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

As plant people, we’ve all experienced that moment when we realize the novelty phase of that plant we brought home from the garden centre has worn off. The plant isn’t standing quite as tall, the flowers aren’t as bold, and the leaves are unravelling smaller or not at all. What is this magic they perform in the greenhouse? Perhaps you’ve provided sufficient lighting and adequate watering; there’s just one thing that is often overlooked because dirt is dirt, isn’t it?

  97% percent of plant tissue is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen pulled from the air and water, the remaining 3% is comprised of 16 other elements taken up from the soil. The quality of soil then is crucial to your plant’s health. Whether your plants are in pots or in ground, each soil type you could provide your plant offers something unique and may lack in another.

*Clay particles are even smaller than silt particles.

Resist the Urge to Slam Your Plant in Potting Soil

There’s bags and bags of rocks, sand, bark, manure, and moss on the shelves, yet the common buyer seems to always opt for potting mix. It’s fair; organic matter is usually great for plants and simple to use. However, most people don’t realize it’s merely an ingredient.

   Strictly using potting mix is like attempting to make a loaf of bread out of only flour. All those bags of other materials on the shelves are also components for a successful plant diet!

  Potting mix is a great base material, however, alone it presents risks of compacting, becoming waterlogged, can mold easily, and over time will become depleted of nutrients. Consider mixing the following ingredients into your pots, ground and raised beds to meet your plant’s required nutrients, pH level, and volume of moisture.

🖱️Use our Plant Finder to find some details on your plant! We try our best to keep this updated!

👍 Rule of Green Thumb: Plant roots can help you to determine the medium needed – thick, robust roots (i.e., yucca) typically enjoy chunkier materials, and smaller, delicate roots (i.e., begonias) enjoy finer materials.

Mulch and Bark Bites

• Mulch is the organic slow-release fertilizer, as it slowly decomposes, it lowers soil pH. However, may eventually compact soil once fully broken down.
• In the meantime, it creates shelves in the soil that create air pockets and prevent the soil from compacting. Mulch is a great short term medium for arid potted plants.
• If kept too wet, it can harbour fungus gnat larvae.
• Make sure when sourcing your mulch it doesn’t contain any black walnut.

🖱️ See more on mulching here. 

Sphagnum Peat Moss

• Peat moss is used to help retain moisture and lower pH in the soil given it is harvested from bogs.
• Retains nutrients very well.
• It is difficult to rehydrate once it loses moisture.

Coconut Coir

• Coco coir, much like peat moss is used to keep the soil moist and keep pH low, however it lasts longer and is possibly less invasive to harvest.

Sand

• Grains are relatively large and do not bind, allowing for excellent drainage depending on grade.
• Adds weight to top heavy plants.
• Has no ability to store minerals itself, however, pH can vary by its content of shells, minerals like silica, or fine organic matter.

Manure & Compost

• Source these organic by products locally and ensure they’re not too hot. These additions can significantly lower pH.
• Sheep manure is usually near free of weed seeds as sheep digest seeds better than cattle and horses!

Perlite

• Perlite is a volcanic byproduct (so it floats like pumice) that helps drainage in the soil and prevents compaction – vital in the case of starting seeds.
• If a rockier, well-draining medium is required for your plant, consider perlite.
• Perlite can expand holding trace amounts of water.
• Perlite has a neutral, slightly acidic pH.
• Make sure when sourcing perlite, that you are not being sold Styrofoam balls.

Vermiculite

• Vermiculite is a recycled mineral used similarly to perlite, and too has a neutral, slightly acidic pH.
• Expands with water content.
• Can contain amounts of potassium and magnesium (as well as good cation exchange capacity).
• Runs the potential risk of introducing asbestos into your soil.

Calcined Clay Materials

• Clay materials like recycled brick bits, pottery, or lecca are typically used for arid plants as it improves aeration and drainage.
• Can raise pH.
• Can retain some water.
• High cation exchange.
• Can also be used for starting robust cuttings when kept moist.  
• Probably not ideal for inground amendments.

Maintaining Your Plant’s Dietary Needs

Perhaps we’ve crafted the perfect soil type for your plant – your plant thanks you – but over time, we will end up in the same staling predicament. Why? Because with each thorough watering, we leech the soil of the provided nutrients. Best we use the plant-specific required fertilizer for your plant to prevent nutrient loss.

