By Ava Green

Is there anything sweeter than the scent of Lilacs in the spring? These beloved shrubs are remarkably easy to grow and will reward you with weeks of fragrant blooms for little or no effort. But a bit of attention can make a big difference, especially if you’ve noticed your blooms getting smaller or fewer with each passing year. 

To help your lilac put on its best show, keep these steps in mind:

• Plant in full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, in well-draining soil
• Water newer plants during prolonged periods of drought until established (the first 3 years)
• Feed your lilacs annually with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, for example)
• Follow spacing instructions and prune yearly. Pruning is a very important step, and it’s well worth it.

Knowing When to Prune is Key

Timing is everything when it comes to pruning your lilacs. After the blooms fade, you have a two-week window to prune before the shrub sets its buds for next year's flowers. Yes, they set buds this year that will bloom next year! Pruning lilacs in the fall or the early spring risks cutting off all of the flower buds for the following year. Mark your calendar and prune promptly after flowering.

It also helps to understand how lilacs grow: Younger, thinner lilac stems produce more flowers. Older, thicker stems are more prone to disease and pests. Keeping this in mind will help with pruning decisions.

How To Prune Young Lilacs

If your lilac has been in the ground for less than three years, leave it alone; it doesn’t need pruning yet. Many young lilacs won’t bloom during those first few years.

After three years, once your shrub is established, begin by removing just one of the thickest, oldest stems down to the ground every 2 years. This gentle approach prevents the shrub from becoming overgrown while encouraging newer, flower-producing growth. 

How To Prune Older, Overgrown Lilacs

If your lilac has been neglected or grown out of control, you have two options:

Option 1: Gradual Rejuvenation

Begin by removing any damaged stems, as these invite pests that can harm the entire shrub. Next, remove only the largest, oldest stems by cutting them right down to the ground. The key is to remove no more than one-third of the living wood (dead stems don’t count toward that total). Leave the younger, thinner stems intact so your shrub can still bloom the following year. Repeat this process each spring for three years, and you’ll gradually restore the shrub to its full, flowering potential without sacrificing a single bloom season.

Option 2: Full Cutback

For a severely overgrown lilac that has been largely ignored, a complete cutback is often the most practical solution. Cut the entire shrub as close to the ground as possible, either in early spring or immediately after blooming. Yes, this breaks the general rule of never removing more than one-third of live wood, but lilacs are remarkably resilient and respond well to this kind of hard reset. By the end of summer, you will have healthy new stems of three to five feet tall. While the shrub won’t bloom for approximately three years after a full cutback, the long-term results are well worth the wait.

Deadheading Your Lilacs

Deadheading, or removing spent flower clusters after the blooms fade, is a simple task that’s separate from pruning, and can be done during that same two-week post-bloom window. When you trim off faded blooms, the plant redirects its energy from seed production toward building bigger, healthier buds for the next year. It takes only minutes and can make a meaningful difference in the size and abundance of next year’s flowers. 

A Note on Lawns and Lilacs

If your lilac grows near a lawn, be mindful of how much fertilizer you’re applying to the surrounding grass. Lawn fertilizers are typically high in nitrogen, which encourages lush leaf growth, but too much nitrogen reaching your lilac’s roots will suppress flower production.

Worthy Rewards

Lilacs are remarkably long-lived, often outlasting the gardens and even the homes they were planted beside. So whether you’re nursing a young shrub through its first few years or breathing new life into an old, overgrown beauty, the effort you put in now is an investment that will keep rewarding you, and perhaps generations after you. Every single spring!

How to Identify These Annoying Little Gnats

By Ava Green

Do you have tiny flies buzzing around your home and have no idea where they came from? Before you can get rid of them, you need to know what you're dealing with. Most people assume they're fruit flies, but there's a good chance they're not.

There are three common culprits: 

• Drain flies breed in moist drains. Keep drains closed when not in use.
• Fruit flies hover around overripe produce.
• Fungus gnats, the most commonly misidentified of the three, love the damp soil in your houseplants, and they're the ones most likely buzzing around the house.

