Click to read Backyard Magic: The Composting Handbook courtesy of  the New Brunswick Department of Environment.

Soil can be protected from erosion and compaction by avoiding tilling; instead, plant in raised beds.

Add mulch such as leaves or straw between plants and in the paths between beds.

Protect beneficial soil organisms by using organic methods and solutions instead of synthetic chemicals.

Organic and Sustainable Methods for Improving and Preparing Soil

Soil is…

Soil is the living flesh of Our Mother, the Earth.

Soil is ancient rock broken into sand, silt and clay.

Soil is the recycled and continuously transforming dead
plant and animal matter returned to Our Mother.

Soil is a continuously newborn living community
of micro-organisms, insects, and earthworms…
that feed on and return the dead plant and animal matter to the earth.
By Caroline Chartrand

Soil is alive with beneficial micro-organisms, earthworms and insects that help the nonliving components of the soil-the minerals in sand, silt, and clay as well as the dead plant and animal matter, and animal waste-do its job of feeding the roots of the plant world.

We as gardeners need to honour and take care of the soil so that it can take care of us, our next seven generations, and the plant and animal world.

Three Ways to Sustainably Improve, Protect and Nourish your Garden Soil:

Raised beds

• Raised beds prevent the erosion of soil that happens with tilled soil.

• Tilling is not necessary in raised beds because the soil is not compacted from foot traffic or machinery. Hand forks and trowels do the job with less cost and no emissions!

• Soil structure is improved by earthworm activity. No rototilling results in increased earthworm populations. Earthworms improve soil structure with their own fertilizer, called ‘castings’, and with their tunnels that aerate the topsoil and improve drainage.

• Space is used more efficiently because space between rows for paths is unnecessary. More space can be used for plants. Space plants so that they almost touch or slightly overlap when fully grown. This technique also suppresses weeds.

• When converting a flat garden to a raised bed
- Make beds 3-5 feet wide so the center is within arm’s reach.

- Make paths between beds by moving the soil from the path onto the bed; a frame is not necessary.

• Add mulch such as leaves or straw between plants and in the paths between beds. This feeds the worms that feed the soils microorganisms that feed the plants roots! It also suppresses weeds, retains moisture, prevents erosion and reduces plant stress by keeping roots at a more steady temperature.

Protect beneficial soil organisms by using organic methods and solutions instead of synthetic chemicals.

Beans           Peppers
Corn             Potatoes
Cucumber    Squash
Eggplant      Tomatoes

• Warm season, frost tender plant plants are often killed by a light frost (O°C), although some varieties may be more hardy than others.

• While many warm weather vegetable varieties require a soil temperature of at least 10°C to germinate, temperatures closer to room temperature are ideal. For example, most bean varieties will not germinate until the soil reaches 15°C or more. Some varieties are more cold hardy than others.
Consider saving and trading locally adapted seeds with local seed savers.
**See Heritage Seeds section for more info:

• For less risk, wait until after the average last frost date to start seeds outdoors, or start seeds indoors, and transplant after all risk of frost, usually 1-2 weeks after the average last frost date.*

• If frost threatens after frost tender warm season plants have been planted, cover them overnight with row covers, blankets, plastic bottles, boxes, etc.

* Note that the average last frost date is an average and may be up to two or more weeks early or late!

Beet                           Lettuce
Broccoli                   Onions
Brussel sprouts      Parsley
Cabbage                   Peas
Cauliflower             Radish
Carrots                     Rutabaga
Dill                            Swiss chard
Kale                           Turnip

• Cool season, frost hardy crops may withstand freezing temperatures of between 0-2°C or more, depending on the variety, so these vegetables may be planted about 2-4 weeks before the average last frost date with little risk. Cover crops if a hard frost is expected.

• Most cool season crops require a soil temperature of at least 2°C or more to germinate.

• Some varieties may be more cold tolerant than others.

• To extend the season, seeds may be started indoors.

• Some varieties have shorter maturity dates. Check the envelope for days to maturity.

• Consider saving seeds of hardier, short season varieties that match your climate; the varieties successfully grown and saved will adapt to local conditions over time. **See the Heritage Seeds section:

Companion Planting: A Method of Traditional Agriculture

Traditionally, all three crop sisters are grown together for the benefit of all.

The people need all three sisters because corn, beans and squash, eaten separately, each provide only some of the essential proteins required by the human body, but eaten together, they provide the complete spectrum.

While teosinte, a wild grass, is considered to be an ancient wild relative of corn, since corn has been domesticated by the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, it is not able to grow wild but needs human hands to perpetuate itself.

