Nothing is better than growing your own vegetables or herbs from seeds or young transplants, watching them grow everyday and waiting to harvest. It is a real treat to go out each day and pick fresh lettuce for a salad or potatoes, baked or roasted, you decide. And if you’re thinking, “I don’t have a garden or yard to plant a bountiful veggie or herb garden” then I am here to let you know “you can”, by planting a container garden. Whether you have an apartment, condo, small yard or just want to have some incredible containers on your patio, you can plant many types of vegetables and/or herbs in containers. I (Theresa) have tried alot of different vegetables in containers, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucs, green onions and kohlrabi. I have harvested a bountiful crop from them all. For the first time last year I tried carrots and lettuce, which grew very well. Some great herbs to seed or transplant are basil, parsley, dill, sorrel, thyme, etc. Even if you have ground for growing, containers can help you overcome problems like poorly drained soil, pests and soil-borne diseases. Another great thing about growing in pots is that the soil warms faster so you can sow your seeds earlier and get a head start on your vegetables/herbs. Also with pots being higher, it’s like working in a raised garden bed.
Planting/Seeding…..
Lets get you started……all you need is a generous size container, good potting soil, bone meal and a suitable spot — that gets at least 5 to 6 hours of full sun a day. Fill your containers about 2 to 4 inches from the top of your pot, mix 2 tablespoons of bonemeal per gallon of soil. Bonemeal helps with the development of roots and also helps to prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes, peppers, cucs etc. If you want you can add some Vermicompost (also know as worm casting) with your potting soil. I dampen my soil first then I begin my planting or sowing the seeds. Set your transplants the same level they were growing in their pot except for tomatoes, take some lower leaves off and plant deeper into container. Always make sure you water well after planting. Sow your seeds in the container by following the directions on the package, every variety has different directions. All this info applies to herb gardening as well, whether it’s seeds or transplants.
Watering…..
Watering is the most important thing to watch for in your container garden. Inspect your containers regularly, don’t allow your potting soil to dry out. For best result, keep soil at an even moderate moister. You may have to water every second day depending on the weather and plants that are in the containers.
Fertilizing…..
You can start fertilizing your transplanted vegetables or herbs about one to two weeks after planting. For seedlings, it is best to wait for the first set of true leaves to develop and start with a seedling starter fertilizer. Follow the mixing directions on your organic or water soluble fertilizer. Once your seedling have their 4th to 6th true leaves you can change your fertilizer to an All Purpose or Vegetable fertilizer.
These are the few easy steps and you got yourselves a container garden.
Happy planting to you all and enjoy an awesome gardening season.
Spring has sprung and your yard looks the same as it did before frost. Surely there are many of you out there that are wondering,”How do I get my yard to look like the neighbours?”Preparation will be a key component to moving forward with this. Doing your homework ahead of time can greatly ease the mind when you will want to put shovel to the ground.
Planning ahead with things of importance to you such as decks, gardens, sheds, playstructures etcetera, will make your vision clearer as you realize how much space these items can take up in your space.
Getting a list of favourite trees, perennials and shrubs as must haves would be the next item up on the list. Get yourself a catalogue with pictures and references as to how big everything can become, and you will soon see ideas forming in your mind as to how everything will start to fit into your landscape.
Landscape consultations and designs would be one of your final steps in achieving the yard of your dreams. You can get a simple design which would be called a consultation. This would be where a landscape architect would come to your yard and get your wishlists from you, and from this, do a basic sketch of your yard with flower beds and all buildings and structures. Keep in mind this is very basic and for just a little more you can get a full landscape design. This would include everything from the basic consultation plus accurate measurements and a to scale drawing where you would see on paper what your yard would look like from a top view. Doing this is great for many reasons. You will get a copy of this plan to find out if you want to do it all in one step and be done. Plant listings can also be available and you can look back to remember what you all have planted everywhere. Another bonus would be if you were to do just some parts of it, you would always have this reference later to remind you exactly where you would continue for your next step.
Call us today to set up your landscape design from Oakridge!
Oakridge Garden Centre is very excited to now offer full yard maintenance and landscaping installation services. This is another component we are adding to truly become the best, true garden centre. Now you can come in to buy your plants, enjoy a warm drink with a scrumptious dessert and then have Oakridge come and install your plants and then take care of them for you. Yard Maintenance services offered:
Spring Cleanup
Aeration
Overseeding
Lawn Mowing Programs
Lawn fertilizer
Tree and shrub pruning
Flower and garden maintenance
Fall cleanup
Snow removal
All of the above services can be combined into a full year long package or customize your package to what your needs are. Landscaping Services offered:
Landscape designs
Establishing new lawns
Flower/garden bed rejuvenation
Patio install
Fence post install (can include completing fence)
Irrigation systems
Retaining walls
Tree, shrub, flower plantings
Please call to talk to our Yard Maintenance and Landscaping Specialist Mike Payment for more information and a consultation. Also see our Services section on our website for more information.
