5 Easy Steps To Get Started

By Ava Green

There’s a common myth that you need a lot of space to grow vegetables, but whether you have a few containers, a small sunny corner, or a larger garden bed, there’s lots you can grow! Here in Norfolk County, which is Zone 6 in Southern Ontario, some vegetables can go in the ground as early as the beginning of May, while many others are usually safe to plant around the May 24th weekend, once the risk of frost has passed. Here are five simple steps to get you growing your own food this season if you’re new to vegetable gardening.

Step 1: Decide What You’d Love To Grow

Start with a list of the vegetables you actually want to eat. Coming into Eising Garden Centre with a list in hand makes choosing plants so much easier! When building your list, consider:

• Vegetables you love
• High-value vegetables, the ones that are expensive at the grocery store but easy and economical to grow yourself
• Anything that tastes better when it’s freshly picked, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs

Step 2: Make a Simple Plan

You don’t need an elaborate design; a rough sketch on a scrap of paper is just fine. The goal is simply to get a sense of your space and where things will go before you start digging. We recommend starting a garden notebook or journal to track what you plant each year and how it performs. It will be especially helpful next spring!! A few planning tips to keep in mind:

• Most heat-loving vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant and beans, need at least six hours of sun per day
• Cool-weather and shade-tolerant crops like lettuce, chard, kale, radishes, and beets do well with just three to four hours of sun 

• Spacing in a vegetable garden can be much tighter than in other types of gardens. Less empty space means fewer weeds and bigger harvests. Square foot gardening is an excellent method to explore
• Layer your garden beds with plants that are great companions. For example, basil and marigolds planted beside tomatoes are said to improve flavour and repel pests. Carrot and beet seeds tucked in beside and between your lettuce plants (which are a cool-weather crop) are a smart pairing; as your lettuce finishes in the summer heat, your carrots and beets will be sprouting up to take their place. This is referred to as succession planting and optimizes the space in your garden
• Make use of vertical space with poles or trellises for peas, pole beans and cucumbers
• Tuck herbs into any gaps between your vegetables; they’re useful, beautiful, and most pollinators love them

Step 3: Prepare Your Space

Once you’ve chosen a spot with enough light, it’s time to get the soil ready:

• Remove any sod or weeds before planting. If you’d rather not dig, the No Dig gardening method uses a layer of cardboard as the base for the new bed. This suppresses weeds naturally and breaks down into the soil over time
• Add a good-quality compost to your soil by either spreading a layer across the top of the garden bed or scooping some into each plant hole 
• For container gardening, almost any container works, just make sure it’s deep and wide enough for the mature size of your plants. Also, drainage holes are a must! Fill containers with a soilless mix containing compost, peat moss or a peat alternative, and one of the following: sand, vermiculite, or perlite. Avoid using garden soil, triple mix, or topsoil in containers, as they compact easily and will restrict root growth. Learn more about soil mixes, amendments, and fertilizers here

Step 4: Water and Feed Consistently

Consistent watering and feeding are the foundation of a productive vegetable garden:

• Vegetables need regular, reliable watering. Inconsistent moisture leads to stressed plants and poor yields
• Always water the soil, not the leaves. Plant roots take in water, and wet foliage can invite disease. Water deeply so moisture reaches the roots. Use your fingers to check how far down the water has penetrated into the soil
• Containers dry out faster than garden beds and will need more frequent attention
• Morning is the best time to water. If your plants are struggling on a particularly hot afternoon, a second watering is fine. Just be sure to aim at the base of the plant and avoid the foliage, which can scorch in direct sun
• Feed with organic fertilizers throughout the season to keep your plants healthy and productive. Follow the package instructions for the product you choose

Step 5: Plant Flowers for Your Pollinators

A vegetable garden without pollinators is a garden that won’t reach its full potential. Attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects to your garden is one of the best things you can do for your harvest. Some of our favourite pollinator-friendly flowers for the vegetable garden include marigold, calendula, nasturtium, borage, sunflowers and culinary lavender. As a bonus, most of these are edible, so they earn their space twice over.

