In This Issue:
E Book!
Gardening Week on Canada AM
I have grubs in my lawn. How do I get rid of them?
How do I attract hummingbirds to my garden?
How do I fix dog patches in my lawn quickly?
How often should I water my flower garden?
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June? Noooooo! Can't be.
Since I talked to you at the beginning of May I have been to BC, Alberta, Northern, Eastern and Central Ontario. I talked with my buddy Jason in Winnipeg this week and my son Ben in Halifax 10 minutes ago. All of us have had a very different experience with weather in the last month; Wet out west, cold up north, great long weekend for Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, cool and wet in the Maritimes.
I am here to announce that June is 'nice weather month' across the country. Even my friend Christine Hand at Handyman Home Hardware in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland will get her wish for great gardening weather in June. Watch for the full moon June 23rd Christine! That will mark your time to plant your potatoes.
In the mean time, the questions to 'groundskeeper' [aka 'Brenda'] at www.markcullen.com come fast and furious. We are averaging about 100 questions a day right now and out of them falls this interesting pattern. In this month's newsletter I address some of the 'most asked' gardening questions. See below. And if we missed yours, feel free to connect any time. We get back to you as soon as possible with an answer that makes sense, is credible and if we don't know the answer we will suggest where you might find it.
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E Book!
Here is a reminder that the Toronto Star is featuring my new e-book 'Horticultural Domination' for $2.99 [or a buck, if you wish to sign up for a regular weekly e-book offering].
Go to Star Dispatches to connect with this fabulous concept and learn lots about gardening, fast.
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Gardening Week on Canada AM
Thank you, also, for watching 'Gardening Week' on Canada AM. If you did not get a chance to check it out, you will find links to the segments below.
Watch Jeff and I give each other a hard time. There are moments when we actually impart some useful information! The goal, as they say in junior hockey, is to have fun.
Have a great gardening month!
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Questions (and Answers)
How important is weeding in early June?
Either we get out and pull weeds or we ignore them to our peril. With the hyperactive growth taking place in your garden right now it is important to get weeds under control. The alternative is to pull them when they become small trees in the heat of July, after they have put down a monster-root and the effort produces an equally giant sweat on your brow.
How do I minimize weeding? It is not my favourite job.
Now this is a question that we get a lot and I have an answer that is chemical free, easy to do, and inexpensive. Mulch. My mulch-of-choice is ground up cedar or pine bark mulch. Look for it at your local garden retailer and lay it down around all of your garden plants this time of year about 5 to 6 cm thick. Keep the mulch pulled back from the base of the plants.
How do I reduce watering by up to 70%?
See my answer to the last question: mulch. Same advice stands. One job. Double the benefits.
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I have grubs in my lawn. How do I get rid of them?
Nematodes. Dormant nematodes (microscopic-sized and naturally-occurring) are sold out of a refrigerator at your local garden retailer. Apply them now for great results but remember two key points: the ground should be wet before you apply them and you should water thoroughly after you apply them.
The moisture helps the nematodes, which feed on grubs, to multiply and drives them deep into the soil where they make contact with their hosts: the grubs. When they meet, the nematodes win.
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How do I attract hummingbirds to my garden?
Welcome to June and July - hummingbird season, especially up north. Many hummingbirds have already passed through Toronto on their way to the boreal forest. Some, however, stay here where they will enjoy the fruits of our labour, provided that they can find lots of nectar-rich flowers in the neighbourhood. They love tube-shaped, bright-coloured flowers like cardinal flower, salvia, foxgloves, and the flowers of hosta. Plant your heart out!
Hang a hummingbird feeder and be sure to clean it out thoroughly each week. They visit Toronto again on their flight home and stay longer than they did in spring, when making babies was on their mind.
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How do I fix dog patches in my lawn quickly?
Easy. If you golf, you already know the secret to divot repair: a shaker bottle of sharp sand/grass seed. Keep a closed bucket of dampened sand and quality grass seed at your back door. The moistened sand predisposes the seed to fast germination. When you see a yellow spot in your lawn developing, simply scoop some of the mix on to the area and step on it. No golf shoes required.
What is 'sharp sand'? Where can I buy it?
Sharp sand is also called 'builder's sand'. It is not play sand. Look for 'builder's sand' at your local hardware store.
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How often should I water my flower garden?
Not as often as you think. All plants require an exchange of oxygen at their root zone between water applications. When the soil is allowed to dry about 3 to 5 cm deep between applications of water, the pores in the soil become oxygen-charged. This is good for root development and overall plant health.
Sometimes I worry about all of the water that is wasted and the resulting weakening of plants due to the abuse of in-ground watering systems that are used too frequently. Alas, I am here to serve, not to judge.
Mark
Merchant of Beauty
p.s. look for my newspaper column in the following new additions to the syndicated family of Mark Cullen newspapers:
Gravenhurst Banner
Vermilion Standard
New Glasgow News