   Organic sources of fertilizer such as bonemeal, composts, and manures, along with the application of lime, will improve the physical condition of the soil in terms of water and element holding ability. Unfortunately, in many cases though, manures and lime alone cannot be depended upon to provide enough available nutrients in soils with low essential element reserves.

   Let’s talk about commercial fertilizers, which can help target your plant’s exact needs much like vitamins and supplements!

The Scoop on Fertilizers

Of the essential 16 elements your plant pulls from the soil, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) are the most critical for good plant growth. You’ll recognize the three numbers appearing on your commercial fertilizer labels known as the fertilizer analysis of the product, representing the percentage of each of the three "macronutrients" in the order of N, P & K.

Nitrogen (N) is necessary for green leafy or vegetative growth which is important in crops like corn, cabbage, and potatoes.

☝️ It is important to remember that you should not use a fertilizer which is high in nitrogen late in the summer on your perennials, as it may cause a boost of growth which will only freeze as the cold weather sets in. Also, too much nitrogen in the analysis could cause too much lush, leafy growth thus inhibiting the desired flowering aspect of a plant species.

Phosphorus (P) promotes the development of flowers, fruit and roots. Crops like tomatoes, cauliflower and garden flowers.

Potassium (K) boosts plant hardiness, stem strength, resistance to disease and drought which is important to all crops, but especially in potatoes, celery and rhubarb.

👍 Rule of Green Thumb: For foliage plants, provide them with shade and lots of nitrogen, and for flowering and fruiting plants, provide them with lots of sun and lots of phosphorus!

Amending Clay

Hello Haldimand and Eastern Norfolk!

   We’re presented with the challenge of compacted, often shallow and waterlogged clay, which proves difficult but not impossible.

   Clay becomes compacted and waterlogged as it is the smallest soil particle – smaller than a grain of sand, and even smaller than silt – with rough edges that allow it to interlock and bind. In this instance, roots cannot penetrate further into the soil, are susceptible to root rot, and air pockets are slim to none.

   This, however, can be fixed with the addition and renewal of the above materials.

  Mindful that you don’t create a watery bowl in the ground (score the edges the area being worked), you can add organic matter (i.e., manure, compost, and potting soil) for nutrients, as well as mulch, sand and perlite for aeration and drainage. Annual soil particle aggregation in clay soils increases air porosity (air pockets) and is accomplished by the incorporation of organic matter that breaks down to form humus.

🖱️ See more here for planting trees in clay. 

We hope this soil and fertilizer guide helps you provide all the vital nutrients to your beloved plants in ground and above ground! For more information - and soil – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🌱

March is the month that many of us have waited for all winter. It’s seed-starting time for lots of heat loving vegetables, herbs and flowers that will be transplanted outside in May or June. 

It’s also time to plan for cool weather crops. Cool weather crops?! This can be a revelation to many of us who are new to growing vegetables. There are two kinds of vegetable plants; heat loving and cold hardy. On average, most cold hardy veggies can withstand temperatures of -4 celsius and can be planted out weeks before the last frost date, especially if they are covered. We’ve listed some covering ideas at the end of this article.

So where do you begin? If it’s your first time starting heat loving vegetable seeds indoors, try beginning with one or two vegetable varieties that you love. How about an heirloom tomato that you just can’t find grown anywhere else, or some super hot peppers to spice things up? The seed carousels at Eising Garden Centre are fully stocked with vegetables and flowers right now so it’s the best time to come in and find something exciting to grow! Check the back of each seed packet, it will tell you how many weeks before the last frost date (around May 24th here in southern Ontario) to start your seeds indoors. There are also a few supplies you’ll need to get started - instructions and the essentials are listed in this blog post. It takes a little more work to start seeds indoors, but it can be very fulfilling and it does allow you to grow things that are unusual. 

If starting seeds indoors sounds like too much work, we’ve got you covered - visit Eising Garden Centre in May to shop our wide selection of vegetables, herbs and flowers that you can easily transplant and enjoy! 

