Green Manure Cover Crops

Green Manure Cover Crops

โ€œGreen manureโ€ is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These plants can be as effective as animal manure in producing humus, thereby increasing soil fertility and structure. Green manure cover crops are inexpensive to plant, and serve multiple purposes. Best of all, they can be...
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โ€œGreen manureโ€ is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These...

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โ€œGreen manureโ€ is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These plants can be as effective as animal manure in producing humus, thereby increasing soil fertility...

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Onions begin to form bulbs in response to temperature, but also the length of the day. In southern Canada and the northern U.S., choose โ€œlong-dayโ€ onions. Our summer days are much longer than our winter days. โ€œShort-dayโ€ onions are better suited to growing in the south, where the length of summer days is less pronounced.

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Onions begin to form bulbs in response to temperature, but also the length of the day. In southern Canada and the northern U.S., choose โ€œlong-dayโ€ onions. Our summer days are much longer than our winter days. โ€œShort-dayโ€ onions are better suited to growing in the south, where the length of summer days is less pronounced.

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About Cucumbers Cucumbers originated in India where they have been in cultivation for at least 3,000 years. The English word โ€œcucumberโ€ is a derivation of...

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About Cucumbers Cucumbers originated in India where they have been in cultivation for at least 3,000 years. The English word โ€œcucumberโ€ is a derivation of the Indian word kachumbar, which is still used today to describe an Indian salad made...

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One of the factors that most influences the germination rate of seeds is how they are stored. Like the plants that produce them, seeds come...

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One of the factors that most influences the germination rate of seeds is how they are stored. Like the plants that produce them, seeds come in all sorts of forms and sizes. They are also variable in their longevity. Since...

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Organic gardeners share one challenge that has many faces โ€“ how to nurse newly emerged seedlings along to the point when they are strong enough...

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Organic gardeners share one challenge that has many faces โ€“ how to nurse newly emerged seedlings along to the point when they are strong enough to defend themselves. Because seedlings are so tender and tasty, and low to the ground,...

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Oats are not particularly cold hardy, so a summer planted crop will die back, holding the soil in place, and providing ample carbon-rich organic matter to till under before planting spring vegetables.

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Oats are not particularly cold hardy, so a summer planted crop will die back, holding the soil in place, and providing ample carbon-rich organic matter to till under before planting spring vegetables.

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Here's our list of seeds to start in August for fall and winter harvests. These fast-growing seeds are cold hardy, and will thrive as the...

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Here's our list of seeds to start in August for fall and winter harvests. These fast-growing seeds are cold hardy, and will thrive as the nights get cooler in late August and September. Check the first average frost date for...

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About Melons: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) & Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) Melons picked fresh from the vine are unbelievably sweet and, like so many other kinds of...

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About Melons: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) & Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) Melons picked fresh from the vine are unbelievably sweet and, like so many other kinds of garden produce, are nothing at all like the ones you might find in a grocery...

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Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly straight forward: Pollen is transferred from the open male flower to the stigma of the open female flower. At this point, the male flower can even be removed and dissected, as it is not going to be feeding any bees or serving the plant.

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Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly straight forward: Pollen is transferred from the open male flower to the stigma of the open female flower. At this point, the male flower can even be removed and dissected, as it is not going to be feeding any bees or serving the plant.

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There are some very interesting facts about tomatoes. No one can say for certain, but the ancestor of all modern tomato varieties appears to have...

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There are some very interesting facts about tomatoes. No one can say for certain, but the ancestor of all modern tomato varieties appears to have been a scrambling vine that was native to the highlands of Peru. Archaeological evidence suggests...

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Whether the goal is to harvest tender, immature โ€œnew potatoes,โ€ or to harvest fully mature potatoes for storage and use over the fall and winter,...

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Whether the goal is to harvest tender, immature โ€œnew potatoes,โ€ or to harvest fully mature potatoes for storage and use over the fall and winter, itโ€™s helpful to follow some basic guidelines on how and when to harvest potatoes. New...

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Planting to attract predatory insects is one of the key tactics for pest control in an organic garden system. Insects, like plants, come in all shapes and sizes, and play many different roles in the environment as well as in your garden. As sure as some insects are pests others are positively beneficial.

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Planting to attract predatory insects is one of the key tactics for pest control in an organic garden system. Insects, like plants, come in all shapes and sizes, and play many different roles in the environment as well as in your garden. As sure as some insects are pests others are positively beneficial.

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Harvesting seeds from your garden for planting in the future is a great idea for all kinds of reasons. Most obviously, itโ€™s an economical way...

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Harvesting seeds from your garden for planting in the future is a great idea for all kinds of reasons. Most obviously, itโ€™s an economical way to keep your garden going from year to year without having to constantly purchase new...

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With pollinator conservation in mind itโ€™s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers...

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With pollinator conservation in mind itโ€™s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers are the easiest to sow and grow? What flowers can be grown in containers or...

