. In fact, it’s barbaric.” I couldn’t agree more.

Did You Know?
Thigmotropism is a process that sees plants twist and turn in response to touching solid objects. It’s what allows vines to climb.

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”
–William Shakespeare

For the past few years it’s been a family tradition to head up to Jasper for a little hiking prior to the long weekend in September. We’ve had both cool and warm weather on that last weekend in August, although, historically, it’s always been dry—until this year when our luck ran out. When we began our hike up Whistler Mountain, we were greeted with sunshine. But it gave way to cloud, then showers, then ice pellets and, finally, at 1,500 metres, a good dump of snow that continued all the way to the 2,300 metre summit. Getting soaked and chilled in that flurry reminded me of …cabbage. One of the “joys” of my vegetable farming days was harvesting the last of the cabbage for winter storage. Invariably, that late fall task entailed brushing snow from the cabbages so we could slice the heads from the stems. Trust me, snow-covered mountain rocks and snow-covered cabbage heads look eerily similar. But a 20 acre field of snow-capped cabbage just doesn’t compare to a mountain view.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Refreshing Mums
What do you do when bedding plants begin to fade late in the season? Airlift in a few garden mums. They’re the perfect late-blooming plants for rejuvenating containers or flowerbeds. Garden mums come in a multitude of colours, endure cool weather and require little more than a good regular drink of water to stay in great shape. I always pull out fading annuals and drop in the mums as the calendar turns to September.

Miss: Tomato Blights
Tomatoes don’t like the weather we’ve had; they hate it. Over the past several weeks, many gardeners have seen their tomatoes turn brown before their eyes. The culprit or culprits (as may be the case) are blights that have a penchant for tomatoes. Both early blight and late blight (two similar but distinct plant diseases) can transform green foliage to brown foliage in short order. When these diseases are floating about, all they need to infect susceptible tomato varieties are the right conditions—moderate temperatures and a lot of rain showers—to infect and damage plants. Unfortunately, August provided the perfect environment for these blights, and tomatoes in our region are paying the price. If caught very early, damaged tissue can be pruned out, although that won’t guarantee the blight won’t spread. There is no cure, so plants usually have to be removed. As a preventative measure, avoid overhead watering, whether via a garden hose or Mother Nature. And, yes, I know that’s much easier said than done.

Tomatoes affected by blight.

Question of the Week
When can I harvest my onions?
You can harvest onions as soon they’ve reached a size you like. But if you’re looking to store the mature bulbs, leave them in the ground until the top growth has fallen over and dried. Always ensure that the “necks” are dry, or the bulbs will not store well. To speed up the drying process you can cut the roots. Once dry, cure the onions in a warm (24˚C), dry, well ventilated place for at least a week before putting them into a cool, dry location for winter storage. They’ll last well into the following spring.

Science & Technology
Fuel for thought
Put a cactus in your tank? Researchers are investigating the potential of various agave species as biofuel sources. That’s because agaves use water six times more efficiently than plants such as wheat, and can be grown in poor quality soils. In California, Agave deserti that received just 4.3 cm of rainfall produced 7 dry tonnes per hectare per year. That’s a lot of juice for tequila…er fuel.

Did You Know?
A four-month-old rye plant has over ten thousand kilometres of roots and billions of root hairs.

“Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.”
–Langston Hughes


Recently, while reorganizing a stack of trade journals in the publication graveyard, I re-discovered a slightly yellowed Pike’s Seeds catalogue dating back to 1942, as well as Dad’s somewhat frayed university textbook, Basic Horticulture, published in 1948. As I thumbed through their pages, what really intrigued me—other than Dad’s five-digit home phone number written on the inside flap of his book and the $1.75 flowering crabapple tree in the catalogue—was some of the common horticultural practices from the 1940s. Trust me, if you adopted those gardening protocols today, you wouldn’t be invited to your neighbourhood block party. Here’s a little of what I found.

Reading the textbook section on “Control of Plant Ills” revealed that plant pests—diseases in particular—weren’t well understood, nor was ecology on anyone’s radar. The controls discussed in the book focused almost entirely on killing pests with chemicals. Products such as arsenate of lead and Paris green (a copper-arsenic compound) were readily available to home gardeners back then. Fortunately, the highly toxic lead arsenate, which contaminated soil, started to be replaced in the late 40s by a synthetic insecticide. Unfortunately, that insecticide was the notorious DDT…let’s just call that a lateral move in the world of pest control.

OK, so clearly the 40s weren’t the enlightened age of chemical pest control, but even though there were some heavy-duty chemicals available then, in practice, gardeners did more hand picking of bugs than today’s gardeners do and, from what I can gather, had a greater tolerance for insect damage. I know Mom always said that when she was growing up, the gardening mantra was “One plant for you; one for the bugs.” I can’t say I like the odds skewed that much in favour of pests. Fortunately, today’s arsenal of pest control products are tough on the bugs but a heck of a lot easier on everything else.

On a less environmentally distressing note, I also noticed a distinct difference in some of the 40s lawn grass mixtures. Although you could buy pure grass seed mixtures, Pike’s also offered white Dutch clover blends that could be used for “patching up old lawns.” Clover is a wonderful nitrogen fixing plant that provides nutrients for lawn grasses and was a rather common constituent in lawn mixtures. But today, clover is often vilified because of its aggressive nature. Those who love golf-green-like lawns spend a lot of time and effort trying to eradicate it. Despite that, I like clover’s lush appearance, but the likelihood of it becoming trendy again is about as likely as 40s zoot suits and fedoras re-emerging as fashion staples.

Today, not only have we city folk restricted our thinking regarding what we can grow as lawn, we’ve also put restrictions on what we can do with it in our backyards. Recently, in various cities across the country, urban chickens have become a rather contentious issue. But that wasn’t always the case. In the 1942 seed catalogue, Pike’s marketed “chicken lettuce” described as “four-feet high, used for feeding poultry and rabbits.” Even in the 40s, I don’t imagine chickens were as commonplace in city yards as dogs and cats were, but I’ll also bet that lettuce-munching leghorns didn’t get that big a second look from anyone. Today, however—bylaws aside, there’s a stigma about live chickens in urban environments that makes many people uneasy. Were a chicken to cross the road in any Canadian city today, getting to the other side would be just the beginning of its legal problems.

I always find looking back at horticulture standards to be a fascinating study. Ornamental horticulture around the Second World War period was alive and well, of course, but growing fruit and vegetable gardens wasn’t just a hobby. It was an absolute necessity for many people. And while what I read about some of the practices back then gave me a chuckle, I suspect that a garden writer in 2080 will have a good belly laugh at some of my horticultural practices.

On a side note, not all the gems I found in those old horticulture publications had to do with gardening. Opening Dad’s textbook, I also noticed a rather fragile, Edmonton transit ticket poking out from between two pages. Dad had obviously used it as a bookmark. I, on the other hand, squeezed a little more transit out of it. What better way to do a little time travelling…

Last week when Edmonton was cloaked in smoke from the BC forest fires, I followed the public health warnings and avoided outdoor aerobic exercise. So instead of going for a jog, I went to the park with my family where on one of these days we roasted marshmallows. Well, by the time I factored in the smoke from the green twigs and grass that the kids threw on the barbecue, I’m pretty sure I’d have been better off running in Edmonton’s forest-fire-filled air than spending 20 minutes fighting through the campfire smoke to see if the marshmallows were brown. Even under the best of circumstances, roasted marshmallows should come with a health warning. Not only do you breathe in ash while trying to create the perfect smoldering embers to roast the marshmallows over, but you also ingest a small log’s worth of charcoal when eating the often-charred marshmallows. Oh well, the kids were happy…plus I did my part for the environment by sequestering carbon—in my body tissues.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Blooming Complements
Last Friday after doing my open line gardening stint on CBC radio, I ran into Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel in the downtown core. In our conversation, he let me know how thrilled he was with the containers and hanging baskets adorning Churchill Square and other areas in the city. It was great to hear from “the guy at the top” that the flowers we do up every year for Edmonton are so well received. St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse recently made similarly effusive complements about the containers we provide in St. Albert. So now, I feel it’s my duty to pass on the credit to those who really deserve it—our staff members who nurture and plant the flowers, deliver and place the containers, and then water and fertilize throughout the summer. And, of course, a big thank-you to all the residents and visitors who provide feedback on how much they enjoy the results.

Miss: A Love-hate Relationship
I love the cool fresh taste of mint. But while the flavour of mint is cool and refreshing, the plant itself can generate a lot of perspiration and anxiety if left to its own devices. Mint is from the Lamiaceae family, which also includes the herbs lavender, oregano, savory and thyme. But unlike most of its relatives, mint has a very aggressive creeping root system that’s capable of taking over a yard, unless contained. If you’ve struggled to keep mint under control, you probably won’t be surprized to learn it’s also closely related to creeping Charlie—one of the toughest-to-control weeds.

Aggressive mint roots.

Question of the Week
Why are maple leaves more intensely coloured some autumns?
Intensity of leaf colour depends on both the species and the weather. Bright, warm late-summer days with cool nights produce the best fall display because these conditions increase the production of anthocyanins—the leaf pigments responsible for red foliage. But regardless of the weather, sugar maples naturally have the most intensely red leaves while others, such as Manitoba maples, produce mostly yellow leaves.

Science & Technology
Fertilizer Analysis
Vitamin B–1 is sometimes included in fertilizer formulations where it’s listed as a “bio-stimulant.” While it’s true that plants need vitamin B–1, plants actually produce lots of their own. The bottom line is using fertilizers with vitamin B–1 will do no harm, but neither will it simulate plant growth when added to your soil.

Did You Know?
Seeds of the jojoba plant contain about 50 percent wax.

“The love of beauty in its multiple forms is the noblest gift of the human cerebrum.”
–Alexis Carrel

We hope to continue to dedicate space for future exhibits—everything from art shows to community history projects and initiatives such as wetland conservation displays in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited.

To contribute to the Memory Project, fill out an online form, or print one and mail it in or drop it off at our garden centre.

Dusty, dirty, hot and sweaty. That pretty much describes my week, which I spent sanding my long-neglected, cedar deck. Of course, I could have resealed the cedar years ago but no…that would’ve been too easy! Instead, I left it to the point where the cedar turned a bleak, sky-grey colour and had cracks that looked more like crevasses. To my credit, before starting I thought I’d done my due diligence and insured none of the screws were poking out of the boards. But sadly, eight torn, coarse-grit sandpaper belts later…I’m still not done. The way I figure it, by the time I’m finished, the hedge of cedar trees next to my deck will have grown large enough to use as new lumber.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Evergreens Galore
There was a time when the word “evergreen” would immediately conjure an image of a tall pine or spruce tree. Today that’s all changed and, I must admit, it’s become hard to keep track of all the available varieties. The biggest shift is the increased selection of dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties—great for small and big yards alike. Besides ranging from stately to miniature, evergreens can be coarse or fine textured, spreading or upright. They also come in a surprisingly large range of colours, including variegated tones. One of my favourites is the dwarf Norway spruce, simply because it’s dense and very tough. As summer winds down, don’t forget evergreens also transplant well in the fall…what’s not to love?

