Kevin Twomey, the long-time owner of T & T Seeds who has just sold T & T Seeds and is now retired with his brother Brian, is still eager to stay involved in some way. He has an amazing compendium of gardening experience to share. He has grown everything from trees to flowers to his favourite, vegetables.
In this episode, Kevin tells us about growing beets and other root vegetables in a raised garden in the heat. In the earth-bound garden, conditions are very dry this year and he explains what to do to overcome this.
We discuss the trees that were removed by the house mover on Roblin Boulevard the week of August 9, 2021, and what could be done to provide more efficient and effective management of boulevard trees in Winnipeg. Newly planted tees are not being watered, the number one maintenance requirement to ensure their success, but there is more that could be done to help these trees get to maturity.
We learn about fox squirrels which have now invaded Manitoba. These very large squirrels can be quite destructive in the garden. Raccoons, foxes, deer, rabbits . . . the city is overrun with critters this year. How do you deal with all of this? How do you feed the birds without attracting raccoons? And how do you keep deer out of the garden? Double fencing, daffodils and Bobbex are our chief weapons.
Back to the vegetable garden, what about insects? Potato bugs are bad this year. Fall rototilling will kill the larvae buried in the soil. Think about crop rotation to keep vegetables flourishing. Companion planting of flowers such as marigolds can help prevent some insect invasion. Did your corn take a beating and forced into a reclining position in a recent storm? Kevin has the solution.