Fungus Gnats are Probably Already in Your Home

Every time you bring a plant indoors,  whether it's brand new or returning after a summer outside, there's a very good chance it's carrying fungus gnat eggs in its soil. When you purchase bagged soil, it will often contain fungus gnat eggs as well. They're small, they're sneaky, and here's the most important thing to know: they multiply fast. Left unmanaged, a handful of gnats can turn into hundreds within weeks.

What Makes Fungus Gnats Thrive?

Fungus gnats love warm, moist conditions and organic material, like your potting soil. Adult gnats lay eggs in damp soil, which gives their larvae everything they need to develop.

The good news? Once you understand what they need to survive, stopping them is very easy and straightforward.

7 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats 

1. Quarantine any new or returning plants for 4 weeks. This single step prevents gnats from spreading to your other houseplants while you treat the soil.

2. Use yellow sticky traps. These inexpensive traps attract and catch adult gnats before they can lay more eggs. Place one directly into the soil near your plant. Putting a sticky trap in a planter, whether it’s a new plant or one you’ve had a while, is also a good way to monitor whether or not you have pests in your plants.

3. Let the top inch of soil dry out completely between waterings. Fungus gnats need moist soil to lay their eggs. Deny them that, and you deny them a future. To test whether the soil has dried out, poke one of your fingers in it about an inch to check for moisture.

4. Cover the soil surface with coarse sand or vermiculite. A layer of sharp, gritty material on top of the soil is uninviting to egg-laying adult gnats. Make sure to use coarse sand, fine sand won't do the trick.

5. Switch to bottom watering. This is the best watering method for a number of reasons, including discouraging fungus gnats. Fill a tub or sink one-quarter full and set your pot in it for about 30 minutes allowing water to be absorbed into the soil via the drainage hole in the pot. When the soil and roots absorb water from below, it keeps the top layer of soil, where gnats want to lay their eggs, dry and uninviting. Make sure the water level covers no more than one-third of the pot, not the entire pot.

6. Try Mosquito Dunks (the secret weapon most gardeners don't know about). These contain BTI, a naturally occurring bacterium that is harmless to humans, pets, and plants, but lethal to fungus gnat larvae. Simply follow the package instructions and water your plants as normal. Water activates mosquito dunks.

7. Water with diluted hydrogen peroxide once a week. Mix one part 3% hydrogen peroxide with four parts water (so ¼ cup peroxide to 1 cup water). Apply this solution once a week for three weeks, and let the soil surface dry out between each application. It kills larvae on contact. Don't overdo it though.  Too much, too often can damage roots.

Don’t Forget Your Fruit Bowl: Try This Banana Trick

Fungus gnats aren't just plant pests, they're also drawn to fruit, especially bananas. The stem end of a bunch of bananas is a prime spot for gnat eggs. The fix is simple: as soon as you get home from the grocery store, rinse your bananas under lukewarm running water and give the stem a gentle scrub with a soft brush. It takes about a minute and can prevent a whole new infestation before it starts.

The Bottom Line

Fungus gnats feel impossible to eliminate because most people only address the adults they can see and not the larvae multiplying in damp soil. Use these tips in combination for the best results, and remember: even a fresh bag of potting soil can carry eggs, so treat new soil with BTI or a hydrogen peroxide solution before use.

Stick with it for a few weeks and your home and your plants will be gnat-free.

How to Keep Your Hanging Basket as Gorgeous as the Day You Brought it Home, All Summer Long!

By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

Remember your Mother's Day hanging basket with its variety of colours, textures, and plant combinations? Maybe there was Verbena cascading elegantly with their colourful star like blossoms, double Begonias for the porch in spectacular shades of reds, pinks, and burgundies, and of course the vigorously growing Petunias and Geraniums, to name just a few. But as the Summer goes on, they just don’t seem to have that same stamina.

   To keep your hanging baskets in great shape and avoid the dry, wilted, bald spotted, leggy look that occurs to containers every August, one should follow these easy tips.

Watering

Plastic, fibre, and especially moss lined baskets dry out quickly. They should be checked twice daily and watered every day. Be sure to wet the moss sides as well.