It’s Time

Starting a vegetable garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do with an outdoor space. There’s a quiet satisfaction in growing something from seed or a seedling and bringing it to your own table. 

Start simple, grow what you love and don’t be afraid to learn as you go. 

The team at Eising Garden Centre is always happy to help you choose the right plants for your space and answer any questions along the way. This could be the season that changes the way you think about your garden!

Resources:

Why Use a Garden Journal?: https://eising.ca/why-use-a-garden-journal/

Square Foot Gardening: https://www.almanac.com/planning-square-foot-garden-grow-more-less-space

Fertilizers & Soil Amendments: https://eising.ca/fertilizers-soil-amendments/

Companion Planting: https://eising.ca/companion-planting-with-herbs/ and https://eising.ca/incorporating-vegetables-into-your-garden/

Optimizing the Gardening Season: https://eising.ca/optimizing-the-gardening-season/

No Dig Gardening Method: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/blogs/no-dig-resources/beginners-guide

Reading Plant Tags: https://eising.ca/full-sun-part-shade-what-do-plant-tags-actually-mean/

Growing Vegetables in Pots: https://eising.ca/planters-are-for-more-than-flowers/

By: Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

Bearing in mind that a lawn is a very unnatural situation in that we are trying to sustain a large area with very little plant diversity (monoculture), in the eye of the homeowner, lawns may remain an important part of the domestic landscape! As well as in very necessary areas like tile beds, paths, roadsides, and recreational areas, lawns provide a background that enhances the overall effect of the home and the various gardens and landscape features.

   From nematodes to dog pee spots, the following tips will help you to maintain a healthy lawn naturally.

Mowing

Of all the cultural practices, mowing exerts the greatest influence on growth, development, and ease of management. By keeping the grass blade height between 6 & 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches) high you'll be able to produce a more competitive lawn against young and germinating weeds.

Grass Species Selection

Seed mixtures with Titanium Tall Fescue have shown to be more drought, disease, and insect resistant than many other lawn grasses such as the traditional Kentucky bluegrasses. Tall fescue roots penetrate deeper into the soil providing better regrowth and wear tolerance, making it ideal for heavy foot traffic areas and recreational areas.

Carried by Eising Garden Centre

Time of Sowing

The best time to establish a lawn from seed is late summer and early fall (mid-August to mid-September) in southern Ontario. During this period, soil moisture and temperature conditions are optimal for germination and establishment. There is also less competition from germinating weeds in the fall. Make sure that seeding is done early in the fall so that the grass is well established before winter. The plants are then well rooted and more drought- and heat-tolerant the following summer.

Seed the shady areas in the fall for best results. Trees will have shed their leaves by then, so plenty of light is available for the new growth. The grass also gets off to an early start in the spring before the trees leaf out.

Spring seeding should be done as soon as the ground can be worked. Slow, irregular germination may result if the seed is sown when the soil is too cold and damp. (Soil Temp. around 15oC is ideal and there is also strong competition from germinating weeds during the spring. When practical, wait until weed seeds germinate, work the land to kill them and then sow the grass seed. ) If you choose to plant your new lawn in the spring, begin just as soon as the soil is dry enough to work, preferably mid-April to mid-May. This will give your new grass time to get well established before the hot, dry weather sets in.

Fall is often a better time to start your lawn, from mid-August to the end of September. Your seedbed is less likely to dry out at this time of year, and the grass should be well established before winter.

Watering

Your typical lawn needs about 2.5 cm (one inch) of water per week through either rain or irrigation. If irrigating, water in the morning as more will be absorbed as opposed to being lost to evaporation in the sun and the warmer temperatures later in the day.

Fertilization

Lawns require relatively large amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizers which should be applied several times during the growing season. Since lawn clippings are high in nutrients, especially nitrogen, much of your initial nitrogen fertilizer investment may be recycled back into your lawn! A fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio of 4:1:2 (e.g., 20-5-10) is normally the best in most situations. It should be noted though, that a soil nutrient test can accurately determine the actual needs of your lawn including lime if the pH is too low.