Dwarf Norway spruce

Miss: Prickly Encounter
My wife noticed a weedy vine growing through our cedar hedge last week and decided to yard out the offending plant. Big mistake. The vine was common hops and it has what the botanical textbooks describe as, “retrorsely prickly leaves.” In plain English that means sharp, backward-pointing spines that will rip through your skin—should you be foolish enough to grasp and tug on them with your bare hands. Chalk up one for the hops.

Question of the Week
What’s cutting big circles in my rose leaves?
Most likely the holes were made by leafcutter bees, which also feed on other shrubs such as dogwoods. Unlike honeybees, leafcutter bees don’t live in colonies. Instead, individual female bees build brood chambers for their eggs, using those leaf circles as construction material. The damage is purely cosmetic, and since the bees only cut leaves for a short period, new growth will eventually hide the damaged leaves.

Leafcutter bees took perfect bites
out of this golden dogwood.

Science & Technology
Keeping Above Water
Japanese researchers recently discovered two genes that help one rice species outgrow rising waters. Appropriately named Snorkel 1 and Snorkel 2, they allow the rice stems to stay above water and, literally, breathe. Other rice species eventually die if submerged for extended periods of time, but the snorkel-gene rice keeps enough foliage above the waterline to survive. In experiments, some of the rice grew to a height of five metres. The researchers hope new rice varieties can be bred from these giants to withstand devastating floods.

Did You Know?
Aspergillus niger, a soil-inhabiting fungus, is used to produce citric acid for food and drink products, as well as lactase, the active ingredient in products made to help with lactose intolerance.

“Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.”
–Kenyan Proverb

Given that the Enjoy Centre is such a large, open-concept space, we wanted a common colour thread and for our choices to bring warmth to the space, which features lots of glass and natural light. We also wanted to include several different accent colours so that when you’re in the building you will consciously (or maybe only subconsciously) recognize that you’ve moved from one area to another. For example, the café will feature taupes, greys, and some blacks and have lime-green accents. Whereas the wine bar and café restrooms will feature an intense raspberry-purple with accents of taupes and greys in their palettes. Throughout the building, the décor will also include a variety of textures and surfaces to absorb sound.

We chose colours inspired by nature—in keeping not only with our business but also with our new building’s spectacular views of Big Lake and the prairie sky. Organic shapes and materials such as wood and stone will also be used. As an example, stone water features will flank the face of the mezzanine wall within the conference space. These features and colours are part of what will make the Enjoy Centre a place to reflect, relax and reconnect. We can’t wait to see the colours in place.

My love affair with maraschino cherries is over. That’s right. A new cherry has captured my heart; her name is ‘Carmine Jewel.’ It took but one bite of this tart cherry covered in rich, dark chocolate for me to know I’d never eat chocolate-coated maraschinos again. I discovered this delectable candy featuring the prairie grown and bred cherry while at the Cherry Festival in Bruno, Saskatchewan last month.

Cherries and chocolate are a well-known combination, but not many people associate cherry growing with Saskatchewan. But that’s about to change. Not only do sour cherries grow remarkably well on the Prairies, but Bruno has also become an epicenter for the sour cherry movement. And as I can now attest, the festival does a fine job showcasing the town’s cherry legacy.

In Bruno, the history of Carmine Jewel (without chocolate) and other sour cherry varieties began about eight years ago when researchers from the University of Saskatchewan planted large fields of them. Fruit specialist Dr. Bob Bors (a.k.a. Dr. Cherry) led the charge breeding cherries that produce high-yielding, high-quality fruit. Dr. Bors’ passion for cherries is evident when he speaks, as well as in his naming of the varieties. In addition to Carmine Jewel, he developed the Romance series, which includes ‘Crimson Passion,’ ‘Cupid,’ ‘Valentine,’ ‘Romeo’ and of course ‘Juliet.’

These sour cherries are a different species than the dark, sweet cherries grown in the Okanagan and Niagara regions. But what you may find surprising is that most sour cherries contain as much sugar as sweet cherries. It’s the higher acid concentration that imparts the tartness. And while for fresh eating it’s the sweet varieties that get the nod from most cherry enthusiasts, they can’t compete with sour varieties in juices, jams and pie fillings because their flavour doesn’t hold when cooked.

Worldwide, most commercial sour cherries come from Poland and the Ukraine. Closer to home, the state of Michigan is the largest producer in the USA, although it holds only a small percentage of the market. But unlike the hardy Saskatchewan varieties, those sour cherries are tree form, have lower sugar content and don’t have the rich, red colour cherished by consumers. In fact, most commercial sour cherries that get made into pie fillings and preserves require the addition of dye, whereas both the skin and flesh of the Canadian varieties are brilliantly coloured. These characteristics are something growers in Saskatchewan are trying to capitalize on.

For home gardeners, it’s also important to know that sour cherries aren’t difficult to grow. All you need is decent loam soil, lots of sunlight for good yields and a minimal amount of space. That’s because the sour cherry varieties are dwarf types, which means they range in height from a metre up to about three metres. And, as Dr. Bors joked, with the abnormally heavy rainfall in many regions of Saskatchewan this year, we now know that sour cherries are also fairly flood tolerant.

At this stage, prairie-grown cherry products aren’t yet a grocery store staple. But that is the goal of the fledgling industry in Saskatchewan. And events like the Cherry Festival are a wonderful way to showcase the best of what the cherry growers have to offer. Who knows, perhaps next year, festival organizers could include a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with a homegrown twist. Romeo and Juliet would live long productive lives, while Mercutio’s twin, Maraschino, would suffer an untimely death…perhaps from a tiny, red, cocktail sword.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Hidden Potential
One of the difficulties of growing transplants in the greenhouse is that transplants are…well, transplants. What I mean by that is it’s difficult to get a sense of what a bedding plant will become judging by what it looks like in a greenhouse pot. Take, for example, bananas. When I transplanted a Red Abyssinian banana into one of my deck pots last June, the leaves looked good but weren’t anything that would stop you in your tracks. However, every 7 to 10 days since then, a new banana leaf has unfolded, and each week’s leaf is larger than its predecessor. In fact, the last banana leaf that emerged is triple the size of the leaves that were on the banana at transplant time. The extra root space of my large deck pot along with the longer summer days have undoubtedly contributed to the production of spectacularly gigantic banana leaves. And that’s my point. Too often, some truly outstanding bedding plants aren’t taken home because they’re judged by how they look on a greenhouse table at the transplant stage. The lesson here is that a cornerstone of choosing bedding plants is understanding a plant’s potential. That means knowing you’re starting with a high-quality transplant and not being intimidated to ask a garden centre person what it is exactly that you’re looking at.

Miss: Too Much of a Good Thing
Our Angel’s trumpet (brugmansia) plants are not only huge but also loaded with large, yellow, fragrant flowers. I love them, and so do our customers. So why are they this week’s miss, you ask? Well, the Angel’s trumpet is so big that it won’t fit into anything smaller than a half-ton truck. They will fit into the back seat of a convertible (top down, of course), but because of their gargantuan dimensions, you might receive some frowns from the local constabulary.

Question of the Week
Why have the bottoms of my tomatoes turned black?
This condition is known as blossom-end rot and is caused by calcium deficiency. Calcium keeps cell walls solid. Without it, cells literally fall apart and leak, causing the blossom end of the tomato to shrivel and turn black. Tomato plants that aren’t kept consistently moist can’t absorb enough calcium from the soil. So pay careful attention to soil moisture. Note that tomatoes grown in containers are more susceptible to blossom-end rot because the small volume of soil can dry out quickly. Blossom-end rot can also affect peppers and zucchini.

Science & Technology
Shoot First; Count Spores Later
Sphagnum peat moss is a common component of most potting soil mixtures, and virtually anyone who gardens has used it at one time. According to the latest issue of Science, sphagnum, while rather diminutive, is rather aggressive when releasing spores. It seems spore capsules of Sphagnum fimbriatum behave like an air gun, trapping and pressurizing air to blast its spores for dispersal into peat bogs. Approximately 20,000 to 240,000 spores are released from each capsule and at velocities as high as 30 metres per second. Who knew this innocuous-looking brown stuff might also feel at home on a gun registry list?

Did You Know?
Roots of apple trees grow from 3 to 9 millimetres per day.

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”
–Sam Keen

Being Inspired
by Bill Hole

As the Enjoy Centre progresses, I continue to be inspired by how the architecture reveals itself a little more every week. And I’m not the only one. The guests we bring to tour the building are impressed by it, too. Those tours are also a time when I reflect on how things have changed since the days of my parents’ garden market and how much the business will change again in our new facility. Last week, my brother Jim had a chance to talk about those changes with Rod Kurtz of CBC Radio Edmonton, who interviewed him at the site. As Jim said in that interview: “Both Mom and Dad would be so proud to see this facility because it’s really taking what they started to a new level.” Jim and I both think they’d be inspired by it, too. To listen to Jim’s CBC interview, go to our Unearth the Possibilities website.

Typically, flower children and guerillas have little in common. But traits of both earth-loving spirits and radicals are definitely evident in a new hybrid—guerilla gardeners. Their approach is a trend that’s taking root (pardon the pun) in urban areas. Guerilla gardeners transform bleak-looking areas in cities by anonymously planting seeds, perennials or shrubs. The catch is they’re using someone else’s land without permission.

In its simplest form, guerilla gardening is about planting a few annuals in a neglected public planter or on the bare ground beneath a tree. On a larger scale, it can escalate to commandeering long-vacant lots. From what I can determine, guerilla gardeners believe that bare patches of soil are eyesores in desperate need of makeovers or, more drastically, that they’re affronts to nature and humanity. Certainly, Mother Nature abhors barren swatches of fertile ground and does her best to fill them in. So, from that perspective, guerilla gardeners are simply acolytes speeding up the natural process by putting their personal green signatures on the ground.

However, whether their purpose is to naturalize, beautify, improve biodiversity or provide food security, what they’re doing is technically illegal. So, guerilla gardening is sometimes done under the cover of night or by employing creative strategies to avoid trespassing, one of which is a technique called seed bombing. How it works is seeds along with compost mixed with clay are packed into a biodegradable, tennis ball-sized “shell.” The ammo is then tossed into a desolate plot where it serves as a great bunker from which the seeds can grow and become anchored in the soil. Another interesting, albeit dangerous, practice I’ve heard about is to fill street potholes with soil and seeds or transplants. Of course, a pothole isn’t the best environment for plants—nor is dodging cars a safe practice.