   Try to maintain uniform soil moisture. When watering, fill the top of the container with pooling water until it ‘pees,’ and allow it to drip out of the bottom of the basket every time you apply water. Frequent severe wilting will impact upon the quality of the basket.

   At this time of year, one could take the basket down and soak it in a tub of water for 20 minutes to hydrate the entire root ball, once every week.

Deadheading

Remove spent flowers on a weekly basis (this is called deadheading) to prevent plants from going to seed. This will encourage more flower production. Part of the beauty of the mixed basket is its prolonged display, just like in your garden.

Check for Pests!

During your weekly deadheading, keep a watchful eye out for aphids, whiteflies, and caterpillars. If you see any, try a quick spray of insecticidal soap to keep them from becoming an infestation.

🖱️ If you're noticing fungus gnats in your hanging baskets, find more on eradicating them here!

Pruning

Not every plant in the basket will be at its peak all season.

   Cutting plants back after a flush of bloom will tidy them up and prepare them for a fresh crop of flowers. Meanwhile, other varieties will begin putting on a show. This is especially true for Petunias.

    A good cut back of long, lanky branches will reap benefits.

Fertilizing

Daily watering means nutrients can leach out of the soil before the plants can absorb them. The baskets should have both slow release granular added to the growing media and a weekly feeding of 15-30-15 soluble fertilizer. Use a solution containing micronutrients, as plants like Petunias need extra iron.

Sheltering

It has been suggested, if possible, that during stretches of extreme heat, give your baskets a break and move them to a cooler, shaded spot to de-stress for a couple of days. This is also suggested when heading on vacation. Your flowers will rebound to their former beautiful selves!

We hope this long term hanging basket care guide helps you enjoy your purchase all summer long! For more information - and beautiful plants – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🌸

By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

This is a question we hear daily during the spring, summer and, especially, the fall. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not see any adverse changes occurring in their trees until they look dead, or nearly so.

You Might Not Need to Panic Yet

The discolouration and dropping of evergreen needles are a natural phenomenon and the main cause of needle loss in the wild. Evergreen needles, as the name implies, survive for a lengthy period, and in fact usually have a life span of five to seven years on healthy trees, however, they must be shed. The needles first start to die in the central and lower part of the tree, and this change progresses upward over time. You will see spruce trees naturally lose needles as they get older.

   Age is an important factor here in causing needle loss and branch death, however, in landscape plantings of coniferous evergreen trees, pests and disease are likely the major cause of needle loss and dying branches. If there is a sudden fall of a very large number of brown needles and leaves, this signals to us that there is something drastically wrong!

   This can happen as early as a year or two after a tree is planted. This is especially true in Haldimand and Eastern Norfolk County where heavy clay soils predominate. Spruce trees, for example, do not grow well on clay soils.

When You DO Need to Worry

Here are some of the more common problems, apart from natural aging that afflict spruce trees, the probable causes and ways of treating the problem.

☝️Unfortunately, these majestic trees, the most popular evergreen planted on our residential properties, incur many other pest and disease problems not dealt with here.

Symptom: Rusty brown needles that eventually fall.

Likely causes:

1. Internal fungus disease (called Cytospora or white blister canker). This creates cracks in the bark causing resin to drip and leave grey-white dripping streaks on the bark. The fungus also causes open wounds or blisters on tops of branches. These wounds can be greyish white or greyish blue in colour, eventually turning brown and black.

2. Feeding by spider mites which leave fine, poorly formed webs in the needles, especially near the ends of the twigs.

Best treatments:

1. Properly aerate and fertilize tree out to a distance of half its height in all directions, where possible.

2. Pressure wash thoroughly once a month with water only, all needles and branches as high as possible on the tree. Water pressure dislodges spider mites.

Symptom: Chewed up ends of twigs in June.

Likely cause:

Spruce bud worms which develop in the needle cluster that arises from a bud.

Best treatment:

Spray the biological pesticide, BTK (eg. Dipel), onto the entire tree when feeding is first noticed in early spring, to kill the young caterpillars.

