– Egg carton – Small Spoon
– Seeds (whatever herbs you like) – Nail
– Potting Soil – Hammer
- Check stored vegetables, tubers, and bulbs; remove any spoiled ones immediately.
- Try to keep less hardy perennials covered with snow to insulate against cold.
- Review your notes from the last growing season and begin planning next year’s garden.
- Seed catalogs are now being sent out. Go online to order your catalogues and order your seeds in the New Year.
- On a warm day, trim back and mulch perennials.
- Those seed pods and seed heads you gathered earlier are excellent holiday gifts!
- Continue harvesting greens from row hoops or cold frames. On warm days, vent cold frames, row hoops and greenhouses so you don’t cook your veggies!
- Try growing salad greens and herbs indoors in south facing window of your house.
- Take photos of your property to see where moisture accumulates and wind may be drying out soil to decide what needs changing with garden locations and type of vegetation to grow in those areas.
- Plant seeds to overwinter using plastic containers. Put them outside, leave them alone and let Mother Nature take care of the rest. See our previous post on this for instructions.
As you turn the page on the calendar, we are just that much closer to celebrating the glory of Autumn. We believe you can never be too old to enjoy carving of pumpkins so here’sour tips to carving the perfect pumpkin.
1. When purchasing your pumpkin take a look at the rind. A lighter color means softer flesh that’s easier to carve in detail.
2. Any bruises, cuts or soft spots can mean the pumpkin is already on the decline and won’t last much longer.
3. Pick up the pumpkin, it should feel somewhat light, meaning it’s nice and hollow inside.
4. Now that you’ve got your pumpkin, select your tools for carving. A boning knife – sharp,
thin and pointed – is a good choice for carving small details. Use a large carving knife to
cut out the lid. If you are putting a real candle inside your jack-o-lantern, make a couple of
air holes in the back of the pumpkin.
5. What is Halloween without a little goo! Reach inside the pumpkin and pull out the stringy
guts and slimy seeds. Don’t just throw those seeds. Rinse the seeds and toast them on a
baking sheet then sprinkled with seasonings. Delicious!
6. Use a large spoon and scrape the inside of the pumpkin completely to expose the lightcolored
flesh, which reflects more light.
7. If you’re attempting a detailed design, print or draw your design on paper first. Then
lightly trace the design through the paper or use pin pricks to outline the design onto the
pumpkin. Use the tip of your knife to carve out the design.
8. Avoid burning the inside of your pumpkin by placing your tea light candle inside a glass jar.
9. If you are keeping your jack-o-lantern indoors sprinkle the insides with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and it will infuse those fall scents in the room.
Happy Halloween!
]]>A program created by Poppy Innovations to help connect kids to where their food comes from
by Holly Quan published in City Palate May/June 2016
We hear it all the time: Canadian children suffer diet- related health problems, from obesity and diabetes to food allergies and sensitivities. Not only that, but busy families don’t have time to shop or prepare nutritious meals, much less share quality family time over a tasty, healthy dinner. And, except if you’re among those who shop at farmers’ markets, we’re all becoming ever more distant from our food’s producers. Ask a kid where milk comes from and they’re likely to say, “The fridge.”
Enter Sharon McCormick, founder and CEO of Poppy Innovations, a business she established to reconnect adults and kids to healthy food – and to each other. She’s created a cool new program, hosted at the Calgary Farmers’ Market, to engage both kids and adults in learning to grow their own food.
Describing herself as an “agri-preneur,” McCormick’s philosophy and the programs she’s created are founded on her life and career experience. For one thing, she recalls spending many summer hours as a kid in her family’s large garden, planting, weeding, thinning, and picking. “I didn’t appreciate the bounty of fresh, nutritious food at the time, but as an adult I have a different outlook,” she says, adding that she subsequently put her four kids to work in the family’s home garden – an experience that continues to bear fruit, so to speak.
“Every summer we get together to make and preserve salsa from our own vegetables,” she says. “My kids are older now, but they still love this event, and they’re proud that we create preserves and gifts as a family, entirely from our own garden and effort.”