While the two examples I’ve given are rather radical, the majority of guerilla gardening activities are a lot more conventional. In fact, many guerilla gardeners are inspired simply because they can no longer tolerate empty flower containers or tree wells filled with cigarette butts and trash. Let’s face it, regularly walking past an eyesore can wear on one’s spirit. Fortunately, even a few flowers can have a remarkably positive affect on one’s outlook. However, before you decide to become a gardening guerilla, keep in mind that random planting of anything on municipal property is against the bylaws in most cities. And it’s not always practical either. Even though grass on city boulevards may look boring, it’s easier for maintenance crews to mow around trees and prune when there aren’t ornamentals planted around the tree bases.

Of course, you also need to remember that trees don’t like plants and soil pushed right up against their trunks. So, while the thought is in the right place, you might instead want to participate in programs, such as Partners in Parks, where municipal officials are more than happy to partner with would-be-guerillas.

So, am I advocating the spread of guerilla gardening in cities and towns? Well, I like the altruistic philosophy of guerilla gardening but shy away from some of the approaches, which could get you in trouble. However, every time my car hits a crater in the road, I can’t help but think how some plant-inspired pothole fixes would save my suspension.

‘Carmine Jewel’ is one sour cherry that was developed in Saskatchewan.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Faithful Seeds
While I was in Bruno, a fellow named Noel LaBrash handed me a dozen seeds from a legendary local tomato. I’m told the unnamed tomato produces huge yields of large yellow tomatoes that are somewhat pear shaped. Apparently, it’s been grown in the Bruno area for over a hundred years and local historians attribute the original plants to a Catholic nun, who handed down the seeds year after year. Noel has taken it upon himself to ensure these outstanding tomatoes carry on by giving seeds to people who are interested. I’m just lucky to be one of the recipients!

Miss: Spotty Damage
Leaf spot on trees seem to be everywhere this year. It appears when pathogenic fungi and bacteria attack foliage resulting in black or brown marks. These spots and blotches often show up shortly after periods of wet weather—something we’ve had an abundance of this year. Provided trees and shrubs are healthy and well maintained, most leaf spot is just an aesthetically displeasing nuisance. That said, dormant season sprays (lime and sulphur combinations or horticultural oil) can help reduce some of the fungi and bacteria that overwinter on bark and twigs.

Question of the Week
Why are my tomatoes cracking?
The cracks on the top of tomatoes are caused by very rapid growth, often during a warm rainy period preceded by dry or much cooler weather. Basically, during rapid growth the pressure inside the tomatoes splits the skins. Cracks most often happen when fruit is full-sized and beginning to ripen. Obviously, you can’t control the weather, but keeping your tomato plants as consistently moist as possible will help prevent splitting.

Science & Technology
Space Bound Spruce
Dr. Jean Beaulieu a researcher in Quebec has been working with NASA, and other partners, to test the affects of zero gravity on white spruce. This winter some room on the space station will be allotted to Dr. Beaulieu’s trees so that researchers can examine how weightlessness changes spruce growth at the cellular level.

Did You Know?
There are close to 50 bumblebee species native to North America, while honeybees are non-natives introduced from Europe.

“In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip. ”
–Daniel L. Reardon

I’ve just returned from a speaking tour that began in Lethbridge, moved on to Cranbrook and concluded in Kelowna. There were no hitches at the first two engagements, but on the way to Kelowna things went a bit sideways. One highway was closed for four hours because of a head-on collision; another was closed because of a fire. To get to Kelowna, our (yes, this road trip included my family) only choice was to take the detour route, a nine-hour drive that meant we’d barely make it in time for my presentation. Fortunately, we arrived with a half hour to spare, which gave me a few minutes to find a washroom and change my clothes. The Kelowna audience was great, the DVDs kept the kids happy in the car and I don’t think I looked too disheveled at the podium.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Fungi Cropping
With the recent rain, mushrooms are popping up everywhere. The first inclination of many people is to destroy them. Not me. I see them as wonderful, intriguing species in their own right. The diversity of the fruiting bodies (the spore bearing structures of fungi) is amazing. Yes, some, such as the fairy ring fungi, can be rather annoying, although most other species aren’t as intrusive. Some are beneficial organisms (aka mycorrhizal fungi) that associate with tree root systems and help the plants extract nutrients and water from the soil. But if you’re still not sold on mushrooms, remember they’re short-lived and will soon disappear.

Miss: Deer Grazing
Regardless of which community I speak in, whenever I ask if there’s a deer problem, the facial expressions of the audience are strangely similar to those of my tween daughter when I ask her…well, when I ask her pretty much anything. You know, the duh-what-do you-think look. Deer have voracious appetites and there’s a much larger list of what they will eat then what they won’t eat. This week, the latest victims in one garden were tomatoes. The deer not only ate the fruits, but the leaves and stems were consumed with equal zeal. Tomatoes are in the deadly nightshade (Solanaceae) family and, while the leaves aren’t acutely toxic I wouldn’t have thought they were that palatable, even to deer. At the very least, there must be a few deer wandering around with upset stomachs.

Deer decimated this heirloom tomato plant.

Question of the Week
How short should my grass be cut?
When grass is growing fast, there’s certainly a temptation to cut it very short so that you don’t have to mow so frequently. But that’s not the best thing for your lawn. Ideally, the mowing height should be 6–7.5 cm (2.5–3”). During hot, dry periods raise your mower blade and cut a centimeter or two higher than usual. Taller grass provides shade for roots and helps hold water in the soil. In addition, when it’s longer, not-so-lush grass also looks richer.

Science & Technology
Blooming-good Reasons for Plants
A world without angiosperms (all plants that bloom) would also be a lot hotter and drier, says an article in Science. Researchers from the University of Chicago used climate models to show the probable outcomes. Results suggest the biggest impact would be in South America where annual rainfall would drop by 30 cm. In the wettest rainforests, precipitation would decrease by as much as 80 percent. Now that’s another good reason to support plant conservation.

Did You Know?
Grey mold (Botrytis cineria) is detrimental to many plants, however, it also plays a beneficial role in winemaking where it takes on another name—Noble Rot. When Noble Rot attacks grapes, it causes the fruit to dehydrate, thereby concentrating the sugars. The mold also releases compounds that add to the grapes’ flavour.

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
–
Mario Andretti

T

Toughness and reliability are attributes we all want in our ornamental plants. The problem is these bulletproof qualities can also relegate plants—even the most beautiful ones—into the noxious weed category. That’s what’s happened to some stalwart ornamentals last month when they were recently reclassified under Alberta’s new weed control act. And Alberta isn’t the only province updating rules; Saskatchewan will enact a new law this fall. So what does this all mean for you? Well for gardeners it means knowing what plants you may need to remove from your property—and more importantly—why you should care about removing them.

The 46 prohibited noxious weed species on Alberta’s list have adapted so well to our prairie environment that they’ve managed to out compete many native species. When these weeds outperform native species, the food and habitat available for wildlife is reduced. In addition, when noxious weeds invade agricultural lands, they reduce crop yields and quality. That’s why prohibited weeds that have taken up residence here—either inadvertently or intentionally—must be destroyed. In addition to the 46 weeds in the prohibited class, another 29 offenders have the lesser designation of noxious. Even though noxious weeds don’t have to be destroyed, it’s advisable to eliminate them because you are required to control these plants. As an example, creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) isn’t banned but shouldn’t be allowed to spread beyond your property line —a near impossibility—so really shouldn’t be planted.

As for the prohibited species, most (such as mouse-ear hawkweed or spotted knapweed) have little ornamental value and aren’t usually grown on purpose. But there are a handful of prohibited noxious weeds that are still being actively chosen for their beauty.

One new example on the prohibited list is Himalayan balsam (Impatiens grandulifera), which is a fierce self-seeder. It’s a tall (90–120 cm) annual with purplish lance-shaped leaves and small pink flowers. Also banned is the tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis), a shrub with fine foliage and pretty strings of pink flowers. It has a nasty habit of invading riparian zones and choking out native species. The common name, salt cedar, alludes to the fact it draws salts out of the soil and into its leaves. Unfortunately, when the leaves drop in the fall, the salt leaches into the soil and, over several years, contaminates the soil making it impossible for other species to grow in the highly saline environment.

Tamarix chinensis

In Alberta, it’s mandatory to remove prohibited noxious weeds, meaning the onus is on us to know what’s on the list. (It’s probably not a bad idea for Saskatchewan residents to be proactive and avoid planting the blacklisted plants.) So, to reduce the odds of officials showing up on your doorstep with shovels and garbage bags, you need to become familiar with the plants.

The best way to start is to download the complete list from Alberta Agriculture. If you don’t recognize the plants by name, take suspect samples to local garden centres for identification. The Invasive Plants Council is also an excellent resource to help identify problem weeds and the council’s website suggests alternative species for your garden. Purple gas plants (Dictamnus albus v. purpurea), for example, can sub for Himalayan balsams, and dwarf Korean lilacs (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’) are wonderful alternatives to tamarisks.

If you still find yourself wondering if you’re growing a noxious weed or a beautiful ornamental, just remember this simple test: reach over and pull on the plant. If it is impossible to uproot, it’s a weed. If it comes out of the ground really easily…well, it’s probably a rare and expensive ornamental.

On Wednesday, the cement floor for the north offices was also poured. Girders for the catwalk that will link the north offices to the accounting offices were also put in place last week.

Meanwhile, on the lower level, refrigeration lines were run under what will be the cement floor. The lines for coolers and freezers, to be used by the bakery and food store, will run inside larger pipes. In case of leaks, junction boxes with built-in drains will act as service points for the lines.

My Canada Day included a family bike ride to Fort Edmonton Park where we enjoyed travelling back in time. The park offers great opportunities to see what life was like in Canada from the 1800s through to the early 1900s. Throughout the park, actors dressed in period pieces greeted us with “Happy Dominion Day” and gave faux looks of bewilderment to visitors who responded with “Happy Canada Day.” That’s because (for those of you who don’t remember) it wasn’t until 1982 that Canada Day became the official name of Canada’s birthday. Thinking I was pretty clever, I tried to see if I could get the volunteers to break out of character, but their acts were pretty darned polished. Almost makes me suspect they’ve heard from visitors like me before…

Hits & Misses
Hit: Smooth Waters
I’ve been enjoying the Coandă effect recently. What am I talking about, you ask? Well, I’ll spare you the long, complex mathematical formula and just say it explains why water clings and flows around solid surfaces in a smooth pattern. From the vantage point of my office window, I can see a water feature that includes a waterspout above a round stone. As the water flows from the spout, it clings beautifully to the stone causing it to look like a gigantic polished marble. It’s soothing and tranquil, but the Coandă effect is not particularly conducive to getting my work done.