Symptom: Black sooty mold covering twigs and needles.

Likely causes:

1. Spruce bud scales, ball-shaped insects, initially light brown in colour but eventually turning black. Often two to five scale balls cluster in one location on the twig; honey dew excretions from scales become infected with sooty mold.

2. An overhanging shade tree such as oak, maple or elm may have heavily infested leaves with aphids whose honey dew secretions become infected with sooty mold.

Best treatment:

1. Pressure wash tree using water only to dislodge young scales (called nymphs) in May and early June while they are in the crawling stage. Scale nymphs fall to the ground where they cease to be a threat to the tree.

2. Spray shade tree in early spring with insecticidal soap to control aphids. The problems of other coniferous evergreens such as pines, firs, cedars and junipers can usually be treated with correct diagnosis, though some diseases are lethal.

We hope these help you troubleshoot common issues often found in evergreen trees! For more information - and evergreens – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🌲

By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

   If started too soon, your plants will be leggy and overgrown long before you can transplant them into the garden. The general rule of thumb (even if yours isn't green), is if the seed packet recommends sowing four to six weeks before the last frost date, it's better to pick the four - rather than the six-week date (to calculate the sowing date, count back from the third week of May).

   In this blog post, we’ll discuss the proper timing of the beneficial companion planting practice, to ensure an organic triple-play of pesticide reduction, nutrient sharing, and the fruits of your labour actually tasting better!

What is Companion Planting?

   The use of companion plants is an organic approach embracing plant diversity that involves growing certain different types of plants near each other. By mixing a variety of plants together you confuse harmful insects (i.e., the ‘Three Sisters,’ corn, beans, and squash). When you plant certain vegetables together or alongside flowers or herbs, you can often camouflage the scent of a given plant so that its potential enemies can't find it. For example, if you plant onions and carrots together, the Carrot Rust Fly can no longer detect the scent of its "prey," the carrot.

☝️ Plants also share nutrients and amend the soil below ground – in the instance of the Three Sisters, beans fix the nitrogen content of the soil for corn, who has long lost its ability to produce its own nitrogen.

What to Plant?

Herbs Make Excellent Companion Plants

Instead of grouping them all together in a corner, plant them in among your vegetables. Tarragon and marjoram give off a scent that repels most insects. Sage, rosemary, and thyme repel insects that feed on the different plants of the cabbage family. Plant these herbs near your cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. Coriander attracts parasitic wasps that are very useful in controlling all sorts of pests.

🖱️ See more on companion planting with herbs here.

Why Not Try Flowers in the Vegetable Patch?

Nothing will make your vegetables happier! Plant borders of alyssum and cosmos; these attract beneficial insects and repel certain harmful ones. Marigolds protect tomatoes from threadworms, and nasturtiums and petunias attract aphids. If you plant them near your tomatoes, the aphids will choose the flowers instead of your tomatoes.

Meet My Plant Friends!

Plant friends are plants that can be grouped together because they mutually help each other grow. Basil stimulates the growth of Tomatoes and enhances the quality of the yield. Chamomile improves the growth and taste of cabbage and onions. It has been found that peas and beans enhance the growth of cucumbers and potatoes. Peas and beans also repel the Colorado Potato Beetle that commonly attacks potatoes and eggplant.

   Once you’ve decided who is going where, it’s time to focus on when who is going where.

When To Plant?

It is important to know when the last spring frost date is for your area. Many plants need to be planted after the last frost, so that they don't freeze their little buds off! Follow this guide so that you can have healthy, sturdy little plants that will become good friends in your garden this summer.

Ten Weeks Before Last Frost Sow indoors: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, lettuce, peppers, and onion

Eight Weeks Before Last Frost Sow indoors: tomatoes Sow outdoors: spinach

Five Weeks Before Last Frost Sow indoors: marigolds (do not transplant until after last frost) Sow outdoors: peas Transplant: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onion

Four Weeks Before Last Frost Sow indoors: cantaloupe, cucumbers, okra, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon

Three Weeks Before Last Frost Sow outdoors: carrots Transplant: brussels sprouts, hardened off frost-hardy herbs like chives and oregano

Week of Last Frost Sow outdoors: pole beans Transplant: cantaloupe, eggplant, lettuce, okra, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon

BONUS: Tips on Ensuring Your Seeds Have the Best Start!

