When getting the garden started for another season it's important to make sure that you have good soil to work with. The best way to check your soil's health is to do a worm census.
WHY DO IT?
Worm castings make your soil healthier and are a good indicator of soil health. Their castings create soil capillaries and allow air and moisture to flow more freely. If there are lots of worms, it is because the soil has lots of organic matter, is well aerated and drained and has a pH of about 6.0-7.0. Good soil looks like chocolate cake and is crumbly in your hands.
WHAT YOU NEED
* A spade, garden gloves, a board or flat clean surface.
HOW
* Do your worm census in the spring or fall when temperatures are comfortably warm but not too hot.
* With a spade remove a block of soil about a foot square (30cms) and 7 inches (17.5 deep).
* Spread the soil on a board, break up the clumps of soil and gently take out the worms and count them. Little worms count the same as big ones.
RESULTS
* More then 10 worms is good news! It means that your soil is healthy and that the worms find your garden to be a nice place to live. You can’t have too many worms so the more the merrier.
* If you find fewer then ten worms, your soil is in need of conditioning and help. It is deficient in organic matter and will need compost or other amendments to become healthy. *
Source: The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, Edward C. Smith, Story Publishing, 2009. p. 136-13
Check out this great article about gardens and the importance of worms: http://www.amystewart.com/images/pdfs/Worms_for_OG.pdf
Come Celebrate Earth Day with Us - Transplanting
On Saturday, April 23rd we'll be transplanting some of the seedlings to prepare them for sale and for planting. Come join us at Rath's Greenhouses in Thorndale (5101 Dundas St. East, Thorndale) from 11 -2 and learn how to transfer your own seedlings at home.
The seedlings that were planted on March 26th are coming up nicely and are ready to be transplanted into their larger pots.
So how do you know when your seedlings are ready to be transplanted? Although you may want to transplant as soon as a leaf or two has come through, it's better to wait. You need to wait until the 'true leaves' appear.
"The first set of leaves that appear when a seed germinates are called, strangely enough, 'seed leaves'. These serve to nourish the new sprout until it can photosynthesize its own food. A plant's seed leaves usually don't look much like the leaves that emerge later and are considered "true leaves." There is no need to remove the seed leaves. Once they've done their job, they'll shrivel up on their own". (www.arcamax.com/gardening/)
The picture below (polish linguisa tomato seedling) is a good example of what to look for when checking for 'true leaves'. The two smaller leaves in the middle are what you would be looking for.
If you're interested in helping us out with this task please Sarah Brooks at sarahabroo@aol.com .
Note: The London City Farm Network has a Facebook page too! Please 'like' us here to learn about upcoming events and announcements.
What to Plant and When..
New gardeners always seem to have the same questions. How do I know which seeds to start indoors? When do I start them? Which ones can I plant directly outdoors? And when?
It's important to make sure that you know when to plant what - some seeds are started indoors and then planted outside after the frost-free date (usually May 24 in Ontario), others are planted in early spring when the soil has defrosted and can be worked with, and lastly, others are planted directly from the seed once the frost-free date has passed; around the same time as the seedlings. Wouldn't it be nice to have a list to consult that would let you know which vegetables fall in which category? Ask, and ye shall receive!
Seeds to start indoors and to plant as seedlings:
Source: Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs--A bountiful, healthful garden for lean times by Jim Wilson, 2010
It's important to make sure that you know when to plant what - some seeds are started indoors and then planted outside after the frost-free date (usually May 24 in Ontario), others are planted in early spring when the soil has defrosted and can be worked with, and lastly, others are planted directly from the seed once the frost-free date has passed; around the same time as the seedlings. Wouldn't it be nice to have a list to consult that would let you know which vegetables fall in which category? Ask, and ye shall receive!
Seeds to start indoors and to plant as seedlings:
- eggplant
- peppers
- tomatoes
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- onions
- potatoes
- beets
- chard
- cilantro
- kohlrabi
- lettuce
- mustard greens
- green peas
- radishes
- spinach
- snap peas
- asian vegetables (i.e, bok choy, napa cabbage, etc..)
- carrots
- beans
- cantaloupes
- cucumber
- honeydew
- melons
- okra
- squash
- corn
- watermelons
- pumpkins
Source: Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs--A bountiful, healthful garden for lean times by Jim Wilson, 2010
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