Miss: Low Light
Each year, we grow hundreds of petunia barrels for the City of Edmonton and the City of St. Albert. The petunias’ growth has exploded in the past week, and dozens of flowers are now adorning the foliage. I did, however, notice four pots in downtown Edmonton with nary a flower. The reason is simple: the plants aren’t receiving any direct sunlight. They were all tucked close to the entrance on the north side of a hotel. The objective of the placement was obviously to add colour and fragrance as customers entered the premises. Unfortunately, under low-light conditions, petunia growth becomes soft and lanky, and they won’t flower. To solve the problem, the petunias either need to be moved a few metres away from the entrance or replaced with foliage plants that can tolerate low light. In this case, plant needs and human desires simply aren’t compatible.

Question of the Week
How do I keep my container garden looking its best?
Follow these simple steps and you’ll be rewarded with great-looking containers all season long.

1. Water often and thoroughly—until the water pours out the drainage holes.
2. Remember to remove the finished flowers (a.k.a deadheading) to promote repeat blooming.
3. Fertilize regularly. That’s because the large number of plants in a relatively small space soon use up the original soil nutrients. So, add a generous pinch of 20–20–20 fertilizer to your watering can each time you water.

For a visual review of these tips, see our container care video.

Science & Technology
City Improvements
Urban trees and humans are often on a collision course. Disease or a lack of rainfall is often cited when street trees slowly die. But the real reason has more to do with the soil quality and volume than any other conditions. Soil beneath city streets and boulevards is almost always compacted so that the concrete or asphalt above doesn’t crack or slump. But that’s horrible for root growth. As a result, trees grown in compacted soils often die prematurely. To alleviate the problem, researchers at Cornell University have been working on a structured soil that consists of fairly coarse rock, some clay and a hydrogel (a product that holds water and has the consistency of gelatin). Designed especially for urban environments, it’s strong enough to support pavement yet porous enough to allow for excellent root growth. I believe the City of Edmonton is testing structured soils at a couple of sites. I don’t think the results will be disappointing. My feeling is that structured soil will greatly improve our urban tree quality and dramatically reduce tree replacement costs.

Did You Know?
Soil scientists say there are more species of organisms in a scoop of soil than there are above ground in the entire Amazon rain forest.

“In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip.”
–Daniel L. Reardon

If you want your newly planted shade tree to have a long healthy life, the first thing you have to do is show a little flare—trunk flare to be accurate. What am I talking about? Well, on a tree, the flare is the transitional zone between the trunk and the roots. On a young tree it’s barely noticeable, but as a tree ages it’s flare becomes more pronounced and takes on a bell shape. They’re a visual reminder of the presence of strong buttress roots radiating out into the soil and anchoring the tree. Now you may think learning about flares will only support your Trivial Pursuit prowess, but they are a visual reminder of a tree’s health and can be the difference between having a vibrant tree, and one that succumbs to a premature death. Here’s what you need to know.

When planting a new tree, make sure the flare is never buried in the soil. This might not seem like a big deal, especially but if you look at how trees grow naturally, once seedlings emerge from the soil they rarely experience a change in soil depth. That cue from Mother Nature is one we need to follow. Trunks and flares are specialized structures designed to live above ground.

So, while roots can handle the rigors of moist soil, trunks and flares can’t. If a flare is buried, it will face a continuous barrage from soil micro-organisms that will introduce rot or other disease that will damage the tree, at best, and kill it, at worst.

If the organisms don’t destroy it first, the other potential scenario is that the tree will self-destruct. That’s because a tree with a buried flare can develop girdling roots whereby roots just a few centimeters below the soil surface can grow to encircle a trunk. As these roots enlarge, they can literally strangle a tree trunk. An example I’ve seen was an improperly transplanted linden tree that had grown t a beautiful 4 m tall before declining and eventually dying after six years. When the tree was dug out, there was one large girdling root—like an anaconda wrapped around its prey.

To prevent either outcome, always start with a healthy, container-grown specimen that isn’t buried too deeply in the nursery pot. That means being a wise consumer—not shopping merely by price, but also checking the quality of the product. Reputable greenhouses will be able to tell you how the tree was grown, how you should plant it and have a solid guarantee. All the same, before planting it’s always wise to locate the root junction and remove soil, if necessary, to ensure that the junction is at ground level. In fact, planting a few centimeters too high is better than planting too low. Also when you transplant, cut off any roots that encircle the rootball because they could develop into girdling roots.

There’s certainly nothing more frustrating or disappointing then having a beautiful shade tree succumb to a girdling root or trunk rot. However, preventing either from happening is fairly simple. Just keep this tree flare trivia in mind to save yourself time and money, and to avoid serious flare-ups in the future.

If I hadn’t been cutting through Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton last Friday, I’d have missed out on The Works art festival displays. I’d just completed my regular CBC gardening open-line radio program and was on route to my car. That’s when I noticed four vehicles erratically parked on the fringe of the square and wondered how those people had scored prime parking real estate. But as I squeezed by the cars, I realized they were works of art—botanical ones! Each vehicle was filled to the top of its dashboard with soil. Spruce and poplar saplings were growing happily in the vehicles’ cozy interior landscapes. I doubt any car companies have considered vehicular greenhouses, but given the impact vehicles have on the environment, producing cars that generate oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide might not be a bad idea.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Planned Buying
Our gardening books did particularly well at the greenhouse last weekend. In fact, people were buying stacks of them. Now, I could say the reason was because the author (me, of course) was there to sign copies. But, alas, I know the real reason was that they were one heck of a bargain. Most people I talked to planned on giving the books as birthday or Christmas gifts. Boy, are they organized. Personally, I consider it planning ahead if I buy a gift the day before.

Miss: Still Cutting Away
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, cutworms have been on the attack. In fact, my sister-in-law Valerie, who kindly donates some of her pickles to me each year, reports cutworms have devastated her cucumber patch. Cutworms are particularly bad in our region this year thanks to last year’s warm, dry fall. That type of weather makes flight easier for the female moths and increases survival of eggs, which the moths typically deposit in or on loose soil during late afternoons in early fall. Considering that one female army cutworm moth can lay 1,000 to 3,000 eggs, it’s easy to see how cutworms can become such a nuisance. Valerie has re-sown her cucumbers. Needless to say, I’m hoping for a long, hot summer and an abundant harvest of pickles…I mean cucumbers.

Question of the Week
Is it too late to plant annuals?
No, it’s not too late. But you will want to make sure you’re not buying overgrown bedding plants because they’ll be rootbound and won’t perform. What you want to look for at this time of the year are large, fully branched plants that are blooming or have lots of buds that are ready to open. That way, you won’t have to wait for results. The other option is to buy pre-planted patio containers that’ll add instant lushness to your yard. And don’t forget about vegetable containers—they’ll look great and likely be ready to harvest.

Science & Technology
Crying the Blues
When red roses turn blue, it’s enough to make you cry—especially if you’ve just shelled out for a dozen long stems. That undesirable characteristic (called bluing) has a lot to do with the chemistry of the aging petals. The older the flowers, the higher pH levels in the plant cells—that in turn break down certain proteins—the higher the degree of bluing. A certain amount of bluing is inevitable as roses age. But if you buy high-quality, fresh roses and keep them cool, it will prevent both you and the roses from developing a serious case of the blues.

Did You Know?
Workers in the pineapple industry wear rubber gloves to protect their skin from an enzyme in the plant stems called bromelain, which can digest protein.

“Canada is an interesting place, the rest of the world thinks so, even if Canadians don’t.”
–Terence M. Green

It’s nice to tune in to the World Cup, see that lush turf and know the grass seed came from the Canadian prairies—Manitoba to be exact. Soccer isn’t one of the sports I’ve played, so there are nuances of the game I don’t fully understand. For example, as hard as I try, I can’t figure out what’s causing some of the world’s best players to suddenly fall and then roll on the turf with grimaces on their faces? In these instances, as far as I can tell, no obvious collisions have happened nor have the soccer players turned their ankles or otherwise injured themselves. Perhaps there’s something wrong with our Canuck grass—like the blades are so stiff and strong that they’re tripping the players? Then again, maybe the grass isn’t to blame because, for some strange reason, complete recovery seems to happen in about 10 seconds—usually just after the referee shows something called a Yellow Card…

Hits & Misses
Hit: Gopher-proof Plants
The sign welcoming everyone at the south entrance of St. Albert has an integrated planter with a sloping flowerbed in front. And every year that we plant this bed, Richardson’s ground squirrels (a.k.a. gophers) test the plants to see which ones suit their discerning tastes. After years of trialing a wide range of gopher-proof bedding plants, we’ve discovered geraniums and dusty millers are quite possibly the only plants those little brown critters don’t touch. Some argue the gophers hate the taste of geraniums and dusty millers, but I believe they’ve finally found the right décor to complement their pasture.

Miss: Less than a Beauty
There are good reasons heirloom tomato varieties have been handed down from generation to generation, but beauty is seldom one of them. ‘Black Russian’ is an excellent example. As I walked through the greenhouse on the weekend, I really noticed how their thin, purple-tinged leaves stood out. But imperfect foliage and fruit are the trademark of heirloom tomatoes, so you need to look beyond the visual shortcomings and focus on the often-superior flavour and texture of these fruits.

Question of the Week
How can I get rid of the non-fairy ring mushrooms on my lawn?
Actually, you don’t need to worry about mushrooms. Unlike fairy rings, they won’t harm your lawn, besides which there aren’t fungicides for killing them. They often appear after rainy weather or when humidity is high and then cease to grow when conditions change. While you wait, consider removing the actively growing mushrooms before you mow. Otherwise they can leave quite a mess.

Science & Technology
Fine-tuned Testing
Precision fertilizer application for crops such as potatoes isn’t something most gardeners worry about. But for commercial potato growers, misapplication can cost a lot of money. That’s why they use the petiole sap test, developed to assess nutrient requirements. By extracting and analyzing a little sap from potato petioles (stems that the leaves attach to), growers can get a fairly accurate measure of the plants’ nitrogen levels. The exact amount of fertilizer needed can then be applied. This new technology isn’t available as a home test, but who knows? Maybe an inexpensive, quick potato sap tester will become a reality in the next few years.