🌱 To ensure success it is always best to use fresh, sterile seed-starting mixture (available from garden centres). Moisten mixture about an hour before sowing; it shouldn't be soggy, just as damp as a wrung-out sponge.

🌱 Follow the information contained on seed packets in terms of timing, lighting requirements, sowing depth, and optimal germination and growing temperatures.

🌱 Lightly water freshly sown flats, then cover with plastic dome lid, or if reusing containers try placing them inside a plastic zip-lock bag. At the first signs of germination, uncover or remove from plastic bag.

🌱 As the seedlings develop, wait until the top of the soil looks dry, water carefully using a small watering can with a fine spray. Avoid over watering: soggy soil and poor air circulation can lead to damping off, a fungal disease that can kill seedlings.

🌱 Locate your seeding flat in a bright window but grow lights or cool fluorescent tubes are better. Keep seedlings about eight to 10 centimetres from light source to prevent plants from becoming too spindly. Plug lights into an automatic timer set for 16 hours on, eight hours off. Be careful if you’re using the windowsill method though, as extremes in temperature may occur from hot drying sunny days to frigid evenings.

🌱 When seedlings have two sets of true leaves (the first leaves are called cotyledons — or seed leaves — so wait for the true ones, start feeding once a week with a balanced (20-20-20), water-soluble fertilizer at half-strength, working up to full strength after a few weeks.

🌱 Finally, the plants which have been raised under sheltered conditions must now be hardened off (see more here) before planting out. Gradually lower the temperature and reduce the watering while exposing the plants to brighter light for seven days prior moving them out to a cold frame. Keep an eye on the weather as sudden changes, as it often happens in spring, could spell disaster to your young plants.

We hope your garden is biodiverse and fruitful this year! For more information – and companion plants – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre this spring! 🌿

Figures.

By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

Now that we’ve brought our plants inside the house to over-winter, we begin to notice those slender, dark gray flies (0.2- 0.4 cm long) flitting about atop the pot soil. Yuck!

   These insects are known as fungus gnats (Bradysia sp.). Whereas they are considered only to be a minor nuisance in house plants, due to their sheer numbers hovering around an attractive plant, they can certainly take away from its appeal. Below is a bit about these pests and some basic control measures.

How Do Fungus Gnats Affect Your Plant?

Other than their swarming presence, fungus gnats are not a direct threat to your plant, but an indirect threat. As their name implies, they are concerned with snacking on the fungi mycelium living in your plants’ soil. (Yes, it’s there and it’s a good thing!) However, these little flies can transfer disease between plants, making them nuisance pests.

A Quick Look at Their Life Cycle:

Adults may lay 300 eggs at a time, which hatch a week later into tiny, threadlike larvae. The larvae feed upon organic matter in the potting soil. After two weeks, they pupate into winged adults, that have no trouble annoying you to no end.

Basic Control Measures:

• The fastest and easiest method of control is to catch the flying adults with yellow sticky cards. The large cards can be cut into little strips and mounted onto little wooden splints (popsicle sticks) then placed around the base of the plant out of the line of sight.

• Water your potted plant from the bottom (sub-irrigation) by adding water to the saucer it is sitting in. This will keep the soil surface dry, making it uninhabitable for the hatching insect larvae. If the surface soil is already very wet, try placing a few potato discs or slices on the surface of the soil. This will attract the larvae as they migrate to the potato to feed. Simply replace the discs every three to four days with fresh slices to eliminate the next generation of adults.

• If you have a large number of plants afflicted as in a greenhouse situation, an application of predatory nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) as a soil drench is suggested. Nematodes will attack the fungus gnat larvae in the soil which will in turn lead to more nematodes being produced.

Good Bugs Are Working at Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre!