Seeing an opportunity to put that passion into practice, McCormick founded Poppy Innovations in 2012 and now creates interactive education and activity-based programs across the food spectrum – growing to cooking – that she calls “gate to plate.” McCormick also built upon her business acumen and her background in kinesiology, which takes a holistic approach to health. She says, “I design opportunities for edible education. It’s a hands-on, learn- by-doing approach that’s fun for both kids and adults.”
McCormick’s programs include a parent and child culinary class at various locations in Calgary (check her website for details). Although her focus is on kids, she also offers classes for adults and teens and has organized a community garden in De Winton with garden plots for lease.
But it’s her partnership with the Calgary Farmers’ Market that embodies everything both organizations stand for: involving people, regardless of age, in learning about, appreciating, and using fresh, seasonal, locally produced food.
A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP
For the past couple of years, Poppy Innovations has partnered with the Calgary Farmers’ Market to offer unique cooking classes and demonstrations on the market’s stage. “It’s quite a feat,” says Amanda Langbroek, director of marketing and events at the market. “Everything from the sink to the induction cooktop is on wheels, so we can quickly put together a mini-kitchen. We feature particular vendors or themes, and vendors often talk about the ingredients we’re highlighting, everything from honey to seasonal fruit and more.”
The program McCormick is excited about is the Kids’ Garden Club, hosted at the market’s outdoor patio. Every Thursday in July and August, parents can drop their kids at the patio for up to 90 minutes of games, learning, and hands-on gardening in a big planter supplied by Agrium Inc. The club is oriented to ages 4 through 12, and can accommodate about 20 kids each week. To participate, pre-register via the Poppy Innovations website. You can choose as many sessions as you like.
“We’ll show kids how to take care of the plants and soil and how to pick and prepare yummy food from the garden,” McCormick says. “Market vendors will talk about the difference between gardening and farming, the impact of weather, and it’s also a chance for city kids to actually talk to real farmers, ask questions and learn about good food and where it comes from.” Every participant will also receive $5 in “market bucks,” so after the class they can shop the market with parents and apply what they’ve learned.
There’s a big kickoff planting event on June 4, from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. “We’ve selected fast-growing plants like salad greens, but other vegetables take time to grow and mature, so we need to plant early,” McCormick explains. “The June planting event is open to everyone, no registration required. Bring your kids and help us get our garden started.”
McCormick’s ultimate goal is to empower kids and parents to make healthy, nutritious food choices, to inspire curiosity about new foods, and learn where food comes from. “It’s about fun,” she says, “the learning part comes along for the ride.”
For more information:
Poppy Innovations: www.poppyinnovations.ca
Calgary Farmers’ Market: calgaryfarmersmarket.ca
Holly Quan adores fresh peas, baby carrots and tomatoes warm from the vine, among other home-raised summer treats. However, she describes herself as “the world’s worst gardener.” Fortunately, there are lots of great farmers’ markets.
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- Red: strawberries, watermelon, tomatoes, red peppers, radishes, beets, red onions, raspberries
- Yellow/orange: cantaloupe, butternut squash, carrots, yellow peppers, pumpkin, rutabagas, summer squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes
- Green: honeydew melon, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, green beans, green cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, leeks, scallions, peas, green peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini
- Blue/Purple: blackberries, blueberries, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple peppers
- White: cauliflower, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, parsnips, potatoes, white corn, turnips.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour and your garden. We would love to see your garden this summer, share with us on twitter @talkpoppy, pinterest, facebook or instagram.
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Fertilizers and soil amendments are a wide array of materials added to soils to improve plant growth. They can be organic, such as bone meal, or inorganic, such as 10-10-10 fertilizer. Soil amendments are anything mixed into topsoil to promote healthy plant growth. They function in a number of ways. For example, they may change the pH of soil or supply nutrients. Fertilizers are primarily valued for their ability to supply nutrients. Plants use these nutrients to make components for plant growth such as proteins and carbohydrates. One sub set of soil amendments, soil conditioners, like composted sheep manure, improve soil structure by binding soil particles into larger aggregates. This increases the amount of pore space and enhances air exchange, water movement, and root growth.
FEED THE SOIL FIRST!
The surest way to improve plant growth is the regular incorporation of organic matter such as composted yard waste. Organic matter improves soil structure, slowly releases nutrients and increases beneficial microbial activity.
