Welcome to our Gardening Tips!
In this section, we will provide you with valuable insights and advice on gardening techniques and practices. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced
Discover the joy of growing your own plants and creating a beautiful garden. From choosing the right soil to selecting the perfect plants for your space, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
Learn about the best practices for watering, fertilizing, and pruning your plants to ensure their health and vitality. We’ll also share tips on pest control and natural remedies to keep your garden thriving.
Join our community of gardening enthusiasts and share your experiences, ask questions, and get inspired. Let’s embark on this green journey together and create
Growing Happiness, One Seed at a Time
What is Gardening?
Gardening is the process of growing plants for their vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and appearances within a designated space.
Difference between Soil, Compost and worm castings.
What is Soil?
Soil is a material composed of five ingredients — minerals, soil organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water.
NPK ratio in Soil – A NPK ratio of 4:2:1 (N:P2O5:K2O) is generally considered ideal and accepted for macro-level monitoring of consumption of plant nutrients for the country as a whole.
What is Compost ?
Compost a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land.
Finished compost is a dilute fertilizer, having an analysis of about 1-1-1 (N-P2O5-K2O), but varying according to the original materials that were incorporated into the pile and how they were composted.
What is worm castings or Vermicompost ?
Vermicompost is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast.
Worm castings also called black gold are rich in micronutrients, containing iron, sulfur, magnesium, zinc, copper and calcium. They also provide macronutrients and can have even a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) ratio up to 5-5-3
What is potting mix ?
It is mix of soil and compost
You can either add 1 part worm casting to 4 parts soil.
Seed Starter kits for Beginners
What are seed starter kits??
If you have weather like Alberta that is unpredictable indoor seed starter kits are beneficial. It can be placed in floor heating mat or other alternative to speed up seed sprouting.Start your own plants in a Just Vertical Seed Starting Kit – no experience necessary. Grow your own way from seed to plate with a kit that includes a grow tray, seeds, peat moss plugs, and nutrients. Raise your own seedlings and transplant them into either your indoor or outdoor garden.
Benifits of raised beds
- Raised beds offers to chose soil quality.
- Raised beds offers more accesiblity for weed removal.
- Higher raised can be accessible with wheel chairs .
Seedling Process
The process of a seed growing into a seedling is called germination. Germination involves a number of steps
Method 1
Buy ready to use seed starter kit and follow this video. All copyrights belong to the rightful owner.
Method 2
Use any trays ,cups or even egg tray to start seeding
- Loosely fill seed trays and/or pots with seed starter soil.
- Moisten soil by spraying with water bottle.
- Place seeds in seed cells or pots according to seed packet directions. Example: Seed packet will say plant one seed per cell 1/4” deep or sprinkle three Seeds on soil surface.
Speeding the Seedling process.
The seeding process can accerated by using heat mats but it is important to note that they must be certified by compliance monting body of your jusrisdiction. In nort America CSA, ETL, UL are some approved of certification marks having c for Canada on left side and us for USA on right side of the certification mark. It is important to note that it does not needs sunlight or plant grow light until seed sprouts and plant is visible outside surface of soil mix.
Plant grow lights.
The plant grow lights help to grow indoors or start your plants inside in case you have smaller growing season as in Alberta Canada. You can chose right time for seeding according to your weather patterns.
In Alberta, you should start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost date. This is because Alberta’s cold climate makes it best to start seeds indoors.
When to transplant
- You can transplant seedlings outdoors when nighttime temperatures are consistently at or above 10°C (50°F).
- In Edmonton, the last spring frost usually occurs around Victoria Day weekend, which is in mid-May.
How to prepare for transplanting
- Check the seed packet: The packet will usually say when to start seeds indoors.
- Use the right containers: Use containers with drainage holes that are at least 2–3 inches deep.
- Provide warmth: Use a heat mat to maintain the right humidity and temperature.
- Provide light: Use fluorescent lights if you started seeds in February or March. Bright, sunny windows are usually fine for seeds started in April and early May.
- Feed the seedlings: Use a liquid fertilizer mixed at the recommended rate for seedlings.