If you’re eager to get gardening, why not try some cold hardy veggies? In Southern Ontario, cool weather vegetables can be planted early in Spring. This allows you to grow and harvest a whole crop before the heat loving veggies like tomatoes and peppers, and most annual flowers get transplanted around May 24th (hardiness zone 6b), or when overnight temperatures are regularly a minimum of 10 celsius. 

Here are some cool weather vegetables to consider planting as soon as the soil in your garden is workable (not frozen solid):

Lettuce is a crop that you can direct seed or transplant early, and it can be seeded every two weeks throughout the spring and fall for continuous crops. Lettuce seeds will germinate in about 7 days at a soil temperature of only 10º celsius but the optimal soil temperature is between 16-24 degrees. Do not worry about running out to buy a soil thermometer, or waiting until the soil temperatures are exact - all of the cool weather crops will germinate at slightly lower temperatures, they’ll just take a little longer. We also offer lettuce plants in the garden centre in early May if you would like to transplant established greens. Starting with a few plants, and some seeds will ensure a continuous crop of lettuces for several weeks. 
Lettuce can be grown in the shade in early summer. It will last longer in the shade as temperatures climb, and not bolt (plant begins growing seeds instead of leaves, making leaves on the plant bitter) as quickly.


Spinach and Arugula like lettuce, are very well suited to germinating early in spring or in the fall. The optimal soil temperature range for germination is 18º-24º C and will take about 12 days. 
Lettuce, Spinach and Arugula grow best in cool temperatures and tend to bolt as soon as temperatures warm up in late spring and early summer. Look for “bolt-resistant” varieties if you want to extend your late spring harvests.

Radishes can be planted throughout the early spring if you’d like a continual harvest of tender, young radishes. It takes about 30 days from germination to harvest, sometimes less for smaller varieties. Seeds will germinate at soil temperatures anywhere between 4º-35ºC which makes them easy to start!

Peas love early spring and cool fall temperatures! They will germinate quickly when the soil is between 18º- 24ºC and will be ready to harvest in late spring or early summer. This is another vegetable that you can start again as autumn sets in. 

Carrots grown in the spring can be harvested early in the summer making way for heat loving crops like peppers and tomatoes. Carrots will germinate in a wide range of soil temperatures, and can be planted outdoors about 4 weeks before the last frost date. Late in summer, as you remove the heat loving crops, you can seed more carrots for harvest in late fall or early winter.

Beets are another vegetable that can be sown in a wide range of soil temperatures. Because of this, you can start planting beet seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, and you can continue seeding beets every 2-3 weeks for a continuous harvest.
Green Onions (aka Scallions or Spring Onions), Kale, Chard, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Swiss Chard, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Radicchio, Fennel and Cilantro are also seeds that can be planted in hardiness zone 6b in early spring when the soil can be worked.

Keep in mind that while these vegetables grow in cool weather, they may still be slow to grow or even damaged if the temperatures dip too low. If this happens, you may want to provide some protection like row cover cloth, a blanket, plastic, a cold frame, or a cloche (this can simply be a large plastic jug or containers).

If this article has piqued your interest, here are some great resources to help with seed starting and transplanting timing:

West Coast Seeds Vegetable Planting Guide

Heeman Ontario Seed Starting Guide

 

Reference for soil temperatures:

https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/files/164220.pdf 

Now that everything in the garden has been put to bed for the winter, our thoughts are on the holidays - decorating, parties, and that seemingly never-ending list of gifts. At Eising Garden Centre we have solutions to help bring joy to your holiday season.

Your Gift Giving Problem Solver

We know that finding the perfect gift for someone can be a challenge. There’s always that one person that has everything and it’s impossible to buy for them!  The good news is that we have plenty to offer at Eising Garden Centre so that you can cross even the most perplexing person off your list.

For Fashion Lovers

You’ve probably heard it before - accessorizing is the key to making any outfit sing. At the Sassyfras Boutique you’ll find beautiful, casual clothing as well as hats, mitts, winter scarves, plus socks for men and women. They also have jewelry and handbags that are sure to add flair to any ensemble.

For The Wanderer

If you have friends or family members that love to travel, new sunglasses, beach towels, a fashionable scarf, a roomy handbag, or new pajamas from Sassyfras are sure to be a hit.