FERTILIZER GUIDELINES
Good health in plants depends on a continuous supply of available nutrients from the soil or in the case of container plants the growing media. Nutrient needs vary from plant to plant and the ability of the soil to supply those nutrients varies from site to site. Most garden and landscape plants grow best in a soil pH range of 6.0-7.0. Many nutrients become either unavailable or overly abundant outside this range. Pay close attention to your soil pH readings and be prepared to adjust them according to your soil test recommendations. Fertilizers won’t necessarily help sick plants, if the cause of poor growth is related to insect, disease or environmental problem and not to a lack of nutrients. Overuse of fertilizers can lead to weak, succulent growth, encourage insect pests and disease problems, and contribute to water pollution.
FERTILIZERS
The main chemicals that must be supplied to plants are called primary nutrients. Those required in the greatest amounts are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). Fertilizers are labelled with a three number analysis corresponding to N,P, and K. It tells what percentage of the net weight is actually composed of these three nutrients. Inorganic or chemical fertilizers are typically less expensive (per pound of nutrient) and more readily available for plant growth than organic fertilizers.
However, organic fertilizers often supply other nutrients in addition to N-P-K release nutrients slowly over the growing season, and may double as soil conditioners. Contributions of primary nutrient to plant health: • Nitrogen (N) – strong leaf growth, dark green color. • Phosphorous (P) – roots, early plant growth, seed formation. • Potassium (K) – plant vigour, disease and stress resistance, and flavor and color enhancement.
Some fertilizers are known as quick release or highly soluble fertilizers. They are useful when rapid results are required. They come in liquid or powder form and are applied to root zones or sprayed directly on foliage. Slow release fertilizers, make nutrients available in small amounts over an extended period. Fertilizer stakes or tablets placed in root zone soil are also slow release formulations. However, salt accumulation resulting in root burn, can occur immediately adjacent to these latter products.
LIST OF FERTILIZERS
Blood meal: readily available nitrogen, typically 10-12 %. Last about 2 months. May help repel deer and rabbits when top dressed around plants.
Chelated iron: Chelated iron is applied to the foliage of plants suffering from iron chlorosis (yellowing from iron deficiency). Chelated elements are combined with compounds that hold them in solution, making them available for plant uptake through roots or leaves.
Compost tea: ordinarily homemade from steeping compost in a bucket of water (5 parts water to 1 part composted by volume) for 1-3 days, then staining and applying the brew to plants. Good method for applying soluble nutrients directly to foliage or roots during the early part of the growing season when nutrients from soil organic matter are not readily available.
Corn gluten: a natural pre-emergent herbicide. Apply in spring as a top-dressing to help control crabgrass and some weed species. It adds some organic matter and nutrients to the soil (10-1-1). Should be applied three times in a season: spring, summer, and fall)
Epsom salts: magnesium sulfate, a highly soluble form of magnesium and sulfur. Can be used a a foliar spray for speedier results. Does NOT prevent blossom end rot.
Foliar fertilizers: are applied directly to the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Plants take up nutrients more efficiently through leaves than through roots. Foliar feeding is recommended to aid in the root growth and establishment of seedlings and transplants.
Fish products: formulations range from fish Powder (9-1-1) to fishmeal emulsion (5-1-1). Contain may valuable micro-nutrients.
Guano: Decomposed manure, usually of bat or seabird origin. Valued for fast release and high N analysis (10-3-1).
Kelp products: made from seaweed, contain dissolved ocean minerals. Valued as a growth stimulant because of rich concentrations of trace minerals (over 60), amino acids, vitamins, and growth hormones, including cytokinins, auxins and gibberellins. Very good for seedlings and transplants.
Manure: (purchased) these products carry an NPK fertilizer analysis on their label and will also improve soil structure. Steer – manure exposed to 180 F, dried to 17% moisture, and ground into a fine, soil like texture.
Rock products: a wide variety. Be aware that the touted immediately available nutrients may refer to only a small percentage of the whole, while the rest will be released slowly. Not considered organic if treated with a chemical to increase nutrient solubility.
- Soft Rock phosphate – phosphate clay with 18-22% phosphate, 27% calcium oxide, silicas, and 14 trace minerals. 2% phosphate immediately available, the rest slow release over 3-5 years. Half the liming value of ground lime.
