Keeping Your Dogs and Cats Safe
Edible Lanscaping
Landscaping with Herbs

Container gardening recipes from the April 2009 VanDusen plant sale:
» Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers
» Planting your Perennial Container
» Make your own Hypertufa Container

Questions & Answers - Some recent questions from our Plant Information Line...

I obtained a plastic compost bin from my local municipality. However, the ingredients in my bin are not decomposing properly. I have a layer of slimy mess in the bottom rather than the expected compost. I have mainly put in grass clippings and small amounts of kitchen waste. What am I doing wrong?

Fresh lawn clippings, plant trimmings and kitchen scraps are nirogen-rich, or green, materials. You need to add a similar volume of carbon-rich, or brown, materials, such as dry leaves, straw, sawdust, coffee filters or shredded newspaper, to your bin. By adding the green and brown material in layers you can make sure that you get the quantities right. Grass clippings should be added only in thin layers (about 5cm thick) so they don't mat and go slimy as yours have done. Always dig kitchen scraps into the centre and cover them with leaves or soil to ensure that the smell does not attract rodents or bears. Turning your compost once a week with a fork or one of the special tools (see picture) available at your local garden centre or municipality will speed up the composting process.

Can I continue to compost in the winter? If so, what can I add to the pile?

Yes, although the process will be somewhat slower, the worms and microorganisms are still active and working in the cold. Left over garden debris like small twigs and leaves make good additions. Be sure to shred or chop large branches so they can break down. If you are using a rodent-proof box you may also bury kitchen vegetable scraps (never meat!) in the heap. Rodent-proofing is especially important in cold weather when rats are attracted to the compost for its warmth and as a source of food. Leaves collected in the fall provide carbon to supplement the nitrogen-rich kitchen material. Make sure your bin has a good lid or is otherwise protected from the heavy winter rains. The water displaces oxygen, compresses the pile and slows the composting process. Just check that the composting material remains slightly moist, and aerate it occasionally by turning.

...and some past questions...

I have a viburnum bush. This year, for the first time, most of its leaves have been badly chewed. I cannot see any bugs. Can you tell me what is causing this and what I can do about it?

I'm having a problem with my day lilies. Some of the buds are turning to mush and not opening. What is causing this problem and how can I avoid it in the future?

All you need to know about lawns - an interesting article by Elizabeth Kolbert from the New Yorker.

Light Brown Apple Moth — in June 2007 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency identified a new pest, the light brown apple moth, from Australia via California. The 250 host plants  identified include produce, cut flowers and greenhouse & nursery stock, with a potentially devastating impact on both importing and exporting business. Samples of host plants are cherries, apples, pears, many vegetables such as broccoli & cauliflower, forage plants, and ornamental & nursery plants. It is not harmful to humans or animals. For more information see the CFIA website.

Aphids — Looking ahead to warmer months... all you ever wanted to know about Aphids! 

European Chafer Beetle — what's that skunk doing to my grass? Where did those brown patches come from? Check out the City of Burnaby's website for information.

Invasive Alien Species— the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands is spearheading an initiative to increase public awareness of the threats posed by Invasive Alien Species. Check out the following information:

Grow me instead booklet (for a snapshot go here)
Non-native & invasive pests
Invasive pest alerts
No rest from new pests
Aliens on the web
Invasive Plant Council of BC

Plant a Row - Grow a Row — Learn more here.