(Lawn Liming Rate: 20-50 lbs/1000 ft2)

Carried by Eising Garden Centre

Corn Gluten

An application of this product early in the spring and then later on in the summer will inhibit the growth of weeds from germinating seeds especially the annual problem, crabgrass. Established weeds though have to be dug out by hand.

Dog Pee Spots

There is a misconception that the pH level of your dog’s pee is leaving those unsightly spots in your lawn, when it is in fact the high concentration of nitrogen and salts being introduced into the soil. To prevent this, should you see your four-legged friend raising its leg or popping a squat, give that spot a good watering to dilute the minerals. In addition to this, ensuring your dog is well hydrated will help to water down their urine. However, your lawn may already have several severe yellow and bald patches. You may opt to resod or reseed the area, but the soil is what’s affected. Before giving up altogether and adding a scree to the affected area, Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre offers a fertilizer to help balance and remedy your dog pee spots!

Carried by Eising Garden Centre

Thatch Control

Thatch is a layer of dead leaves, stems and roots that intermingle with the living plants above the soil surface. A one-inch layer of thatch is desirable as it has a cushioning effect against compaction and an insulating effect in cold weather. De-thatching a lawn is an extreme measure that may be considered if the drainage is poor. Lawn aeration may be required as well as the lawn and the soil below must establish a drainage pattern.

Nematodes - Aid Against Japanese Beetles and More!

If the Japanese Beetle has been destroying certain plants in your landscape plantings or their grubs have been feeding on the roots of your lawn, causing unsightly brown patches maybe it's time to use Mother Nature's secret weapon: Beneficial Nematodes.

   Beneficial Nematodes are a natural way to control Japanese Beetle grubs and over some 200 species other pest insects in your lawn while having no detrimental effect on Ladybugs, Earthworms, and other helpful beneficial insects.

   Nematodes are naturally occurring microscopic worms of the soil and are used to control soil pest insects in their larvae or grub stages while not posing any health or environmental risks to humans or animals. The beneficial Nematodes enter the JB larva via mouth, anus, or respiratory openings and begins to feed. This causes specific bacteria to emerge from the intestinal tract of the Nematode, spreading inside the insect and multiply very rapidly; the bacteria convert host tissue into products which can easily be taken up by the Nematodes, ceasing the soil dwelling pest insect within a few days. Beneficial Nematodes are effective against not only the larval or grub stage of Japanese Beetles, but the Northern Masked Chafer, European Chafer, Rose Chafer, Crane Fly larvae (Leather Jackets), Oriental Beetles, and June Beetles.

   The nematode product you purchase should contain two genera: Steinernema and Heterorhabditis for better grub control.

   Beneficial Nematodes are very easy to use. Mix with water and spray on the lawn with a water-can, irrigation system, or a hose-end sprayer. Most homeowners spray at a rate of 10 million nematodes per 600 square feet on grub damaged lawns. After an application, keep the soil moist during the first two weeks for the nematodes to get established.

   In Ontario, there are two windows of opportunity to apply Beneficial Nematodes to be effective against the JB grub stage.

   The first application should be in May as the soil warms up and then again at the end of August or the first two weeks of September as the JB are hatching into their first larval stage.

   We hope these tips help to ensure your healthiest lawn! For more information – and lawncare products - visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🌾

By: Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer with tips from Mary K, Zach C, Sandy M, and Jeanine LT!

Now is the time to prep our outdoor landscapes for the coming cold weather and the ensuing spring! Perhaps your autumn is calmer than your spring, and this is the best time to clean up and begin new projects. The following are some simple but effective tips to get your yard winter-ready - so your spring will be a little more pleasant for you!

Planting

When warm weather still allows it, plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs to allow them to establish for budding and blooming next spring.

Pond Care

Mary, our perennials gal, suggests not removing any water from your pond but instead aerating it all winter. She skims out the leaves to maintain the balance of the nitrogen cycle in the water and suggests waiting to do a big pond clean out in the spring, as that’s when the water’s culture can bounce back easier.

Fertilizing

After top growth of your landscape plants ceases, reduce your annual fertilizer application by up to half of the requirement. Autumn is a major root growth period for woody and herbaceous perennials; roots will grow and absorb nutrients whenever soil temperatures remain above 5 °C but can be over fertilized quickly in these cooling temperatures.