SOIL CONDITIONERS
Most garden and landscape plants perform best in soils high in organic matter (greater than 2% organic matter, by weight, in the topsoil). These soils are loose, easy to work, and have a large number of earth worms. Organic matter is continuously used up through oxidation, downward movement through the soil profile, and plant growth. It should be replenished each year in cultivated flower and vegetable beds. Vegetable beds add at least 2 inches of compost yearly.
Compost: made from decayed organic materials such as straw, corn cobs, food wastes, poultry litter, grass clippings, leaves, and manure. Composts improve soil structure and slowly release nutrients to plant roots.
Gypsum: calcium sulfate, a mined product. The calcium is fast acting. Also recommended to tie up excess magnesium. Will leach sodium from soils with high salt concentration caused by de-icing materials. Gypsum will NOT raise or lower soil pH.
Manure: Sheep and chicken manure are higher in nutrients.
Mushroom compost: used or spent compost from mushroom farming. Mushrooms grown in this media use only a small portion of the many nutrients. Can have high soluble salt levels and should be fully incorporated and watered prior to planting.
Garden mix: a mix of topsoil and compost. Great for flowerbeds and gardens.
Peat moss: partially composted moss mined from prehistoric non-renewable bogs. Light and porous, it absorbs 10-20 times its weight in water. Its high surface tension causes it to repel water when it’s dry, so do not use as mulch or top-dressing. Contains little nutrient value, but has a high nutrient holding capacity. Peat moss is acidic (as low as 3.0 pH) so good for working into azalea and blueberry beds. It should always be pre -moistened before use. We are recommending coco earth; it actually has better moisture retention and does form hard clumps.
Sand: to improve water drainage and aeration of clay soils a minimum of 50% by volume is necessary. Use only coarse builder’s sand, not play sand. Often impractical to use because of the large volume needed.
Topsoil: screened to remove vegetable matter and rocks. Well suited for use under sod, general landscaping, and as a vehicle for adding amendments such as compost, manure, peat, sand, and fertilizer.
POTTING MIXES
Perlite: a very light weight heat expanded volcanic mineral which provides drainage and oxygen space in soils. Does not hold nutrients or water but is especially effective for increasing the porosity of potting media.
Soil-less mix: (eg. Spruce mix) A sterile mix of peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. May also contain coir, compost, bark, and chips and other ingredients. Recommend for growing seedlings. Also fine for indoor and outdoor container garden in.
Vermiculite: mica type mineral heated in high temperature furnaces to form sterile, expanded, fan like particles with may air spaces which promote aeration and water movement. Absorbs and holds nutrients and water (unlike perlite). Also rich in trace elements.
SOIL PH
Soil pH is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of soil. A pH value of 7.0 is neutral. Readings below 7.0 are acidic and those above 7.0 are alkaline. Soil nutrients are most available to plant roots and microbial activity is greatest when soil pH is in the 5.5 to 7.0 range. Plants may show symptoms of nutrient deficiency or toxicity at very high or low soil pH. For example, azaleas grown in high pH soil may have yellow leaves due to a deficiency of iron (iron chlorosis).
GROWTH STIMULANT
Mycorrhizae: are beneficial fungi which grow symbiotically on or in roots and extend the root structure by sending out tiny filaments to forage for nutrients. We sell the Myke’s product.
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria inoculant: a powder used to coat legume (pea, bean, and clover) seed to increase the growth of nitrogen fixing nodules on their future roots.
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The image to the left is a good rule of thumb when planning your garden. Keep in mind that no vegetable will grow in full, dense shade. The following crops will produce with three to six hours of sun, or fairly constant dappled shade, per day.