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Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) This annual herb is known officially as coriander just about everywhere outside of the Americas. We often think of the fresh leaves...

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Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) This annual herb is known officially as coriander just about everywhere outside of the Americas. We often think of the fresh leaves as cilantro, and the seeds (which are very easy to harvest) as coriander. Cilantro is...

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The arrival of third week in June brings us the last day of spring and the first day of summer. This year, it will occur...

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The arrival of third week in June brings us the last day of spring and the first day of summer. This year, it will occur at 2:43pm (PST on the west coast of North America, or 9:43pm GMT) on Saturday,...

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All homegrown vegetables are nutritious. The fact that you can eat them fresh, just after they have been harvested, means that they will be at...

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All homegrown vegetables are nutritious. The fact that you can eat them fresh, just after they have been harvested, means that they will be at the peak of both flavour and nutrient value. But among the many food plants you...

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The towns of Ladner and Tsawwassen (which form South Delta) are situated between the Fraser River estuary and Boundary Bay, which happens to makeย the areaย incredibly suitable for birds. This whole region is part of the Pacific Flyway, which is a migratory route for a huge range of birds travelling north or south, depending on the season.

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The towns of Ladner and Tsawwassen (which form South Delta) are situated between the Fraser River estuary and Boundary Bay, which happens to makeย the areaย incredibly suitable for birds. This whole region is part of the Pacific Flyway, which is a migratory route for a huge range of birds travelling north or south, depending on the season.

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Spinach also contains oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of iron by the body. The availability of iron in spinach is increased if it is eaten with foods rich in vitamin C and calcium, so mixing it with citrus juice or dairy makes it more nutritious.

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Spinach also contains oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of iron by the body. The availability of iron in spinach is increased if it is eaten with foods rich in vitamin C and calcium, so mixing it with citrus juice or dairy makes it more nutritious.

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Rhubarb is a perennial member of the family Polygonaceae, so it is related to buckwheat and knotweed. This plantโ€™s ancestry lies in the western and northwestern provinces of China and in Tibet, where it has been used medicinally for close to 5,000 years. There are many forms of wild rhubarb โ€“ all members of the genus Rheum are considered to be rhubarb of one form or another.ย 

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Rhubarb is a perennial member of the family Polygonaceae, so it is related to buckwheat and knotweed. This plantโ€™s ancestry lies in the western and northwestern provinces of China and in Tibet, where it has been used medicinally for close to 5,000 years. There are many forms of wild rhubarb โ€“ all members of the genus Rheum are considered to be rhubarb of one form or another.ย 

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Lettuce is recorded in ancient Egypt, described in carvings at a temple in Karnak, and was thought to be an aphrodisiac. It was also grown in Asia for at least as long. The Latin nameย Lactucaย is derived fromย lac, meaning โ€œmilk,โ€ a reference to the milky juice that appears when it is cut. Curiously, the milky juice that gave lettuce its name contains a substance called Lactucarium, which is similar in properties to opium, though much milder.

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Lettuce is recorded in ancient Egypt, described in carvings at a temple in Karnak, and was thought to be an aphrodisiac. It was also grown in Asia for at least as long. The Latin nameย Lactucaย is derived fromย lac, meaning โ€œmilk,โ€ a reference to the milky juice that appears when it is cut. Curiously, the milky juice that gave lettuce its name contains a substance called Lactucarium, which is similar in properties to opium, though much milder.

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Squash (Curcurbita sp.) Of all the vegetable varieties, squashes are by far the most diverse in shape, size, and overall appearance. The sheer complexity of this vegetable group invites growers on a life-long adventure. There are many hundreds of different named varieties of squash (perhaps more types in cultivation than any other group of vegetable), each with its own fascinating history, but there are countless more yet to be developed, as the plants are so easy to breed and prone to cross-pollination.

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Squash (Curcurbita sp.) Of all the vegetable varieties, squashes are by far the most diverse in shape, size, and overall appearance. The sheer complexity of this vegetable group invites growers on a life-long adventure. There are many hundreds of different named varieties of squash (perhaps more types in cultivation than any other group of vegetable), each with its own fascinating history, but there are countless more yet to be developed, as the plants are so easy to breed and prone to cross-pollination.

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Dill (Anethum graveolens) This well-known herb has been cultivated since at least 3000 BC by the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians, and is mentioned more than...

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Dill (Anethum graveolens) This well-known herb has been cultivated since at least 3000 BC by the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians, and is mentioned more than once in the Bible. Dill was thought by medieval writers to provide protection from evil...

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Nitrogen is one of the three most important so-called โ€œmacronutrientsโ€ for the healthy growth of plants, along with its equally important cousins phosphorus and potassium....

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Nitrogen is one of the three most important so-called โ€œmacronutrientsโ€ for the healthy growth of plants, along with its equally important cousins phosphorus and potassium. These three elements are the central components of most fertilizers, and they form the N-P-K...

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