If you’re looking to give your garden a solid head start this year, you may want to consider starting your seeds indoors. There are a few easy steps to take and is a great way to give your plants a strong foundation before gardening season is in full swing.
SOIL Starting seeds indoors whether they are annual flowers or vegetables, starts with a good seedling starter soil or a light textured potting soil.
CONTAINERS
Next is finding the right kind of containers, not too big or not too small. The ideal container is one that is divided into cells and fits into a tray with a translucent dome to retain moisture. There are other containers that could be used, such as paper cups or egg cartons which work well for tiny seeds. Seedlings will grow well in containers that hold 3 to 4 ounces of soil. For DIY containers (such as the cups or egg cartons), be sure to punch drainage holes in the bottom and use plastic wrap over top to create a dome to retain moisture.
ENVIRONMENT
The next things you need to start germinating seeds is moisture, temperature and sometimes light.
Now that you have your perfect container. Fill them to the top with moistened soil, tap the soil down slightly to ensure there is no air pockets, add more soil if needed. Sow seeds to the depth that is suggested on the seed packets. If your seeds are very tiny, like petunia seeds, you can take a very small pinch of seeds and sprinkle on the top of the soil (less is better for small seeds) three to five seeds are ideal, gently and generously add moisture then cover with dome/plastic wrap. If your seeds are larger, like marigolds or melons, you can make a hole in the soil by pushing your finger into the first knuckle. Drop in a seed or two then pinch hole closed. Again gently and generously add moisture.
Once your seeds are all sown, place them in a warm area. In front of a warm window, heated sunroom, or as my mom use to do, put your tray on top of the refrigerator. Watch your soil for moisture every couple days, a spray bottle works great to put a mist on the soil if needed. Once you see your seeds germinate remove the dome/plastic wrap then place your trays in a warm, well lit area. Under grow lights works really well. Water gently as soil slightly dries and as needed. It is very important not to over water your seedlings. Your seedlings will develop it’s first set of leaves followed by a lull in action as the seedling switches it’s power source to develop it’s first true leaves and a flurry of new roots. Separate or thin out seedlings if they are crowded. You can use a seedling starter fertilizer once a set or two of true leaves develop. Water with fertilizer every 3rd or 4th watering, be sure not to mix your fertilizer stronger than recommended on the package. Now the fun is watching your little seedlings grow till there ready for transplanting.
Have fun, and if you have any questions or need supplies drop by Oakridge Greenhouse cover with dome/plastic wrap package and our staff will help you out.
Be sure to check out our events page for all of our fantastic events coming up for Spring. From our Spring kick-off to some great workshops, we hope to see you at Oakridge soon!
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2016 Time: 10:00 am till 4:00 pm
This is the day we officially announce spring has sprung – and we don’t care what the weather is like outside. So join us for our salute to spring with a day of sales on giftware, patio pots, garden décor and much more.
Plug and Seeding Sale | Additionally, all our extra plants will be for sale! Dave Hanson of Sage Garden Herbs will be here to talk about all things herbs – growing, harvesting, storing etc and we’ll sample some very fine appetizers made using our own freshly grown herbs. Free but please register. Workshops on succulent containers and Fairy gardening. Call 204.326.1015 to register.
Spring Pruning | We’ll show you some basic pruning techniques for trees, flowering shrubs and conifers. Free but please call 204.326.1015 to register
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28th–10:00am-5:00pm
Head to Oakridge for our popular Christmas open house, featuring fabulous Christmas decor, kids workshops and delicious treats including home made cider, coffee and cookies. Stay tuned for more information.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14th from 6:30pm-10:00pm
Join us for our 2015 Christmas event. Drop in any time to get some of our unique ideas for Christmas decorating and entertaining, and get a quick peek into this years holiday fashion show at 7:30pm. RSVP and pickup tickets at Oakridge.
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Looking for that perfect backdrop for your Christmas photo? Look no further than the Oakridge Winter Wonderland. Staff will be on hand to snap a photo with your camera, or you are welcome to bring your own photographer. Book your spot today, available Saturday’s from 10am – 4pm.