Your Just Retired Husband Or Wife

If they no longer have to go into the office every day and don’t know what to do, give them a challenge!  

Pick up some seed packets to get them started on planning and maybe even planting for Spring. 

Growing indoor flower bulbs can be a fun project to brighten winter days too. You’ll be amazed by the dainty blooms of Paperwhites versus the massive blooms of an Amaryllis! 

Or how about a Sprouting Kit to grow tasty, organic greens all winter long? Let’s face it, we all know that healthy eating will be on the New Year’s Resolutions list! 

Deck The Halls, And More

When decorating your home or getting ready to host a holiday party, come see us first. 

While supplies last, we have lots of fresh Christmas trees (call us to check availability (519) 428-4607), ornaments and Christmas decor, fresh greenery, garlands, urns, wreaths, hanging baskets, centrepieces, and live plants like Cyclamen, Frosty Ferns and of course, Poinsettias.

Did you know that we also create custom containers? Bring in your own vase or container for centrepieces and urns, and we’ll do the rest. We’ll create an arrangement that will make that vase that 'Aunt Martha' gave you, sparkle with fresh greenery and holiday flair.

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Holiday Parties and Hostess Gifts

Solve the “I have nothing to wear to a party” blues, with a wardrobe “pick me up” from Sassyfras.  

While you’re there, check out the selection of lovely locally handmade soaps, and great houseware gift items like dish cloths, scrubbies, and wine or bottle openers. Perfect gifts for your party host. 

There’s also a wide variety of potted plants in the garden centre, and beautiful decorations that any host or hostess would love to add to their holiday decor!

For Your Kid’s Teacher

Let your child’s teacher know that you recognize that they’re already looking forward to summer vacation by giving them an Eising gift card.  Once May rolls around, they can pick up plants that will bring them joy all summer long!

Great Gifts We Recommend

Eising gift cards go a long way too since they can be used on anything in the shop, including Sassyfras. A gift card is a great way to help someone with their next landscaping project, or even Spring garden clean up. Now that’s something to look forward to!

Not into gift cards? We have a great selection of items you could bundle together into your own custom gift basket! Think of all the things that you would love to get and we think someone on your list will love them too!

Soak Up The Holiday Mood

We know that you love wandering through the greenhouses when they’re full of summer plants, but we also invite you to stop by to visit us in November and December to enjoy the winter paradise we’ve created for your gift giving and decorating inspiration.  

Take the pressure off the holidays and join us for Starlight Shopping Night on Thursday, December 8th. On December 8th only, we’ll be open late - from 9am to 7pm!  Enjoy the ambiance, the specials, the exciting draws, the extended shopping hours and get all of your gift buying done early!

You’ll find us at 814 Cockshutt Rd, Simcoe, ON Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm until December 23, and 9am to 2pm on December 24th.

After December 24th, we will be closed until Spring, but the greenhouse elves will be working to have everything ready for you in 2023.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Eising Greenhouses & Garden Centre!

Starting seeds is a strangely exciting and rewarding hobby—and one of the few hobbies that actually saves you money instead of costing you more! A packet of fifty seeds can cost the same as one single starter plant. If you’re happy to tend to your seedlings for a couple of months longer than the rest of your garden, then it’s well worth the effort. And, you’ve got to admit, plants are kinda cute when they’re little. 

If you want to learn how to start seeds, you might be a bit unsure whether to start them indoors or outdoors. Both seem like viable options, right? Well, the truth is that they can both be effective, but only if done correctly. A few missteps, and you might end up with an unsuccessful batch of seedlings.

To put you on the right track, we put together this list of common FAQs for starting vegetable garden seeds. 

Is It Better to Start Seeds Indoors or Outdoors?

It depends on the plant. Some take a long time to mature, so if you want to enjoy them sooner in the season, it’s worth starting your seeds indoors. This way, you don’t have to wait for the weather to warm up to start growing. However, some plants don’t adjust well to being transplanted, so starting the seeds outdoors is necessary. When in doubt, do a Google search to see if your plant is better suited to starting outdoors or indoors.

 

What Supplies Do You Need to Start Seeds Indoors?