Did You Know?
Kiwi fruits have more vitamin C than oranges and more potassium than bananas.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
–Thomas Edison

The unit arrived last week and basically looks like a big metal box. Inside are high-volume, low-velocity fans capable of moving air at a rate of 18,000 cubic feet per minute (510 cubic metres). Under the glass of the retail greenhouse, it will be able to bring in fresh air at a rate of 7,000 cfm (198 cubic metres). As a visual aid, that’s about equivalent to the interior volume of a 1,400 sq ft (126 sq m) home. It’s a variable system that can run at maximum capacity on hot days or not at all. The air-handling unit can also be used to help regulate the environment when the in-floor hot water heating is running.

Physically, it’s hard to miss the mammoth 4 m tall and about 5 m long unit where it sits in the lower level. But in operation, it will be invisible to most people, as is the case with many of the energy efficiencies built into the Enjoy Centre.

… and the glue-lam beams are being installed today.

– Post From My iPhone

– Post From My iPhone

If someone referred to you as either a vegetable gardener or a rose gardener, you’d likely accept the moniker with a fair bit of pride. But what if I were to call you a crepuscular gardener? How would you feel then? Perhaps you’d be offended or conjure up images of strange-looking people lurking in gardens. Well, rest assured, there’s no offense intended. In fact, you might like the moniker and already be living up to it without knowing so. The crepuscular hours—for those of you who don’t know—are the twilight hours that bookend the day. For people whose daytime lives are busy, it’s the only time they can enjoy their gardens.

OK, perhaps your life’s not quite that hectic. Maybe despite work, volunteer obligations or kids that need shuttling you can find time to enjoy your garden outside the twilight hours. In any case, I think it’s worthwhile for most people to allot a little outdoor space to create a garden that comes to life in the tranquil hours of the evenings and early mornings. Here’s what you need to know.

To get the most out of the end of the day, focus on plants that come to life as the sun sets. Luminous silver foliage or white flowers reflect the moonlight and emit an almost iridescent glow after the sun sets. Obvious favourites are ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas for their globular white flowerheads, or silver mounds (Artemisia schmidtiana) for their textural foliage. Both choices provide great reflective surfaces for moonbeams. Even yellow flowers, such as those on evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), capture enough moonlight to really showcase their beauty. As their common name suggests, the blooms open in the evening.

Looking their best in twilight is a survival mechanism for some plants, so take advantage of these varieties. A good example is the white-flowered Yucca glauca, which is native to both southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. It relies on a species of night-flying moth that hones in on moon-illuminated flowers for pollination.

While optical appeal is great to have in the evening, so too is fragrance. Plants such as heliotrope and evening scented stocks save up their fragrance during the day and release a cocktail of perfumes in the early evening. For both scent and sight, you can’t go wrong with tall, white nicotiana, which emits a jasmine-like fragrance as the sun disappears.

As nice as warm summer evenings can be, early mornings are equally rewarding in my opinion. During those hours, crepuscular rays—streams of light that seem to come from a single point—cast amazing shadows, particularly through feathery trees and shrubs such as larches or cutleaf stephanandras. As well, intensely coloured foliage plants such as coleus display their palettes best in the early morning. As the low-angle, early-morning sunlight passes through their foliage, they are beautifully translucent.

Don’t forget when planning your garden that gentle sounds and twilight go hand in hand. I don’t know why, but the sound of trickling fountains and rustling leaves come to life when the sun comes up and when it disappears over the horizon. Perhaps we tune into sound more as sunlight levels drop. Whatever the reason, don’t forget about the soothing qualities of sound. To complete your twilight space, don’t forget to accessorize with a few solar lights and some strategically placed comfy seating.

I could drone on about the merits of enjoying gardens during twilight hours just like a teenager prattling about the genius of the vampire-themed Twilight movies. Hey, come to think of it, associating with bloodsuckers is something crepuscular gardeners and Twilight fans have in common. The tall, muscular and good-looking ones may be more entertaining but, at least, mosquitoes can be easily swatted off necks.

A flood table placement option for the retail greenhouse is shown in the drawing
above. A flood table being tested this year is shown below.

Playing the mad scientist always intrigues me. So, I was in my element last week experimenting with fertilizer and a product called PurGro. It’s a naturally occurring rock adept at absorbing and holding on to nutrients, which makes it an ideal soil amendment. In my experiment, I dissolved 20–20–20 fertilizer in a bucket of water and dumped in a jug of PurGro. Then, once the fertilizer solution was absorbed, I worked the rock granules into the soil of some of my flower containers. My theory is that the fertilizer-saturated granules will act as a slow-release nutrient source and keep the plants vigorous and well fed for most of the season. I’m not suggesting you try this at home; it’s strictly experimental. But in a couple of months I’ll let you know if it was successful. Another thing I don’t recommend is using the laundry room sink as a pseudo science lab. Let’s just say not everyone in our household grasps the importance of scientific exploration.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Super Dads
Father’s Day always generates a lot of tomato sales. In the gift-giving department what could be better than the chance to produce garden-fresh tomato slices to top pizza (my favourite way to enjoy tomatoes). If you have a super dad, give him an outstanding tomato such as ‘Super Fantastic,’ ‘Super Steak’ or ‘Super Tasty.’ Of course, if things have soured a bit with Dad (maybe he carried out experiments in the laundry room), a ‘Lemon Boy’ might be the tomato of choice…

Miss: Subterranean Attacks
Cutworms are coming on like gangbusters this week. This year they’re late to emerge because of the cooler-than-normal weather, but have now woken up from their slumber. The first sign of cutworm activity is usually a bunch of plants napping on their sides. That’s because cutworms, of which there are several species, hide beneath the soil surface where they chew on plants often severing the stems. Lettuce is particularly prone to cutworm attack, so be vigilant. Carefully till the soil around your plants with a hoe to expose the cutworms and then destroy them. If you have a severe problem, spray the soil with a permethrin-based product in the evening, which is when cutworms are near the surface.

Question of the week
How tall can a tomato plant grow?
If the growing season were long enough, an indeterminate tomato plant (as opposed to a determinate variety that stops growing at a certain height) could reach 9 m or better. In practice, indeterminate garden varieties tend to reach 1–1.5 m in a growing season. But the ‘Tomaccio,’ a new cherry tomato we have this year, will grow 4 m in a warm growing season. We’ll see if they reach those heights this summer.

Science & Technology
Deep-rooted Insight
The conventional image many people have of a tree’s root system probably resembles that of a carrot: one deep taproot with a few fibrous roots attached on the sides. However, a survey in England of 4,000 trees (blown down some time ago by a hurricane) showed that taproots occurred in only 2.5 percent of the surveyed trees. The remainder had mostly lateral roots that occupied the top few feet of the soil.

Did You Know?
Aloe vera (used for dressing small cuts and abrasions) contains an enzyme called bradykinase, which destroys bradykinin—a chemical in our bodies that produces pain.

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”
–Jim Valvano

Company representatives, including President Maureen Welton, were in St. Albert recently. It wasn’t their first visit here, but it was the only time they’ve seen us during our busy spring season and their first chance to tour the Enjoy Centre. After seeing where their product would be featured Maureen said, “I just have to tell you I’m loving this space.” She’s also excited that when customers move up the travelator they’ll be treated to an adjacent view of a spectacular 18 Karat display area. That enthusiasm is shared; we can’t wait to see the retail space filled with displays.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Memories of Popcorn
Speaking of the movies, the smell of buttery popcorn is wafting through our greenhouses this year. No, not because the growers are eating it or growing it. Rather, it’s coming from the popcorn cassia (Cassia didymobotrya). It’s a semi-tropical plant that has large caragana-like leaves and produces yellow flowers on a tall spike. The flowers and foliage smell distinctly like buttered popcorn and are sure to evoke memories of sitting in a theatre watching movies—even the bad ones.

Miss: Starved Cherries
According to quite a few people I’ve talked to, ‘Evans’ cherries are either leafing out poorly this spring or have died completely. Winter cold can take some of the blame, but not all of it. A key factor for all hardy plants to endure winter is the ability to build up sufficient carbohydrate reserves prior to the onset of very cold weather. That didn’t happen last year because of drought stress, which diminishes carbohydrate reserves thereby reducing plant cold tolerance. As evidenced by the Evans cherries, drought stress followed by deep cold is a simple formula for severe tree injury, or worse, tree mortality.

Don’t expect heavy fruit production from ‘Evans’ cherries this year.

Question of the Week
Are any bedding plants poisonous?
First of all, keep in mind that “poisonous plant” is a broad term. It’s applied to plants that cause reactions ranging from mild skin irritation to serious injury via ingestion. Consequently, “poisonous” can be attached to a wide number of bedding plants. However, very few common bedding plants are particularly toxic. That said, gnawing on bedding plants that aren’t deemed edible isn’t something I’d recommend.

Science & Technology
These Boots are Made for Talking
From the Treehugger website comes an interesting way of generating electricity from your garden gumboots. The rubber boots, developed by the Orange and Gotwind companies, take advantage of the Seebeck effect, whereby temperature differences generate electricity. In this instance, heat from your feet warms the top of ceramic material in the boost while cold from the ground underfoot reaches the other side of the ceramic. So just how efficient is it you may be wondering? Well, you’ll have to do a lot of walking. It takes 12 hours to generate enough power for about an hour of cellphone use.

Did You Know?
The reason you’re not supposed to drink water from garden hoses is because some are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which contains a small amount of lead (a stabilizer) that could potentially leach out.

“Happinesss is a habit—cultivate it.”
–Elbert Hubbard

Corn, fungus and iron. It looks like a rather disparate list at first glance, but looks can be deceiving. Strangely enough, what the members of this trio have in common will delight you if dandelions are the bane of your existence. As you might have guessed, each has the ability to kill that hated of all weeds and to do so without harming your grass. Corn, fungus and iron-based products each attack and kill dandelions in their own unique way. Fortunately, these new additions to our dandelion-killing arsenal are also all environmentally friendly. Here’s how they work.

Corn, or more specifically, a protein in it called gluten, has the ability to inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby stopping dandelions before they start. So although, corn-gluten-based products have little affect on existing dandelion plants, they have a fair bit of nitrogen, which will thicken lawns and help the grass outcompete the weeds. Corn gluten is not a quick-fix weed killer. However, in the long-term, and with a bit of patience, dandelion numbers will gradually decrease. It’s been on the market for a few years now, and is the first real alternative to conventional (and no longer available) weed-and-feed formulas that contained 2,4-D and fertilizer.

Farmers and gardeners have spent a lot of time and money trying to control harmful fungal diseases, so thinking of fungi as allies rather than foes can be a tough concept to grasp. But this year, a strain of one particular fungus, ‘Sclerotinia minor,’ might just change attitudes. It’s the basis of a product developed at McGill University and sold under the trade name Sarritor.