How to harden off seedlings
- Place seedlings outside in a protected area for 1–2 hours on a warm day.
- Place them in full shade and protect them from the wind.
- If there’s no wind-sheltered area, put the seedlings in an open cardboard box.
Role of manure or alternative fertilizers
What is manure as fertilizer ?
We already have talked about ,Soil, Compost and garden mix i.e Soil and compost mix.
There is other fertilizer that can replace compost or mixing all three or even four components ,third is manure and forth is peat moss.
manure, organic material that is used to fertilize land, usually consisting of the feces and urine of domestic livestock, with or without accompanying litter such as straw, hay, or bedding . I believe in Canadian agriculture practice it is stored in liquid form in silos and sprayed on land. Different countries has different procedure to utilize manure.
Peat moss is soilless but is often added to soil to lighten, aerate, and help retain moisture. Although peat moss is good for keeping in moisture and aerating the soil, peat moss is not often used for lawns since its acidity hinders grass growth and can kill earthworms .
Role of heat ,Sunlight or grow lights during different stages of growth of a plant
The basics of seeding or gardening in general is to understand the process of germination(also called sprouting of seed) and growth after leaves are visible outside the surface of soil.
Let us talk about the first stage i.e germination.
It is important to maintain certain level moisture and temperature to initiate germination.
Either you can place seeding trays on the floor heat mats that are used in Bathroom to heat flooring tiles ,or you can maintain air temperature where seeding trays are stores to required level. Most seeds germinate when the soil temperature is between 68° and 86°F. If we convert to degree centigrade it becomes 20°C to 30°C. If the moisture in the seed is higher than 45-60% then germination takes place. However, from this moisture range down to 18-20% respiration is extremely high, both seed respiration and respiration of microorganisms. Heating can occur where there is little or no aeration. Sunlight or grow light is not required in this stage.
Let us Talk about second stage when leaves are coming out the soil surface.
At this stage plant needs sunlight or grow lights in addition to maintain moisture level. Keep the plants in sunlight or add plant grow lights close to 12 to 24 inches from the plant. Check for water needs at regular intervals or consider self watering reservoir technique.
The most important thing to note before you trasfer your plants into garden.
The plants that we germinate and grow in an indoor environments may not survive outside weather conditions without going through hardening off process.
What is hardening off process.
The process that involves making the plants strong enough to face natural conditions of the outdoor environment by putting them 5-6 hours a day in daytime sunny hours.
There are three parametes that effects the plants when we transfer from indoor environment to outdoor enviornment.
1.) Temperature change – Indoor temperatures are set to constant temperature whereas outside temperature may change throught the day by significant amounts.
2.) Sunlight intensity – Of course plants needs sunlight but indoor plants are not used to intense sunlight unless their leaves deveolp a protective coating.
3.) Air flow or wind – Indoor environment do not have very high air flow that is way different than outside enviornment.
The hardening off process gives the plants 2-3 weeks of transition time to get used to outdoor environment conditions.
What reads on the package of seeds
March 15 seeding is not written on the package but I decided for myself considering my own resources to battle with temperature fluctuations in Alberta
Mini Bell Pepper 70 – 90 days harvest
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant = 16 inch
Days to germinate = 7-14
Seed Depth = ¼ inch
Plant spacing = 18 inch
Broccoli 75-80 days to harvest
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant = 30 inch
Days to germinate = 7-10
Seed Depth = 1/2 inch
Plant spacing = 18 inch
Peas Alaska 50-55 days to harvest
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant = 30 inch
Days to germinate = 5-10
Seed Depth = 1 inch
Plant spacing = 4 inch
Swiss Chard 50-65 days to harvest
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant =
Days to germinate = 7-10
Seed Depth = 1/2 inch
Plant spacing = 10 inch
Watermelon 80 days
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant =
Days to germinate = 5-7
Seed Depth = 1 inch
Plant spacing = 24 inch
Mesclun Salad Mix 40-65 days to harvest
March 15 seeding
April 15 30 days
May 15 60 days
June 15 90 days Harvest
Height of plant =
This one is Seed Tape testing for the first time.