Maintaining consistent temperature, light, and humidity for your seedlings can be tricky indoors, but there are lots of supplies you can use to help you pull it off. It might seem like a lot at first, but it’s a one-time purchase that will help you start seeds indoors for years to come. We recommend trying some of these products to help you with seed starting:

• Plastic domes to trap humidity
• Seed starting mix 
• An LED grow light with a timer setting
• Biodegradable seedling cups
• A mini-greenhouse, which comes with the humidity dome and grow light all built-in.
   

Remember, you need a lot of space to accommodate all the little seedlings you’re starting. If you don’t have enough space by a sunny window, a grow light or two will help you a lot! 

How Many Seeds Do I Plant in Each Pot?

It’s recommended that you put 2–3 seeds in each pot or seed starting cell. Some seeds just won’t germinate—that’s just the luck of the draw. But if you have a couple of seeds in each cup, the chances of success are higher! If more than one seed sprouts in a cup, you’ll need to thin out the smaller, weaker ones and leave the strongest one. They won’t be able to grow properly when they’re so close together. 

How Do You Acclimate Seedlings to the Outdoors?

Planting a seedling directly outdoors after it’s been inside for several weeks won’t end well. The shock of the temperature change will likely kill them. To ease them into the transition, it’s a good idea to put your seedlings outside for a little bit longer each day in a process called “hardening off.” Follow this schedule to harden off your seeds:

• Day 1–2: Full shade for two hours
• Day 3–4: Dappled shade for three hours
• Days 5–6: Full sun for two hours.
• Days 7–9: Full sun for three to four hours.
• Days 10–14: Full sun for five to six hours.
• Days 14–21: Full sun for 8 hours per day. Leave them out overnight if the temperature isn’t expected to dip below 10°C.

This is a three-week process, so follow the schedule carefully! Mark these times down on your calendar so you can follow them.

When Should I Start Planting Seeds Outside?

Seeds are safe to plant outside once the danger of frost has passed. Here in Simcoe, our typical last frost date is usually in the last week in April. If you plan to plant your seeds in the first week of May, you should be in the clear!

 

Can You Plant Tomato Seeds Outside?

Tomato seedlings are a bit too delicate to grow outside, so we recommend starting those seeds indoors. Tomato seedlings are susceptible to a bacterial disease called “damping off,” which can quickly kill them in their early growth stages. The temperature-controlled environment and better pest protection indoors will make it easier for your tomatoes to grow strong enough for smooth transplanting.

 

What Are The Best Seeds to Start Indoors?

Starting seeds indoors always gets us so excited for spring! Try starting some of these vegetables indoors in early April, so they’re ready to plant in May:

• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Onion
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Peppers

Some seeds can be started indoors but need to be very carefully transplanted because they have delicate roots. Starting these seeds outdoors or indoors is possible as long as the temperature is comfortable. These plants include:

• Cucumber
• Melon
• Peas
• Squash
• Pumpkin
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Amaranth

   

What Are the Best Seeds to Plant Outdoors?

 

Some plants are best suited to planting outdoors—especially root vegetables! Some are also just suited to sprouting in colder spring soil. Here are some plants you can start seeding outside at home this spring:

• Carrots
• Radishes
• Beets
• Potatoes
• Turnips
• Radicchio
• Spinach
• Corn

If you need any seed starting supplies in Simcoe, Eising Garden Centre has got you covered! We’ve got plenty of high-quality equipment that will last for years and years, plus plenty of exciting new seeds for 2021. Visit us soon, and we’ll be happy to help you get started!

If you haven’t gotten started on your summer vegetable garden yet, don’t worry—there are still plenty of veggies you can plant now for a late-season harvest! That means more fresh produce to enjoy through the fall, and with the help of our trusty freezers, many can be enjoyed well through winter and spring. You can find all kinds of seeds and starters for vegetables and fruits on our brand new webstore, so feel free to browse online and place an order for curbside pickup or citywide delivery.  

What Are The Best Vegetables To Plant In Summer?

Generally speaking, vegetables that can be planted in summer are either fast-growing and love the sun, or slow-growing and tolerant of the cooler temperatures in the fall. Many garden edibles can get scorched from the hot sun if planted too early, so it’s best to delay so that they’re ready to go once the temperature is less extreme. 