The fungal strain in Sarritor has a particular appetite for broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. Just as importantly, it isn’t the least bit attracted to grass. Sarritor is designed to be used as a spot application and works best when applied at temperatures between 18 and 24°C. Rainfall or watering shortly after application causes the fungal spores to germinate and, subsequently, to invade dandelion leaves. The dandelion-attacking fungus controls top growth for about four weeks. Unfortunately it doesn’t kill dandelion roots, so a second application may be necessary if top growth reappears. One word of caution: the fungus can kill some pond plants and vegetables, such as lettuce, so be cautious when applying.

If you really want to hammer out the dandelions, then iron might be the ticket. A new product called Weed-B-Gon contains chelated iron, which has proven to be tough on dandelions. The chelated iron (from the Greek chele meaning claw) is held in the grip of a complex molecule until it is released within the leaves of dandelions. The exact mechanism by which iron kills dandelions isn’t clear, but the belief is that iron leads to the production of highly reactive, cell-destroying chemicals called free radicals. This product also controls other broadleaf weeds, such as clover. Lawn grasses have a high tolerance for chelated iron and show few signs of injury and, as an added benefit, when the product decomposes in the soil, it provides a bit of iron to boost lawn growth. For optimum weed control, Weed-B-Gon is best applied twice with the second application about four weeks after the first.

Of course, if you want to avoid weed killers altogether, you need a healthy lawn, which will mean fewer problems with weeds. Regular dethatching, aeration and an annual application of slow-release fertilizer will keep your lawn in good shape. That said, just as we shouldn’t compare ourselves to Hollywood types, neither should we compare our lawns to putting greens. Real people aren’t flawless and neither are their yards.

Who knew chelated iron would capture my fancy. To be honest, using it is quite gratifying. If you’re wondering what I’ve been up to, the answer is testing the latest iron product available to battle dandelions and other broad-leafed lawn weeds. So far, I’m impressed. In my test, the dandelions began to turn to mush within 24 hours of being sprayed. This fast-acting product is also eco-friendly and as a peripheral benefit will turn your grass a richer hue of green. The product information says an additional spraying of iron may be necessary four to five weeks later to deal with any dandelion regrowth. As for those of you who like to eat dandelions (untreated), don’t despair. I can’t image they’ll become an endangered species anytime soon—even with chelated iron doing battle.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Waterproof Gardening
Have you ever worried about watering or under watering your garden plants? Well, there’s a solution: water bowls! Simply fill with water and add aquatic plant species. Provided you keep the bowl filled to a reasonable level, the plants will thrive and you’ll never have to worry about when to water. Many different combinations of water plants will work. For example, you can try cyperus grass, parrot’s feather, lysimachia and rumax. To keep the algae at bay, simply add some PurPond to the bowl. This product is essentially a special type of rock that scrubs nutrients such as phosphorus and ammonium from the water. With the nutrients trapped within the rock structure, algae growth is stopped.

Miss: Weatherproof Gardeners
Let me think…what would make a good miss this week? Hmmm…how about the #!**!# weather! This has to be the worst May weather I can remember. Cold temperatures, rain and, yes, snow—not exactly gardening weather. But hey, we’re hardy prairie folk and I know we’ll get through this maelstrom. Just the same, if Mother Nature is listening, we’re sorry for whatever we did to offend you and promise to behave. Now please turn up the heat!

Question of the Week
What is a vegetative plant?
Vegetative refers to a specific propagation method by which cuttings (usually branches) are taken from plants and rooted to produce genetically identical offspring. The kinds of plants often propagated this way produce either little or no viable seed, or have genetically inconsistent seed. Some plants naturally reproduce this way (think of runners on strawberries). In the greenhouse business, we use this type of propagation to grow bedding plants such as petunias and coleus.

Science & Technology
Sequencing Spruce
According to Science, Swedish researchers are going to spend $10 million sequencing the Norway spruce genome. It’s a significant project not only because it will be the first conifer to be sequenced but also because the Norway spruce feeds Sweden’s timber industry. A better understanding of what makes the species tick is, therefore, crucial for the long-term health of the industry. But if you think the sequencing will be a simple job, think again. The Norway spruce has 7 to 10 times more genes than a human genome. The project leader, Par Ingvarsson of Umea University, says they especially want to identify the genes that control wood properties. Now if Par could identify the genes one needs to put that damn Norway spruce-based Ikea furniture together, I’d be happy too.

Did You Know?
Soft water isn’t soft on plants. It contains high levels of sodium, which are detrimental to plant health.

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”
–James Dean

To further engage people, we’ve created Hole’s Twitter and Facebook pages. There we can quickly share pictures and information on the Enjoy Centre progress, special offers and events at the greenhouse. Joining us there will give you access to exclusive information and sales. You’ll also find additional information coming to you in the Notebook (such as Community Events postings and details on our Weekend Spectacular sales). As always, Jim will give you an insider’s look at the greenhouse and continue to show you how gardening is being redefined.

Ice cubes popping out of potting soil? Yes, it was a little bewildering to one customer who witnessed the rise of what looked like ice cubes from the soil of her patio planters. The cubes were actually supersaturated Moisture Mizer granules, and they appeared after several days of heavy rain. The product is a hydrogel—a fine-crystalline structure capable of absorbing large quantities of water, and is touted as being able to prevent containers from drying out. But do they work? Well, the reality is that hydrogels will, at best, buy you a few more hours between waterings. So although, they’re not a miracle product, give them a shot if you have a hot, dry spot. Just don’t be alarmed if the blobs rise from the soil like zombies.

Given the right conditions,
hydrogels can look like ice cubes.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Shapely Lavender
Lavender’s purple flowers, which remind me of bursting fireworks, always stand out from the crowd. They’re even more dramatic when pruned into a tree-form with the blooms set against spherical shaped foliage. These tree-form lavenders are unique-looking potted plants. They’re perfect for patio tables and are sure to get the barbeque crowd talking. And, of course, they smell wonderful too.

Miss: Safety First
Most of us (or maybe it’s just me) have a tendency to use a new product first and to read the label second—usually after the product doesn’t perform as expected. For some products, the worst that happens is you waste your money. But for others, the consequences can be much more serious. I had a customer who erroneously assumed he could use Doktor Doom House and Garden Insecticidal Spray to control bed bugs in his home. Thankfully, he’s okay, although he did suffer from dizziness and need medical attention. The important lesson is that pesticides must be used only for specified purposes—labels must be read thoroughly and followed exactly. The customer’s story ended well, but reinforced the point that you should read first, use second.

Question of the Week
I just bought some drought tolerant plants. Do I have to water them?
You sure do. Just because a plant can withstand drought doesn’t mean it will thrive without watering. It’s also important to regularly water newly purchased drought-tolerant plants until they’re well established.

Science & Technology
Sexist Scent
Women have a greater sensitivity to odours than do men but as always, there’s an exception to the rule. In the May issue of Science, researchers from Linkoping University in Sweden report men are more sensitive to the chemical (bourgeonal) that gives lily-of-the-valley its distinctive fragrance than women are. Strangely enough, in lab experiments the researchers also found that sperm cells make a beeline toward bourgeonal. They don’t know why this is the case, but I know there’s a joke inside that data just screaming to get out…

Did You Know?
The word horseradish probably came from the old German word meerrettich, meaning sea radish, which aptly describes the plant that grew wild in European coastal regions.

“The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser—in case you thought optimism was dead.”
–Robert Brault

I’m expecting some bee-like behavior from gardeners this spring. Just as bees do waggle dances (yes, that’s what honey bees’ figure-eight movements are called) to alert their hive mates about a new patch of flowers, so too will gardeners react with exuberance to this year’s hot bedding plant introductions. OK, maybe not everyone will dance, but the beauty and quirky characteristics of these new varieties will make you take a second look. So, if you’re like me and have a penchant for the new and unusual, here’s a look at some of the showstoppers.

Pretty in pink takes on a whole new meaning with ‘Fireworks’ pennisetum grass. It’s dramatic and flashy with rich pink, variegated leaves and pink flowerheads. This annual ornamental grass is stunning as a centrepiece in pots and planters, or as a stand-alone feature in a bed. For the richest tones, plant it in bright sunlight to intensify the colour.

With a name like ‘Pretty Much Picasso,’ you know this petunia is going to possess a certain quirkiness. Picasso was known for mentally breaking apart real-life objects and reassembling them on canvas, and these petunias look as though the great artist had his hand in the breeding. The beautiful pink flowers have a distinct band of rich-green adorning the petal edges. It almost looks as if petunia leaf margins have been sewn onto the petals. I absolutely love the effect.

Another petunia, ‘Raspberry Blast,’ is a variety I also find irresistible. It has pink blooms edged in deep cerise-violet. I got hooked on Raspberry Blast last year when it practically jumped out from the other petunia varieties we were trialing in the greenhouses. I’d describe Raspberry Blast as the flamboyant cousin to the Picasso variety.

A type of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum androsaemum) also really caught my eye in last year’s trials. We grew ‘Ignite Scarlet Red’ in planter boxes, and I was struck by its appealing duality. What I mean is it displays both flowers and fruit concurrently. The rich green foliage provides a nice background for the small yellow flowers as well as the bright-red berries. It’s definitely something unusual to put in a container.

‘Million Kisses Elegance’ begonias are striking because of their bright, iridescent flowers that, at times, look as though they’re lit with fibre optic cable. This variety has a nice orangey hue. It’s a Begonia boliviensis and has a completely different look than tuberous or Rex begonias have, but all are queens of shade. These begonias have a mounding and trailing habit, and work well in hanging baskets where they will add an extra punch of colour.

It’s always challenging to find plants suitable for really shady spots, but the ‘Upside Down’ fern is up to the test. Its name alludes to the fact the leaves look as though they were attached upside down. The most prominent ribbing on plant leaves is usually on the underside, but with this fern it’s on the upper side of the leaves. Ferns always make great additions to shady areas. Most people will use it as an annual plant, although it is marginally hardy for our area. To overwinter the upside down fern, plant it into the ground in the fall, top with organic mulch and then keep it covered with a thick layer of snow. Other fern varieties also make great additions to shady areas, but if you want some extra texture, Upside Down is the way to go.

As always, my recommendation is to try at least one new variety each year. This list includes just some of the new and outstanding bedding plant introductions creating a buzz this year. But I’m sure you’ll agree that at least one of the short-listed varieties rates a 10 out of 10 on the waggle scale.