Here at Eising’s Greenhouse and Garden Centre, we practice what as known as I.P.M. or Integrated Pest Management. Since we try to create a perfect environment for our plants, we also, unintentionally create perfect conditions for their related pests. To keep the pests at bay, we institute series of steps:

1 - Cultural Controls: We select only the healthiest of plant material to sell and keep them healthy through proper fertilization and growing conditions. We’ve learned that insects are attracted to stressed-out plants!

2 - Physical Controls: We are constantly walking through our plant aisles checking for insect and disease presence and removing the affected plants. Also a clean growing area means there is less chance of pest populations building up on alternate host plants such as weeds.

3 - Biological Controls: At the beginning of the growing season, even before there is any evidence of pest problems, we introduce naturally occurring predators into the growing areas. This is to be at the ready for when the pests do arrive!

In our arsenal we have a series of tiny parasitic wasps, microscopic wire-worms called nematodes, predatory mites as well as bacterial inoculants. So therefore, we cannot spray any chemical insecticides as they will hurt our very valuable biological cache!

Did you ever imagine all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into your plant purchases from Eising's to make them the best value around?

For more information – and bug products - visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre soon! 🪰

By: Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

Most experts agree that we shouldn't bother bringing in our favourite summer potted plants for the winter and that we should buy new again the next season. But this seems to go against our sensibilities after paying good money earlier in the season. Why not try to save that bay tree, those Rosemary, and French Tarragon containers, as well as expensive Phormium, Mandeville, Passionflower, and Jasmine plants?

   The secret to indoor survival for summer plants is to slow down their growth during the winter, so they’re ready to be put outside again once all the danger of frost has passed. How? A few weeks before fall frosts are expected, gradually introduce plants to life indoors by moving them inside (to a quarantined spot*) for half a day, working up to a full day over a week or so. Don't wait until nighttime temperatures are only slightly above freezing as the plants may go into shock and drop leaves!

How to Keep These Guys Comfy During the Winter Months?

• It is suggested that you should prune back excessive growth and re-pot with new lighter growing media.
• Place them in the sunniest location you have and then water sparingly but regularly over the Winter.
• Raising humidity by using a humidifier helps too.
• Resist the urge to fertilize these plants until just before you reintroduce them to outdoor living.
• Perhaps just for fun, you could repot them into the appropriate seasonal pots and planters!

It Seems They Brought Others in With Them - And They're Not Nice House Guests

*Before long, you may notice some unwanted guests, such as thrips and spider mites, on and around your precious plants as their natural predators are no longer present to keep their populations at bay. In many cases, it may be too late, and your plants may have to be discarded before the Holidays, but that’s not always the case!

   Common problems that make themselves apparent indoors would be the brown soft scale insect, whiteflies, mealybugs, aphids, spider mites and most often, fungus gnats (those pesky little black flies).

   Fungus gnats are considered to be the most common nuisance in houseplants. Sometimes their sheer numbers just hovering around an attractive plant take away from its appeal.

Basic Fungus Gnat Control Measures:

The fastest and easiest method of control is to catch the flying adults with yellow sticky cards. The large cards can be cut into little strips and mounted onto little wooden splints (popsicle sticks) then placed around the base of the plant out of the line of sight.

   The chances are that the adults have already deposited eggs in the growing media (soil) of the plant as it is rich in organic matter, so we can disrupt its life cycle by:

• Subirrigation - water your potted plant from the bottom by adding water to the saucer it is sitting in. This will dry out the soil surface making it uninhabitable for the hatching larvae.
• Trapping larvae - If the surface soil it already very wet, try placing a few potato discs or slices on the surface of the soil. This will attract the larvae as they migrate to the potato to feed. Simply replace the discs every five days or so with fresh slices to eliminate the next generation of adults.
• Inoculating the soil with beneficial nematodes. Most garden centres will carry the Guardian line of beneficial nematode products.

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

While many gardeners in Southern Ontario follow the popular planting date of May 24th, when we’re usually safe from frost, you may be surprised to know that April is not too early for certain plants!