Produce gardens could benefit at this time from a top layer of compost that will break down during the winter so it isn't too 'hot' for spring planting.

Leaf Litter

Here’s our pitch on the ‘leave it – don’t leave it’ debate: It DEPENDS.

   Ideally, we should leave litter leaf on the ground for our pollinator friends and endangered species like fireflies to hide out in the winter. But, there are appropriate situations in which to remove leaf litter.

• When they’re covering your bulbs and tender perennials, remove SOME. Leaf litter acts as a ground insulant, which can amplify our temperamental zone 6b temperatures. This freezing and thawing can often confuse and kill early spring bulbs and tender perennials.

• Zach, our trees and shrubs guy, suggests that if a tree shedding leaves has been diagnosed with pests and fungi, remove the leaf matter to reduce the spread to other plants. Diseased matter should always be removed in a quarantined fashion and taken to a landfill or burned.

☝️Please note: Unless diseased, compost your leaves, they contain vital nutrients specific to the plants they came from!

Lawncare

With autumn mowing practices you have the opportunity for the addition of much needed organic matter for your lawn, which is also an excellent source of slow release nutrients. Keep mower blades sharp since leaves can be tougher than grass. Raise the mower height up and mow leaves when they are lightly wet (e.g., morning dew). This will keep the leaves from blowing all over and will prevent the mower from getting bogged down in wet leaves.

See more on general lawncare in Dave's Lawncare 101 post.

Clean Up

Now is a good time to wash your tools with soap and water to prevent diseases spreading from plant to plant.

  ☝️Mary's tip is to spray garden tools with PAM before use, so the dirt slides right off them!

Pruning Perennials

Mary, our perennials gal, suggests leaving things until frost to cut back. This way they're easier to compost. Make sure to leave seedheads (i.e., coneflowers and black-eyed Susans) for wildlife, and things like hydrangeas for winter interest.

☝️Make sure if things are cut back, to leave them sticking up enough you can still find them in the spring!

Dividing and Moving Perennials

Moving or dividing perennials in the autumn is a great way to reduce your work next spring. The cool, moist weather is an ideal time for perennial roots to become well established.

👍The rule of green thumb for moving perennials: If the plant blooms between early spring and late June, then early fall division/moving is ideal. If the plant blooms after late June, then early spring division is ideal (except for Peonies which should only moved or divided in the fall, Poppies in August, Irises in July & Lilies in the Fall).

Overwintering Trees

Zach and Sandy from trees and shrubs suggest a couple of things to help your favourite trees along this winter:

• To reduce winter injury in evergreens: Keep properly watered throughout the growing season and into the fall is another way to reduce winter injury. Decrease watering slightly in September to encourage hardening off, then water thoroughly in October until freeze-up.

• Cedars - Spray cedars with antidesiccant spray (available at Eising GC) or wrap in burlap (with stakes to create dead air space) so wind doesn't dry out and burn tips.

• Fruit trees - In late fall, spray fruit trees with sulfur-horticultural oil (available at Eising GC) for protection against fungi and pests overwintering in the bark.

• Ornamental trees - wrap the base of young trees to protect from chewing rodents. 

• Pruning trees - trees that prefer winter pruning rather than spring pruning are maples, oaks, birches, and elms, as well as with fruiting trees such as apples and pears. This ensures blight and pests will not affect the tree's open wounds.

If you missed the frosty deadline for transplanting trees, Sandy suggests insulating unplanted potted trees to help them best survive the coming winter. Here are some methods:

• Double-pot your tree with an insulative barrier (i.e., burlap, straw, mulch, etc.) stuffed between the two pots and securely cover the top with tarp to deflect moisture.

• Bury your potted tree in the ground, level with the top of the pot (don’t forget to dig it back up!) and mulch the area.

• Huddle all of your unplanted trees and plants together when using the above methods.

Mulching

Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial practices you can do for your garden. Just by simply placing a protective layer of material over the bare soil will benefit the soil as it decomposes providing the much-needed organic matter which improves root growth, the infiltration of water and the nutrient-holding capacity of the soil while reducing soil erosion.