Late Summer Vegetables You Can Direct Seed

Many folks assume that spring is the best time for planting vegetable seeds, but every plant is different! So, if you want to start planting seeds in summer, there are more than a few good options for you to choose from. Here are the best late summer vegetables to plant in Simcoe through direct seeding:  

Beans: Perhaps one of the easiest and most kid-friendly veggies to grow, beans are always a favourite. Plus, they deposit nitrogen into the soil, which helps improve soil quality.

Beets: These hearty root vegetables make excellent comfort food, and their ultra-vibrant colour indicates super-high levels of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. Your beets will be ready for harvest around September or October. 

Broccoli: Even the pickiest of eaters aren’t likely to turn down a delicious bowl of broccoli cheese soup, or a Chinese beef and broccoli stir fry. Sow broccoli seeds in June for a harvest that’s ready right at the start of back-to-school season.

Carrots: Before you sow your carrot seeds, make sure your soil is super loose and free of rocks and compacted areas. If it’s all clumped together, the roots won’t grow long and pointy, so you’ll be left with stumpy, misshapen carrots. 

Leafy Greens: Lettuce, kale and spinach can all be sown directly into the soil in June. They don’t take too long to develop, and they thrive in cooler temperatures, so you can even get away with planting a second round in early autumn! 

Parsnips: Slow-growing parsnips need around four months to mature, but there’s no need to rush! Parsnips taste best if you harvest them after the weather has turned chilly. If we get hit with a few frosty nights in autumn, this will actually help them! Just make sure you pull them up before the ground freezes. 

Potatoes: While not technically seeds, you can put potato tubers in the soil in June to enjoy an autumn harvest. Wait for the plants to mature, turn brown, and wither, then leave them in the soil for another three weeks before pulling them up! Store them in a cool, dry spot, and don’t wash them before storing—this will cause them to rot. 

The Best Starter Plants For Late Summer Crops

The waiting game can get a little long when you directly seed certain plants, so sometimes it’s better to get a starter plant to transplant into containers or your garden bed. Here are some excellent starters to pick up later in the season: 

Zucchini: “Zoodles,” or spiralized zucchini noodles, are quickly gaining popularity as a delicious alternative to carb-heavy spaghetti. If (like many of us) you’ve been kinda overdoing it on the pasta lately, you’ll definitely enjoy having this tasty squash in your garden.

Celery: This ultra-healthy, crunchy veggie adds some great crunch to tuna salad, chilli, and stews, but it takes a pretty long time to develop from seed, so you may as well skip ahead and opt for a starter. 

Cucumbers: Technically, you can either transplant or direct seed cucumbers in June, but getting a starter will ensure you get to enjoy your harvest earlier in the season!

Peppers: With their thin, delicate skins, peppers aren’t too tolerant of chilly temperatures and will taste much better if they get lots of sunlight. Planting a starter in June will ensure these sun-loving veggies get peak sunshine in July and August, right when it counts. 

Tomatoes: We especially love growing small tomatoes in hanging baskets! The little fruits look like strings of colourful porch lights changing from green, to yellow, to red!

 

Fresh garden produce can be enjoyed well into autumn, and even early winter, if you pick the right crops and time them just right. If you have any questions about late-season planting, feel free to give us a call at the shop, and we’ll be happy to help!

Every day our understanding and awareness of the products and chemicals in our lives grows. From lotion to moisturize your skin, to chemicals to clean our homes, and to the fertilizers and pesticides applied to our lawns, chemicals are starting to be less and less invisible in our daily lives. There seem to be hidden chemicals and risks everywhere around us, and learning more about them can be important to living a healthy life and taking care of our vulnerable pets. Collectively, we’re starting to want to really understand the products we use and just how risky they actually are.

Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers

If you’ve ever had your lawn treated for weeds or have fertilized in hopes of a golf-green carpet of grass, you know just how unpleasant some of the chemicals that we use in our garden can be. Some of them have foul smells, others require precautions to keep us safe from touching them… it’s no mystery that what we use in our gardens and yards can be potent. On the other hand, most of us don’t want to have a struggling and ragged lawn and garden while our neighbours’ flourish.