Corn provides a stalk for the beans to climb up where they like to keep warm and dry, while the bean roots provide nitrogen that fertilizes the soil to feed the corn and squash.

The lower, large leaves from the squash vines provide shade to suppress weeds and retain moisture in the soil.

While the three sisters are most often planted together, the planting techniques differ from region to region, nation to nation, and even between families.

Techniques often depend on regional climate and seed varieties.

For example, in moist clay or woodland soils of the northern Great Lakes region, seeds are only planted 1-2 inches deep,

whereas, in the dry, sandy soils of the southwest corn seeds may be planted 8-12 inches deep. The varieties of the corn seeds of the Navaho and Hopi are adapted to these conditions.

The Hidatsa people are known to plant corn, beans, squash and sunflower in separate hills in the same patch.

Sunflowers are planted first, in raised hills about 8 or 9 paces apart, about 4 inches high and 18 inches in diameter. Three seeds are planted per hill, in the same hole.

Corn is planted next, in hills of the same size, spaced 3-4 feet apart. About 8 corn seeds are planted in each hill.

Beans are then planted in smaller hills between the corn hills, with 2 groups of three seeds planted on the south slope.

Squash hills are located around the perimeter of the corn and bean patch.
Two pairs of seeds are planted about 12 inches apart on the south slope.

In contrast, the Iroquois’ mounds were about 1 metre wide and one metre apart, with corn, beans and squash planted together in one mound, with the bean seeds planted on the slopes.

Hills and mounds, like raised beds, warm the soil quickly in the spring and provide improved drainage for crop roots.

In contrast, in the dry desert conditions of the southwest, the Zuni plant in waffle gardens, where the sides of rectangles of various sizes catch and conserve limited rainfall.

Other peoples of the desert southwest dig deep holes and hill up the corn as it grows.

Other Crops domesticated by Indigenous Peoples of the Americas include:

Sunflower
Tomato
Peppers
Potato
Amaranth
Jerusalem Artichoke
Sweet potato
Avocado
Peanut
Chocolate
Cotton
Tobacco

The gardeners may share one large garden and all the produce, have small plots of their own, or a combination of the two.

Each community garden may chose to address or focus on a multitude of needs and benefits, from beautification or food security to social and safety issues, as well as education and promotion of healthy living.

For more information about developing and maintaining a community garden, go to the Community Garden Website

Small seeds such as carrots and lettuce can be sprinkled in double rows or blocks, then thinned after sprouting to make enough room for full grown plants, depending on the size of the variety.

For large plants like cabbage or sunflowers, plant 3 or 4 seeds in each spot you want them to grow, then thin out all but the strongest seedling.

Know the average size of the varieties you plant, then leave enough room between plants for adequate growing space and good air circulation.

The weather in Manitoba has not been great this summer! It was too cold to plant on the May long weekend…and it has been much cooler than normal. In fact, just before I sat down to write this, I shut all the windows in my house. It is chilly and overcast out there!

I would first like to thank you for watching Vitality Gardening. It was a great experience and we are currently planning another season of the show.

My front medicine garden came up this year! The sweet cicely went crazy! I think we put in two original plants…I got a dozen or more this year and I had to take some out. I used the leaves to sweeten boiled rhubarb. However, one caution I did read that eating too many of the licorce scented leaves can be a mild laxative!

I have already harvested sage and I found that brewing fresh mint tea and letting it chill is a good way to drink mint tea too. I add a little to filtered water along with a fresh mint leaf for a nice thirst quencher while working…Looks beautiful too in a clear glass!

My lettuce has turned out great this year…My sunroots are half the size they were last year..and the corn is very slow! I will plant more indoors to get a head start this coming spring.

Please send any story suggestions to: rajotte@mts.net or call (204) 947-6541. We would love to hear from you! Or just drop me a line and let me know how your gardening is growing!

All the Best,

Coleen

Annual vegetable crops live for only one season, growing from seeds planted in the garden or started indoors.

Some crops like carrots and beets are biennials; they die after producing seeds in their second year, but are treated as annuals by gardeners who grow them for food. Annuals and biennial crops will grow in almost all areas of Canada, except in some parts of the far north that are too cold for warm season, frost tender annuals. Cold hardy crops grow well there.