I may have discovered the world’s toughest plant. It, or rather four of them, are growing in a window box outside our office door. They’re ‘Jade Frost’ silver nettle vines (a.k.a. archangel), which are normally thought of as annuals in our area. Well, let me tell you what these plants endured last winter. They were left in long, narrow window boxes that contained only about 10 cm of soil, the boxes sat atop a retaining wall where they were exposed to howling winter winds (at least one day with –43°C), they had no snow cover, and still haven’t gotten a speck of water. Today, in spite of it all, they’re not only producing vines, but also flowering. Now, I’m not endorsing this kind of treatment for Jade Frost…but if its true that cockroaches are one of the few creatures that would survive a nuclear holocaust, you might just find them using this plant as nesting material.

‘Jade Frost’ silver nettle vine is tougher than it looks.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Spectacular Statements
As far as planting in the greenhouse goes, this is my favourite time of year. That sentiment is due entirely to the fact that the gargantuan pots destined for outdoor patios are being planted up. There are few sights more spectacular than five-foot-tall pots filled with a myriad of colourful bedding plants (and possibly a few interesting shrubs) welcoming you to a patio.

Miss: Mismatched Plants
You know, there are a lot of plant combinations that work well with impatiens in hanging baskets —ivy and bacopa being just two choices that come to mind. But somehow, no matter how lush and green a sow thistle looks, I don’t think it complements impatiens at all. How a sow thistle found its way into an impatiens basket of ours is anyone’s guess, but its weeks of pampering came to an abrupt end as this photo proves.

Question of the Week
I’ve over fertilized and burned my lawn in places. What can I do?
First, rake the burned areas to remove the dead grass. Then, water heavily to help flush away the excess fertilizer. Wait a couple of days and flush again. Then use a grass repair kit (which has grass seed embedded in a growing medium), or add 1–2.5 cm of rich loam and scatter grass seed overtop. Water at least once a day for the first two weeks to ensure germination. Then, water twice per week until the grass is well established.

Science & Technology
Fighting Moss
According to researchers from Kansas State University, sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda) is quite effective at killing moss in creeping bentgrass, which is used on putting greens. The Department of Plant Pathology researchers dissolved about 40 grams of sodium bicarbonate in a litre of water and drenched the moss patches. They found the mixture outperformed some standard moss control products. Keep in mind that sodium bicarbonate is not registered for use on lawns in Canada and, therefore, I cannot endorse its use…although I can’t imagine being sued for misuse of baking soda.

Did You Know?
Nicotine was the first insecticide to be extracted from a plant.

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
–Mary Anne Radmacher

I’d say our ‘Sum and Substance’ hostas would do writer Oren Arnold proud. In case you’re wondering, he said: ”Dear God, I pray for patience…and I want it right now!” Sum and Substance hostas are truly gargantuan and perfect for gardeners who want big plants now—not three years from now. The multi-stemmed plants with massive lime green leaves are about a metre wide and tall. If you plant one of these monsters, you can guarantee that when your neighbours and friends see them, they’ll want you to reveal what fertilizer you used. I tell my friends it’s the result of years of careful nurturing. No need to reveal who did the nurturing…

Hits & Misses
Hit: Surprise Petunias
Petunia plant breeders have really outdone themselves with petunias. Blue, red, white, yellow, green, double, single, trailing, mounding, hedge forming, fragrant…there’s at least one to suit every gardener. One of my favorite petunia series is called Surprise. These trailing petunias are outstanding candidates for window boxes or containers. One variety in the series, ‘Raspberry Blast,’ really jumps out from the pack with its bright pink and deep cerise flowers.

The showy ‘Raspberry Blast’ petunia
is just one of this year’s outstanding varieties.

Miss: Concrete Wonders
I’ve seen TV ads for a grass mixture that will “even grow on concrete!” Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret: every single plant at our greenhouse grows on concrete or asphalt. We add potting soil to our pots, sow seeds or pop transplants into the mixture and place the pots on…our floors! Essentially, the same thing applies to the grass in the ad—except that the seed and soil mixture is placed directly on concrete. In the ad, time-lapse photography shows the grass shoots bursting out from the mix—which is nothing miraculous. What would be miraculous is if that same grass looked good in a year’s time.

Question of the Week
I’ve never grown potatoes before; what do I need to do?
Potatoes are easy to grow and here’s how. Plant certified seed potatoes either whole or cut into thirds or quarters. Ensure each piece has two or three eyes (the dimples on tubers where the buds sprout). Allow cut pieces to dry for several hours or suberize (form a protective corky layer) before planting. Plant the tubers 10–15 cm deep and about 30 cm apart. When the plants are 15–20 cm tall, use a hoe to mound soil around the plants, creating hills about 20 cm deep. This will protect the tubers from sunlight, and is a better environment for tuber formation. The potatoes can be dug whenever they’re large enough to eat. Depending on the variety, you could have small potatoes about 60 days after the plant emerges. You also need to know that blooms are an indication, rather than an assurance of maturity. So, before you pull out a plant, carefully dig down with your hands, and unearth a couple potatoes to see if they’re big enough.

Science & Technology
Prey-preferred Colours
Aphids come in a variety of colours, and according to a recent article in Science, their colour has a direct influence on which beneficial insects prey on them. Apparently, ladybugs tend to prefer red aphids, while beneficial parasitic wasps (not the ones that steal hamburgers from your picnic table) prefer green aphids.

Did You Know?
Coir fibre is actually the stringy material that surrounds coconut seeds.

“Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival.”
–W. Edwards Deming

At the time, the warehouse was jammed full of plants that needed protection from frosty nights, and our usual receiver was on holiday. So, there’s an explanation why our editor wasn’t immediately told about the arrival of the magazine. But it made me think, yet again, about the systems that need to be developed as we transition to the new space at the Enjoy Centre. The warehouse space at our new facility will be 1,500 sq m (16,000 sq ft), which is about 1.4 times bigger than our total current storage space, including the warehouse. For efficiency, we’ll need a more formalized warehouse management system to control the movement and storage of materials. Otherwise, finding things such as magazines could take a lot longer.

If you want to send chills up the spines of seasoned gardeners, just mention clay. Images of cracked soil and hopelessly stunted plants will instantly come to mind. But unless this garden bad boy is dominating your soil, it doesn’t really deserve its bad rap. To gain an appreciation for clay, you’ll need to know what it is. Here’s the scoop.

Clay is one component of what’s known as mineral soils, which are prevalent on the Prairies and throughout the world. Organic soils are much less common and more than half of their solid contents consist of decomposed plants, animals and microorganisms. That’s why if you scoop a shovel of soil from a typical prairie garden, you’ll likely find that 90 percent of the solid components will be minerals and the rest organic matter.

The mineral fraction includes sand, silt and the often-maligned clay. By and large, what differentiates the components is the size of their particles. Sand particles are relatively large, silt somewhat smaller and clay the tiniest. In fact, clay particles are about 100 to 1,000 times smaller in diameter than sand grains. That’s part of the reason why it can be problematic in soil. It tends to fill in spaces that would otherwise hold air and water. And, without this critical pore space, roots have a difficult time infiltrating soil. But here’s the good news. Because clay particles can also swell and absorb water within their lattice-like structure, they provide a valuable water reservoir for plant roots. As well, clay is adept at retaining plant nutrients that roots can feed from as required. It’s only when the clay percentage becomes excessive that problems arise.

Recognizing when you have too much is rather self-evident—you’ll have large cracks on the surface and hard clods. If you need other corroboration, take a handful of your soil, add some water to it and start to roll the mix out between your hands as if it were Plasticine. If you can roll it out to the diameter of a pencil or less, that’s a sure sign your soil’s too rich in clay.

If that’s the case, it’s time to roll of the sleeves. Your first inclination might be to resolve the issue by adding sand. Don’t do it! Adding sand is the worst thing you could do because it turns clay-heavy soils into concrete-like soils rather than opening them up, which is the theory behind this ill-advised solution. The best solution is to entirely replace your soil with high-quality loam. Yes, I know it’s not an easy solution, nor a cheap one. But the short-term pain can save years of laborious, and often fruitless, efforts to transform heavy soil into a perfect-textured medium.

But if your percentage of clay isn’t too disproportionate, adding organic matter (compost, well-rotted manures and the like) will significantly improve the soil quality. Likewise gypsum, the white powdery stuff found in drywall, can also be useful. Gypsum binds the particles together thereby creating spaces for water and air to move more freely. It’s by no means a replacement for organic matter. But products such as Clay Buster, which contain both gypsum and organic matter, are helpful amendments

Keep in mind that plants will grow successfully in soils with varying ratios of sand, silt and clay. So, you don’t need to fear clay, but rather respect its role in the garden. Granted, in too high a concentration, it’s horrible looking stuff…unless, of course, Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze are working with it.

Insects—microscopic and large, live and preserved—were a big hit at our open house last Saturday. Much to the delight of bug lovers, Lisa Lumley (a U of A entomology grad student) brought live tomato hornworms along with other preserved insects. And our integrated pest management expert, Sherrie Lang, showcased the predatory insects we use as biological controls in the greenhouse. Kids (and adults) loved looking at magnified beneficial insects and watching ladybugs eat aphids. The kids even got to eat a few ladybugs—chocolate ones wrapped in foil, of course.

Hits & Misses
Hit: War on Dandelions
If you’re panicking about dandelion control because of the new Alberta ban on weed-and-feed products (effective January 1, 2010), you don’t need to. Other more ecologically friendly products are making their way into the market. We’ll have three in our garden centre this spring: corn gluten to inhibit dandelion seed germination, Sarritor (a fungus) to attack mature dandelions and an iron-based spray (available mid May) to kill dandelions and clover. Of course, you can still purchase old standbys, such as Killex, but these new products are exciting alternatives in the war on dandelions.

It’s always easier to conrol weeds when they’re small
and haven’t gone to seed.

Miss: Below the Surface
The pros and cons of plastic and fabric groundcovers for weed control were a topic of discussion on my regular CBC radio appearance on Monday. Porous landscape fabrics, used sparingly and in the right place, are usually fine, but impervious plastic sheets are never a good choice for gardens. A case in point was the experience of a CBC technician who couldn’t understand why the plants in the yard of his newly purchased home were growing so poorly. That is until he noticed a tiny piece of blue tarpaulin poking out of the ground. He discovered the tiny piece was, in fact, one of many tarps buried on the property. The previous owners apparently thought they could eliminate weed problems with the tarps but, instead, caused desirable plants to suffer. Plants, like icebergs, have a large amount of mass hidden below the surface. As good gardeners and good mariners bothknow, ignoring what’s below the surface can make the journey perilous.

Question of the Week
Why are my spring flowering shrubs blooming so sparsely?
This year, my bet is that dry conditions are a factor. But the reason could also be that some sensitive buds have been injured by the cold. Cold snaps can wipe out flowerbuds, depending on the plant species, the degree of cold and the stage of bud development. Flowerbuds are typically more sensitive to cold than are leaf buds.