There’s a middle ground between taking care of your lawn and garden to help it thrive and using harsh and scary chemicals that might be questionably unsafe for your family. There are tons of organic solutions for a thriving lawn that simply take a little work and some patience, but you can rest easy knowing you’re keeping your home safe to enjoy. Here’s how to get started:

Dethatch

This is as simple as dragging a hard rake across your lawn to clear out some of the dead old growth. These accumulated old layers can stifle your lawn and get in the way of new spring sprouts. A little elbow grease to rake the lawn will show you just how much old growth is in the way and will be the perfect way to get your lawn ready for spring.

Aerate

Your grass is a living thing and has basic needs for survival! Aerating is a great way to boost how much air, space, water, and nutrients can make their way through compacted soil to their roots.

Dethatching and aerating go hand in hand as a once-a-year chore to rejuvenate your lawn in the late fall or early spring. Your lawn might look rough after you dethatch and aerate, but it’s all a necessary to have a natural, thriving lawn when it fills in.

Seed With Good Seed

If you try to start your lawn off with poor seed, you’re setting a poor foundation for your lawn. Choose something that meets your needs, like something that is drought-resistant or perfectly suited for the conditions of your lawn. Even if your lawn was originally seeded with grass seed that is a poor match to your lawn needs, you can always interseed or overseed after you’ve thatched and aerated to re-establish your turf.

Watch Your Watering

Many lawns these days are totally dependent on regular watering to look lush. For many people, their fresh sod needs some extra pampering, and then it’s never weaned off. Ultimately, if you can try to wean your lawn off of constant watering it’ll be encouraged to develop deeper roots that will make it hardier and better able to tolerate dry conditions. A bit of thought into your watering schedule can make the difference between a nice lawn, and a gorgeous one that has the depth to be tough, too.

Working By Hand to Treat Weeds

The dream of a beautiful lawn that is thriving is always compromised by weeds. Thankfully, the healthier your turf is, the more it’ll take up room that opportunistic weeds might have sprouted in the past. All of this work to make a gorgeous lawn isn’t just about getting your greens greener, but about getting rid of opportunities for weeds to take over.

Of course, weeds are stubborn enough that even the healthiest lawns are bound to have a few. If you’re trying to stay away from chemical solutions so your space is always safe for everyone to use, a bit of elbow grease is the solution. Grab a trowel and some gloves and pick away at whatever weeds make it through your defences. It’s actually therapeutic once you aren’t fighting overwhelming numbers of them. The more consistent you are with your weeding, the easier it gets.

Saying goodbye to chemicals in your yard doesn’t mean that you have to say goodbye to a beautiful lawn! A little bit of strategically timed work is exactly what you need to encourage your grass to thrive while keeping your landscape accessible to everyone — you, your kids, your pets, your guests, and your local beneficial critters — to enjoy.

There’s nothing better than garden-fresh vegetables on your plate. But as a working generation with families to take care of, we don’t always have time to shop around the farmer’s markets on Saturday afternoons. Usually, a one-stop shop at the local grocery store is all we have time for.

While growing your own vegetables does require a time investment, it’ll save you plenty of time (and money!) in the long run! Plus, vegetable gardens add just as much beauty and value to your property as any other garden element. A thriving vegetable garden starts from the seed, and the first step to healthy seeds is indoor seeding.

What to Seed Indoors

The first step to seeding indoors is knowing what you’ll be seeding so you can plan in advance. Here in Ontario, we have a shorter growing season than our friends to the south. Our last frost dates can sometimes extend into mid-May, which is often too late to seed many vegetables. Seeding indoors gives us a head start on the growing season, ensuring we have a successful harvest that we can enjoy sooner. Another advantage of an early start is that it negates the need for chemical fertilizers to speed things along.

Heat-loving plants, like tomatoes and peppers, should definitely be started indoors. While many other vegetables can benefit from a head start on the growing season, others are quite content being sown right into the ground. Root vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, and turnip can withstand a light freeze. Beans, peas, and salad greens also don’t mind a little chill and can be sown into the ground or started indoors a few weeks early.

When to Start Seeds Indoors in Ontario

One of the biggest challenges of starting seeds indoors is knowing when to start them. This is due to the many factors that influence timing. The recommended dates you might find on a seeding calendar take into account the different growing timelines of different vegetables, as well as the last expected frost date of your region. But it’s not an exact science. Keep in mind that, depending on the conditions you provide and the climate patterns of the year, the ‘perfect’ date is pretty unpredictable.

