Get ready, get set . . .garden
The Gardener host Dorothy Dobbie interviews T&T Seeds owner Kevin Twomey about getting ready to garden in early May. Manitobans find it hard to believe that gardeners from coast to coast to coast wait until the May 24th long weekend to start their gardens in earnest. Beginning earlier for many plants, both flowers and vegetables, can result in failure or at least stunted plants. That is because the soil may still be too cold or because little plantlings are sensitive to conditions that extend beyond the temperature. They can get chilled from cold winds. Fungus can grow and kill delicate stems if the ground is still too wet. Kevin advises to curb your enthusiasm. He often doesn’t get his crop of veggies in until June because he is busy in the store, but he ends up with a great harvest.
You learn what to do with containers from the previous season, how to refresh the soil and make it habitable for this summer’s plants. Kevin provides the reasoning behind mixed number fertilizers and why they can be more beneficial that 20 -20-20 for certain plants and under certain conditions.
Kevin also talks about a new marigold that can grow four feet tall with four-inch blossoms. He sells then as started plants but you can also grow this marigold from seeds.
In the second segment of the Gardener, Dorothy and Kevin Twomey talk about plants, with a lot of information about house plants and how to keep them happy. They discuss the benefits of having a house full of green things.
In the final segment, they turn to trees, which is one thing the anxious gardeners can plant early in May. The buds are breaking, and the soil is warm enough to promote root growth. What’s the best cedar for this area? Tune in and find out.