| Crop | Shade Notes | Growing Tips |
| Arugula, endive, cress | At least three to four hours of sun per day. | Arugula welcomes shade, as this crop is prone to bolting as soon as the weather turns warm if in full sun. |
| Asian greens | At least two hours of sun per day. | Asian greens such as bok choi will grow wonderfully with a couple hours of sun plus some bright shade or ambient light. |
| Broccoli, cauliflower | At least four to five hours of sun per day. Prefers full sun but partial shade will keep it from bolting to seed. | Needs cool weather. Cauliflower is available in traditional white, purple and green headed varieties. |
| Chard | If you grow chard mainly for its crisp stalks, you will need at least five hours of sun per day; if you grow it mainly for the tender baby leaves, three to four hours of sun per day will be enough. | Expect chard grown in partial shade to be quite a bit smaller than that grown in full sun. Baby chard leaves are excellent cooked or served raw in salads. |
| Culinary herbs | At least three hours of sun per day. | While many culinary herbs need full sun, chives, cilantro, garlic chives, golden marjoram, lemon balm, mint, oregano and parsley will usually perform well in shadier gardens. |
| Kale | At least three to four hours of sun per day. | You’ll notice only a small reduction in growth if comparing kale grown in partial shade with kale grown in full sun. |
| Lettuce | At least three to four hours of sun per day. | Lettuce is perfect for shadier gardens because the shade protects it from the sun’s heat, preventing it from bolting as quickly. Often, the shade can buy a few more weeks of harvesting time that you’d get from lettuce grown in full sun. |
| Mesclun | One of the best crops for shady gardens. Grows in as little as two hours of sun per day and handles dappled shade well. | The delicate leaves of this salad mix can be harvested in about four weeks, and as long as you leave the roots intact, you should be able to get at least three good harvests before you have to replant. |
| Mustard greens | At least three hours of sun per day for baby mustard greens. | Mustard grown for baby greens is best-suited for shady gardens. |
| Peas and beans | At least four to five hours of sun. | If growing these crops in partial shade, getting a good harvest will take longer. Try bush and dwarf varieties rather than pole varieties. |
| Root vegetables | At least four to five hours of sun per day for decent production. | Beets, carrots, potatoes, radishes and turnips will do OK in partial shade, but you’ll have to wait longer for a full crop. The more light you have, the faster they’ll mature. Alternatively, you can harvest baby carrots or small new potatoes for a gourmet treat that would cost an arm and a leg at a grocery store. |
| Scallions | At least three hours of sun per day. | This crop does well in partial shade throughout the growing season. |
| Spinach | At least three to four hours of sun per day. | Spinach welcomes shade, as it bolts easliy if in full sun. If you grow it specifically to harvest as baby spinach, you’ll be able to harvest for quite a while as long as you continue to harvest the outmost leaves of each plant. |
What are you waiting for? Get growing!
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* scissors
* glass or cup for a mould – if possible this should have a small concave in the base
* potting mix
* seeds of your choice
* water
* twine
* low-cut cardboard box or styrofoam box
- Fold a length of newspaper in half.
- Roll it around the cup at least twice, leaving about 3-5cm to tuck into the base.
- Tuck paper up into concave base tightly. Tie twine around the outside of the cup.
- Slip the paper off the cup. Make as many as you need.
- Fill each pot with potting mix. Get the kids to help!
- Sow seed into the potting mix. Repeat until finished.
- Store seedling pots in a low-cut cardboard box or styrofoam box in direct sunlight. Water regularly and keep an eye on them. Depending on the seeds potted, you should see some sprouting happening within the week.
- Once your seeds have become seedlings, plant the whole thing – newspaper pot and all – into the ground. The pot will break down and you will have a gorgeous garden full of bloom, herbs or veggies in no time.
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Growing garlic couldn’t be easier and there are lots of varieties to choose from for Fall planting. Like onions, they have a long growing season and won’t be ready to harvest until next summer, but it is well worth the wait!
3. Spring Onions
Winter hardy varieties of spring onion make a tasty accompaniment to winter salads. They are a fairly quick growing crop and early Fall sowings should be ready to harvest by early spring.
For an early crop of carrots, Fall planting will give your harvest a 3 to 4 week head start. While you may want to leave your carrots in the ground to harvest after the frost to allow the plants to convert some of their starch stores into sugar, your crop will be fully grown. Parsnips in particular benefit from this longer growing period as do carrots with the unpredictable seasons in our region, we all remember Snow-tember 2014. Root vegetables undertake this starch conversion to keep the water in their cells from freezing, the cells inside a carrot might have icy-cold water, but that water won’t turn into ice.
This traditionally oriental vegetable (bok choi or pak choi) can be harvested young throughout the winter as individual salad leaves, or let the heads mature and add the succulent stems to dishes like stir fries. Bok and Pak Choi are quick to mature and packed full of nutrients. Although they are often grown as a summer crop, they can still be sown in late summer for transplanting under cover in the Fall.
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