Frost can be the cause of uneven
blooming on trees and shrubs.

Science & Technology
Point-and-Shoot Analysis
Near-infrared spectroscopy. Yes, it’s a mouthful, but that’s the name of the latest technology being used to look at the chemical composition of plants and soils. The Star Trek-like NIR spectrophotometer looks like a gun and when aimed at a plant leaf, it measures the amount of reflected light. An analysis of that measurement reveals a picture of the chemical composition of the plant. The point-and-shoot analysis for a wide range of plant nutrients still has a way to go, although meters already exist for the analysis of chlorophyll levels in crops such as corn. But sorry, Trekkies, it’s not called a tricorder.

Did You Know?
Corn plants grow prop roots for support.

“When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.”
–John Muir

Laura has been coordinating events for 30 years and is one of about a dozen people in the Edmonton area who are certified meeting professionals. She worked many years at the Westin hotel, was responsible for the accommodations and food services for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics (track and field), spent 16 months on the Alberta Centennial Project and coordinated an event at Commonwealth Stadium for the 2005 royal visit.

For the Enjoy Centre, Laura is establishing guidelines and procedures for the space based on when and how it will be used. Her to-do-list includes assessing areas such as the prep kitchen. How much counter space, how many ovens and refrigerators will we need? Function is the focus of the assessment, so one of her prep kitchen recommendations is to create a door where there currently isn’t one in the plans. Adding a door will expand the space and make a circular pathway for efficient food service.

That expert attention to detail is just what we need and why we hired Laura. For her, coordinating events is exciting because although the pieces of the puzzle are the same, she says “When you put them together you get a different picture every time.” She’s also enthused about the wow factor of the event space, which is going to create some stunning pictures. Inquiries about the space can be directed to .

Yes, pansy flowers are edible and dress up plates, but the consensus from 30 or so culinary professionals and students is that the petals are rather bland. I must say, I agree. We jointly came to that conclusion last Sunday as I toured the greenhouse with a group from the Canadian Culinary Federation for Cooks and Chefs. The tour focused on how to grow herbs properly and the parameters for maximizing both yield and flavour. We also stopped to sample unconventional herbs, including pansies and begonias. Despite our best-growing practices, the aforementioned pansies weren’t a hit. But the sharp vinegar-like flavour of the white ‘Non-Stop’ begonias got much better reviews. Flowers are often overlooked as culinary ingredients even though many have interesting and wonderful flavours. One word of caution, make sure you know the pest-control product history of edible flowers before chowing down.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Bigger and Better Pots
One pot, two pots, red pot, blue pot. With apologies to Dr. Seuss, my point is pots are the hot item this year. Everyone’s trading up and dumping small, uninspiring containers for bigger and better ones. It makes perfect sense. Not only are the big pots made of long-lasting, fade-free materials, but their capacity for more soil also means you can grow bigger, more striking plants.

Miss: Soil Testing Shortfall
A customer of ours had a soil test done by a laboratory, which is fine, but the report certainly isn’t user friendly. The terminology reads more like Egyptian hieroglyphics than something a home gardener could interpret. Am I chastising the soil testing company? Well, yes. The report cost the customer $265 and didn’t come with much interpretation or provide recommendations for the garden soil. In my opinion, most gardeners don’t need an expensive soil test. Yes, if something is seriously wrong, such as suspected herbicide contamination, a soil test is warranted. But for most soils—even those that look bad—spend your money on good old compost or well-rotted manure because that’s most likely what your garden’s lacking.

Adding organic material helps soils, including
those with too much clay.

Question of the Week
My tulip flowers aren’t very big this year, why?
There are several possible reasons. Hybrid tulips require a long growing season that’s not too hot or dry. Without these conditions, tulip bulbs won’t fill out properly and may produce smaller flowers or even fail to bloom in subsequent years. In fact, some hybrid varieties only produce good blooms the first growing season. Non-hybrid or species tulips will bloom year after year and are a good choice if you want early blooms. Keep in mind that species tulips will multiply and spread, which can be a good or bad attribute depending on your perspective.

Tulipa tarda multiplies readily and
produces generous blooms.

Science & Technology
Scannable Trees
Computer chips imbedded into trees sounds futuristic, but research results in the most recent issue of HortScience prove otherwise. The radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) were actually implanted beneath the bark of citrus trees six years ago. Now US Horticultural Research Laboratory researchers report the little computer chips are still functioning well and haven’t caused any deleterious affect on the health of the trees. RFIDs would allow growers to easily identify trees with a hand-held scanner and pertinent information could be downloaded from the chip. In the future, RFIDs could be useful for urban forest management as tools to help ensure that trees have a long and healthy life.

Did You Know?
Meadow voles (also known as field or meadow mice) love tulip bulbs but dislike snowdrops and daffodils.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings.”
—Maya Angelou

There’s always a little history repeating in the greenhouse business. When I was a kid, Mom and Dad grew most of our plants in brown, fibre pots. The containers provided an excellent environment for roots but had one major problem—the bottoms rapidly rotted. Eventually, we switched to lightweight, easy-to-handle plastic containers when they became both available and affordable. In the greenhouse industry, plastic became firmly embedded as the standard. But now, we’re returning to our roots.

The demand for more eco-friendly products has led to the development of biodegradable containers, meant specifically for the greenhouse industry. And let me tell you, they’re a far cry from the rotten-bottomed pots of my childhood. Not only are these new containers great for growing in, they also biodegrade after they’ve served their purpose. And because they decompose, they not only bypass the landfill but also enrich your garden soil. On the sustainability scale, they score high.

So just what are these biodegradable pots I’m talking about? Well, most aren’t season-long pots; they’re growing-in-until-it’s-time-to-transplant pots. They’re still a bit more expensive than plastic pots are, but I think the additional cost is well worth it. Eliminating plastics and giving back to the earth are good reasons to switch. Besides, there really isn’t a price tag we can put on our environment.

So with no further ado, here’s some info on the biodegradable pots I’m using this year. Note that the fibres in each type of pot are held together by naturally occurring plant resins, which are also biodegradable.

Coir fibre pots
Coir fibres are found between the outer shell of a coconut and the internal shell that protects the seed. They are stringy, flexible and tough enough to be woven. Most coir comes from stockpiles found in Sri Lanka and India. The fibre is also compressed and sold as a substitute for peat moss. Coir pots are probably the least attractive of the biodegradables I’ve tried, but their permeability is great for increasing vital airflow around roots.

Rice pots
Rice pots are the most durable and aesthetically pleasing of the biodegradables we’re using. Smooth, shiny, and earthy toned, they’re some of the most attractive pots I’ve ever seen—biodegradable or otherwise. The downside, however, is that rice pots are rather brittle, which means they’re prone to cracking. At the end of the season, though, that brittleness becomes an advantage—with one stomp, the pot is reduced to tiny bits, which decompose quickly. Last, but certainly not least, these pots are made from rice hulls rather than the grain itself, so there’s no diversion of food to create these containers.

Wheat pots
Considering how widely available wheat chaff is, it’s not surprising that someone’s transformed it into a usable product. Wheat pots are much more pliable than rice ones, which makes them less susceptible to cracking. However, their green hue also makes them less aesthetically pleasing than their competition. Wheat pots also biodegrade more rapidly than pots made from rice or coir do. But that’s not a bad thing—decomposition is what these containers are all about. Just be aware that wheat versions are destined for the compost as soon as you remove the transplants.

While each type of biodegradable pot has its own attributes, all are excellent choices for fostering sustainability. At our greenhouse, we aren’t shifting to 100 percent biodegradable pots just yet. Part of the reason is that a complete product line isn’t available. The other reasoning is that plastic still has a place in the greenhouse. In all likelihood, biodegradable substitutes may eventually eliminate the need for any plastic pots. We are, after all, back to an era where rot is hot.

To keep abreast of what’s new in the gardening world, follow twitter.com/holesonline.

The Sarritor has finally arrived. No, it’s not a new sci-fi movie or a much-awaited video game release—it’s a new biocontrol product for controlling dandelions. It contains a particular strain of a fungus called Sclerotinia minor that will kill your dandelions without doing the same to your lawn. It’s amusingly displayed in what looks like a mini-bar fridge because the fungi need to be cool to stay alive. One shake-on container will treat about 750 dandelions, but don’t be tempted to apply it on a hot, dry day. The fungi need humidity and reasonable warmth to multiply and infect dandelions. Therefore, the recommendation is to water your lawn on a warm evening and then to apply the product. It’s also important to remember that this product can’t be stored on a shelf. If you aren’t applying it immediately after purchase, it’s prudent to refrigerate Sarritor at home before unleashing it on your unsuspecting dandelions.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Fiery and Dark Roses
The nursery is ablaze with roses because our warm weather has made the flowers open early. There’s a wide array of colours and scents to enjoy. One of my favourites is ‘Morden Sunrise,’ from the hardy Parkland series. It has fiery orange and yellow flowers with a nice fringe of pink on the petals. I also really like the tender hybrid tea rose ‘Black Baccara’ simply because its flowers are so dark—not pure black, mind you, but strikingly dark nonetheless.

Miss: Morbid Fungi
Whereas, Sclerotinia minor is a good fungus that destroys evil dandelions, Apiosporina morbosa is a dastardly fungus that’s causing unprecedented damage to cherries, plums, chokecherries and pin cherries in our region. It’s more commonly known as black knot because it develops into swollen knots loaded with black spores after it invades branches through wounds or soft new tissue. Spores spread to create new knots and, eventually, the affected branches die. The solution is to prune 15–25 cm below the knots and to dispose of the infected branches to avoid spreading the disease. The problem is so common this spring that when I see a customer crossing our parking lot with a branch in hand, odds are the problem is black knot.

Question of the Week
What soil should I use to grow vegetables?
If you’re growing vegetables in a container, I always recommend Hole’s soilless potting mix. However, if you’re establishing a vegetable garden, good quality loam is a must. The recommended soil depth to grow vegetables is 20–25 cm. Once your garden is established, it’s important to amend it each year with 2.5–5 cm of organically rich material such as triple mix.

Science & Technology
Fuel Efficiency
Based on the how much water is used to produce fuels, diesel is more efficient than biofuels, according to the March issue of Science. In fact, diesel production yields more than twice the energy using the same amount of water. In other words, in a world of diminishing fresh water supplies, plant-based fuel sources aren’t so advantageous. To be a viable fuel source, we definitely need to squeeze more energy out of biofuels for every litre of water the biofuel crops use.

Did You Know?
The world’s largest sequoia tree, named General Sherman, is more than 80 metres tall and is estimated to weigh 2,500 metric tonnes.

“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something.”
–Carl Sagan