Here in Southern Ontario, our last expected frost date for the year is sometime during the first week of May. Tomatoes and peppers need the longest time to be cozied up indoors at 6-8 weeks. Now that we’re in early March, we suggest you get peppers started ASAP if you haven’t already, and give them lots of light. Start your tomatoes in another week or two, depending on the variety, sticking them near a bright window once they begin to sprout. Broccoli and cauliflower can be started as soon as March rolls over to April, while cucumber, zucchini, and salad greens can wait until the middle of the month. When April showers bring May flowers, you can direct seed other vegetables into the ground!

How to Seed Indoors and the Materials You Need

Now that we’ve got the timing all straightened out, the process of seeding indoors is actually pretty simple! But before you start sowing your peppers and tomatoes, there are some materials you’ll need first:

Containers: The most important aspect of picking out containers is making sure they have enough drainage - you don’t want to drown your seeds before they even get a chance at life! Seeding trays with many individual cells are great choices since they can hold plenty of seedlings at once and don’t take up much space. Wash them well with soapy water first, to make sure they’re sterile and safe for your young plants.

Soil: Soil requirements will vary between different vegetables, but generally most plants will flourish in a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. Never use dirt from your backyard for planting seeds indoors, you’ll likely be bringing unwanted pests into your home.

Lights: Light requirements will depend on what your particular seed needs for germination. While some need bright and direct sunlight right away, others don’t want to see the sun until they poke through the soil in search of light. While light from the window is great, bright, artificial light is often used as a supplement.

Once you have these three materials (and your seeds, of course), you’re ready to start planting! Follow the instructions on the packaging carefully to provide your seeds with the proper conditions they need to germinate. Use a sterile potting mix to cover seeds that need complete darkness to grow. Cover the container with a clear plastic dome to trap moisture, creating the humid environment required for germination.

Once the seedlings begin to poke through, you can remove the cover and let the oxygen flow. Remove any weak plants, allowing the strong ones to grow even stronger. It’s better to have a few great plants than plenty of unproductive ones. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. We recommend misting instead of watering, to prevent disturbing the soil.

Starting Seeds Indoors Without Grow Lights

While grow lights are super effective and allow you to start seeds anywhere in your home, they aren’t always the first thing new gardeners want to invest in. Plus, keeping these lights on for hours on end every day can definitely drive up your light bill, and isn’t a necessary use of energy. The good news is that you don’t need fancy grow lights to germinate seeds indoors, especially if you have plenty of windows.

The trick to maximizing sunlight is to place your growing trays in front of large, south- or west-facing windows. Be mindful of hills or trees that might block the sun in these parts of your home. Usually, the upper level of your home is your best bet!

Moving Your Plants Outdoors

While it’s important to get the timing right when it comes to starting seeds indoors, it’s also important when moving them outdoors. The beauty of indoor seeding is that you don’t have to be in such a rush to bring them outdoors, you’ve already given yourself the time to wait until the risk of frost has passed.

That being said, you don’t want to wait too long, or else your veggies’ growth might taper. You’ll know when your seedlings are ready to graduate from their containers to the ground when they begin to grow leaves. Don’t be fooled by the first leaves of your baby sprouts, as these are nourished by the seed. The true leaves develop afterward, indicating that the plant’s roots are now established enough to sustain the plant itself. Once you reach this stage, congratulations! Your seedlings are now ready for your beautiful vegetable garden.

No one likes to be thrown into an unfamiliar environment or situation, and the same goes for our tender new plants. They’ve been safe and cozy inside our warm homes for weeks, and now they’re being introduced to the great outdoors. Just like we sometimes get a ‘base tan’ before we head down South to prevent burning to a crisp, our seedlings need to be introduced to the sunlight gradually. Bring them outside on a cloudy day for a few hours first, and increase by an hour each day for a week or so to ‘harden them off’ before planting them outside for good.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or you’re just beginning your gardening journey, these simple steps to indoor seeding are all you need to get started. Soon enough, your flourishing veggie garden will be the cornerstone of your recipes and the envy of your neighbours!