   A good layer of mulch allows the soil to warm more slowly in the spring, so perennials aren't fooled into breaking dormancy too early, as you want the ground to stay cold until it really is spring!

☝️Make sure your mulch application won't stunt the growth of your plants come spring as discussed in our Transplant Troubleshooting blog post!

Japanese Beetle Prevention

Nematodes are microscopic worms that should be applied to lawns that have been ravaged by grubs especially of the Japanese Beetle. Nematodes have a short shelf life and must be refrigerated until they are applied. Normally, they are sprayed onto the lawn from mid-May to mid-June and then again (for best practice) from mid-August to mid-September.

Pots

To prevent freezing and cracking, Mary suggests emptying and turning your pots upside down. You can disinfect at this time too. 

Design Time!

Jeanine, from production, suggests writing down what worked best in your produce garden this year so you can implement it again in the spring.

With the trees and land being barren enough you can see its contour, now is a great time to plan ahead for spring landscaping! Don't forget Eising GC would love to offer help with your landscape designing!

We hope these tips help your landscape plants enjoy your winter abode as much as you do this season, for more information - and plants – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🍁

We tend to get a lot of questions about rose care, and while roses do require more maintenance than other common shrubs, they’re by no means difficult to look after. A little bit of regular upkeep leads to some pretty impressive results, so if you’re a gardening novice, it’s definitely a worthwhile project. Here’s how you can grow and care for roses in Simcoe, Ontario. 

Planting Roses In Southern Ontario

Depending on the variety you choose, you can use roses for border plants, garden bed accents, climbing plants to train over arbours and patio lattice, or as container plants. Whatever location or growing medium you select, just ensure it’s suited to the size and growth habit of your chosen rose variety, since there are so many different kinds to choose from. That being said, almost all roses will need at least 6 hours of direct sun every day, so make sure your chosen location has plenty of light. 

The best soil for roses has excellent drainage and high nutrients, to set your rose bushes off to a good start, you’ll want to loosen up the soil thoroughly. Ideally, you’ll want sandier, loamy soil with a lot of compost mixed in.

If you’ve purchased a rose bush with bare roots, you’ll want to soak the root ball in water for up to 24 hours before planting. If it’s a potted rose, you won’t have to worry about that step. Plant your roses about 1.5–2 feet deep to fit their large root system, then fill the hole back up with the soil, compost and bone meal mix. Mound it up slightly around the base of the plant. 

How Often Should I Water Roses?

Generally, roses need about 1-3 inches of water per week. The thing is, roses are pretty susceptible to mildew and other fungal diseases if they get soggy and don’t receive much air circulation. That means you’ll want to avoid getting the leaves wet whenever possible and stick to watering the soil directly. The easiest way to do this is with a trickle hose set up near the base of the plant. Just turn it on and leave it for a while, so it thoroughly saturates the ground. 

If we experience a lot of rain in a short period, you can skip on watering, and should check your roses regularly for any signs of bacteria or fungal growth. Remove any damaged pieces with sanitized shears, wiping the blades clean between every cut, and disposing of the damaged parts safely in the garbage, not the compost bin.

Rose Care: Mulch, Fertilizer, And More

Applying a layer of mulch on top of the soil around your roses will help to retain moisture and control weeds. Some gardeners insist that cocoa bean shells are the best mulch for roses, but we’ve found that classic bark mulch still works perfectly fine.

 

In spring, feed your roses with a fertilizer formulated specifically for roses. For best performance and blooms, apply the fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. There are also special fertilizers made for transplanting, easing the transition when planting your rose. Be sure to water your rose before and after applying fertilizer as their roots are susceptible to being burnt.

Since there are so many types of roses, this means there are different times of the seasons and different styles of pruning. Use a pruning saw or hand pruners to remove any damaged branches or awkward pieces that jut out too far. If there are some densely packed areas with branches, it may help to thin them out a bit to help prevent fungal growth. 

We have so many spectacular colours and varieties of roses to grow in Southern Ontario. Visit Eising to see our full collection, or check out our online store! We have citywide delivery and curbside pickup available all summer long.