Once the ground has thawed and is workable, there’s plenty you can start growing. In Zones 6a-6b, this usually happens around four weeks before May 24th. While frost is still a possibility, many cold-tolerant plants not only survive a light frost but thrive in cooler weather. To check if the soil is ready, simply dig up a handful and squeeze it. If it sticks together, it’s too wet to work with—wait a few more days for it to dry out. Once the soil is ready, it’s time to plant those cool-weather crops!

Cool Weather Vegetables

Radishes: Radishes are fast-growing and perfect for planting in April because they love cooler weather. Sow them directly from seed.

Peas: April is the perfect time to plant peas outdoors as soon as the soil is workable. Soak pea seeds in water for 8-10 hours before planting them to help germination.

Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Asian Greens (Tatsoi, Mizuna, Pak Choi and Leaf Mustard) : It’s best to sow seeds for leafy greens or plant seedlings early in the spring as they will grow quickly in cool weather. Plant more seeds or seedlings every 10-14 days for a succession of greens until hotter temperatures make them bolt (go to seed) and become bitter.

Potatoes: Seed potatoes can be planted in mid to late April as soon as the soil is workable.

Onions: Plant onion sets or seedlings that have already been started in early spring and enjoy a harvest in late summer or fall.

Carrots: Plant carrot seeds in April, and they will be ready for harvest later in the spring or early summer. They take a little longer to grow, but planting early gives you a head start. You will enjoy carrots all summer long by planting more seeds a few weeks later.

Tip: It’s a good idea to keep some frost protection like row cover handy for lettuce, peas and spinach just in case the temperatures dip below zero.

Bonus: Many garden pests, like earwigs and slugs, are still overwintering in April and won’t feast on your tender plants.

Cold-Tolerant Flowers

Pansies: Add a pot of Pansies to cheer up a front porch, and it instantly feels like spring! Plants can go into a sunny spot in the ground when temperatures reach 7-21 celsius and are regularly staying above freezing.

Violas: These cool-weather flowers can withstand light frosts and are perfect for containers or for planting in garden beds

Gladiolas: Even though the weather is still cool, this resilient summer-blooming bulb can be planted in a sunny area of the garden in April. 

Bonus: Pansies and Violas also love cool weather in the fall.

Perennials, Trees and Shrubs

Two to three weeks before the threat of frost has passed, many potted perennials, shrubs and trees, either dormant or with leaves, can be planted. (If you’re not purchasing from us, be sure to check whether the plants were grown outdoors or acclimated to cooler temperatures and ensure they’re hardy enough for Southern Ontario.)

While perennials, trees, and shrubs can be planted throughout spring, summer, or fall, the combination of warming soil and increased rainfall in spring creates the perfect conditions for successful transplanting.

Come into Eising Garden Centre to see the many seeds and plants available for you to add to your garden in April!

Additional Resource: Landscape Ontario provides an excellent online Tree Planting Guide.

In this case, the plants Hens and Chicks, not the feathery friends.

Sempervivum, also known as Hens and Chicks or Houseleek, are a group of succulents that are becoming very popular in Southern Ontario. Here’s why these cold hardy perennial plants are gaining attention.

Low-maintenance

Low-maintenance is the item on everyone’s checklist, right? Hens and Chicks are known for being no-fuss. Sempervivum require very little soil, fertilizer or water. They’re sun-loving, hardy, resilient, and drought-tolerant. When you don’t have a lot of time to garden, you’ll be grateful that your Hens and Chicks need minimal care once they become established.

Versatile, and Did We Mention Low-maintenance?

Sempervivum will grow in full sun to partial shade, and average to poor soil as long as they have good drainage. They will manage just fine in poor soil and harsh conditions like heat and cold! This makes Hens and Chicks the perfect candidate for that spot in the garden where nothing else wants to grow. The spot that’s too hot, or too windy, the soil is rocky or gritty and not ideal or it’s eroding, like on a slope.

These rugged warriors can be grown on rooftops, ledges, walls, in rock gardens, hanging baskets, troughs and containers. Just make sure there are drainage holes. Too much water is their only enemy and will result in their roots rotting.