For more information about growing food in the north, contact
www.yukonfood.com

To determine if a specific annual will grow in your garden, consider:

1    Is it cool weather, frost hardy or warm season, frost tender?

2    Air and soil temperatures in your location.

3    Use of season extending practices.

4    Some varieties mature, or are harvest-ready in less days than others.

5    Some varieties are hardier than others and withstand greater degrees of frost. Save seeds adapted to your area!

Cool Weather, Frost Hardy Annual Vegetables:

• Beet
• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Brussel sprouts
• Parsley
• Cabbage
• Peas
• Cauliflower
• Radish
• Carrots
• Rutabaga
• Dill
• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Turnip

Cool season, frost hardy crops may withstand freezing temperatures of between 0-2°C or more, depending on the variety, so these vegetables may be planted about 2-4 weeks before the average last frost date with little risk. Cover crops if a hard frost is expected.

Most cool season crops require a soil temperature of at least 2°C or more to germinate.  Some varieties may be more cold tolerant than others. To extend the season, seeds may be started indoors. Some varieties have shorter maturity dates. Check the envelope for days to maturity.

Consider saving seeds of hardier, short season varieties that match your climate; the varieties successfully grown and saved will adapt to local conditions over time. **See the Heritage Seeds section:

Warm Weather, Frost Tender Crops

• Beans
• Peppers
• Corn
•  Potatoes
• Cucumber
•  Squash
• Eggplant
•  Tomatoes

Warm season, frost tender plant plants are often killed by a light frost (O°C), although some varieties may be more hardy than others.

While many warm weather vegetable varieties require a soil temperature of at least 10°C to germinate, temperatures closer to room temperature are ideal. For example, most bean varieties will not germinate until the soil reaches 15°C or more. Some varieties are more cold hardy than others. Consider saving and trading locally adapted seeds with local seed savers.

For less risk, wait until after the average last frost date to start seeds outdoors, or start seeds indoors, and transplant after all risk of frost, usually 1-2 weeks after the average last frost date.*

If frost threatens after frost tender warm season plants have been planted, cover them overnight with row covers, blankets, plastic bottles, boxes, etc.

Find Your Average Last Spring Frost Date and Average First Fall Frost Date.

The average first and last frost dates in your area provide an estimate of the length of your growing season, and help you decide when to start planting seeds and transplants of warm and cool season vegetables.
To find your average frost dates and average length of frost-free days in your area, go to Natural Resources Canada, ‘The Atlas of Canada’ website at:

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/index.html

Our Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, Squash

Companion Planting: A Method of Traditional Agriculture

Traditionally, all three crop sisters are grown together for the benefit of all.

The people need all three sisters because corn, beans and squash, eaten separately, each provide only some of the essential proteins required by the human body, but eaten together, they provide the complete spectrum.

While teosinte, a wild grass, is considered to be an ancient wild relative of corn, since corn has been domesticated by the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, it is not able to grow wild but needs human hands to perpetuate itself.

Corn provides a stalk for the beans to climb up where they like to keep warm and dry, while the bean roots provide nitrogen that fertilizes the soil to feed the corn and squash.

The lower, large leaves from the squash vines provide shade to suppress weeds and retain moisture in the soil.

While the three sisters are most often planted together, the planting techniques differ from region to region, nation to nation, and even between families.

Techniques often depend on regional climate and seed varieties.

For example, in moist clay or woodland soils of the northern Great Lakes region, seeds are only planted 1-2 inches deep,

whereas, in the dry, sandy soils of the southwest corn seeds may be planted 8-12 inches deep. The varieties of the corn seeds of the Navaho and Hopi are adapted to these conditions.

The Hidatsa people are known to plant corn, beans, squash and sunflower in separate hills in the same patch.

Sunflowers are planted first, in raised hills about 8 or 9 paces apart, about 4 inches high and 18 inches in diameter. Three seeds are planted per hill, in the same hole.

Corn is planted next, in hills of the same size, spaced 3-4 feet apart. About 8 corn seeds are planted in each hill.

Beans are then planted in smaller hills between the corn hills, with 2 groups of three seeds planted on the south slope.

Squash hills are located around the perimeter of the corn and bean patch.
Two pairs of seeds are planted about 12 inches apart on the south slope.

In contrast, the Iroquois’ mounds were about 1 metre wide and one metre apart, with corn, beans and squash planted together in one mound, with the bean seeds planted on the slopes.

Hills and mounds, like raised beds, warm the soil quickly in the spring and provide improved drainage for crop roots.

In contrast, in the dry desert conditions of the southwest, the Zuni plant in waffle gardens, where the sides of rectangles of various sizes catch and conserve limited rainfall.

Other peoples of the desert southwest dig deep holes and hill up the corn as it grows.

Other Crops domesticated by Indigenous Peoples of the Americas include:

Sunflower
Tomato
Peppers
Potato
Amaranth
Jerusalem Artichoke
Sweet potato
Avocado
Peanut
Chocolate
Cotton
Tobacco