Chick Charms

While most Hens and Chicks are low-growing, 8-15 cm tall, they will all spread 30 cm and more - as much as you like, really. This is because they produce small plants, known as “chicks” or offsets around the main plant. The “Chick Charms”. Chicks can also be transplanted to start a whole new plant.

Tough and Beautiful

As a ground cover, Sempervivum can add visual interest and contrast to a border of annuals or perennials.

While they’re known for their pretty rosette-shaped clusters of foliage, you may not realize that Hens and Chicks also come in a variety of colours, and produce stunning blooms in summer.

Once a plant blooms, deadhead the flower and pull up the soft parent plant with it. The plant dies when it blooms, but new chicks will grow and replace it.

Hens and Chicks fleshy leaves make them less attractive to many garden pests and they are generally resistant to diseases. Tough plants for sure, and worthy of a spot in the garden. The next time you’re in Eising Garden Centre, we recommend that you peruse the Sempervivum section here in Simcoe and give these outstanding succulents a try!

Rabbits are some of the most common garden pests in Simcoe. We can’t blame them from loving our plants—after all, we have that in common—but the damage they leave behind can be devastating. Here’s how to keep rabbits from eating your plants.

What Does Rabbit Damage Look Like?

If you notice small ball-shaped droppings around your garden, you’ve stumbled upon a dead giveaway that rabbits have stopped by. Thanks to their tendency to gnaw and nibble, the rabbit damage you’re most likely to spot will look like chewed-up bark on small trees and shrubs, or large chunks of plants that have been munched away. Rabbits have also been known to damage other materials found around the yard—like patio furniture, garden hoses, boots, and shoes.

How to Protect Your Garden From Rabbits

Once you know your yard has become a hangout for local rabbits, you’ll want to send a clear message that you’re closed for business. These methods are easy, effective, and humane.

Preventing Rabbits from Nesting

Rabbits’ ability to hide is their primary natural defence against predators. Most yards are chock full of perfect hiding places for rabbits to make their homes and raise their babies. Thatch left on top of lawn, tall grass and weeds, and shrubs sitting low to the ground are some of the most popular rabbit habitats. 

Keep shrubs pruned to keep the first 6” of the plant clear of branches and foliage. While trimming and removing weeds and thatch, work gently at first. Rabbits hide their babies in these areas, so you’ll want to make sure you can give the mother rabbit a chance to move her warren before you go over the area with a mower or weed wacker.

Finally, take care of the man-made structures in the area. Clean up any piles of junk or overturned wheelbarrows. Finish by sealing cracks in your fencing or around your house so rabbits can’t nestle through.

Rabbit Repellent

If the rabbits in your yard are really out of control and trying the deterrent methods above aren’t working, a repellent is a very effective last resort. There are a few rabbit repellent products on the market to choose from; some emit an odour rabbits hate, some have an unpleasant flavour, some play a tone that keeps rabbits away. A combination of at least two is the most effective way to go. (Just make sure to keep any chemical products out of edible gardens, for obvious reasons.

Predators

If you want to outsource your rabbit problem, keep in mind that rabbits have a few natural predators in the Simcoe area. Try installing an owl house on your property to bring in a free rabbit patrol service. Coyotes are common rabbit predators in the area, and while you may understandably be a bit hesitant to invite them into your yard, if you have a bad rabbit problem, it’s probably a good idea to refrain from scaring them away or deterring them from your yard.

Rabbit Control Myths

You may have heard some of these ideas for controlling rabbits. Not only are they potentially dangerous, we promise you they don’t work as well as our harm-free solutions. 

Pesticides and poisons are never worth the risk. Rabbits are very good at sensing when a substance will harm them. You’re more likely to accidentally poison nearby pets. 

Scarecrows aren’t effective against rabbits at all. The only time they aren’t tacky is at Halloween! 

Flashing lights and noise makers might work while they’re in use, but what’s the point of having a garden that not even you can enjoy?

Rabbits are a nuisance in the garden, but they’re also gentle beings that don’t deserve to be controlled in inhumane ways. Fortunately, these cruelty-free tactics can help to restore harmony between your garden and the neighbourhood bunnies.