News & Tips

Keeping Your Dogs and Cats Safe
Edible Lanscaping
Landscaping with Herbs

Click here for the Gardener's Spring Planting Calendar handout.

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?

compostFresh 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?

binYes, 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.


 

Previous Tips

Golden Northern Bumblebee
The seasons
Winter to do list
The age of vegetables
Spring is here!....
February gardening tips
Fall jobs
Container winter glamour
Ready for fall
Weeds of the month
The April Garden
Winter tool maintenance

Sudden Oak Death (SOD)

SOD may still be a problem in gardens this year. The organism that causes SOD -- Phytopthora ramorum -- can also infect rhodos, viburnums, huckleberries, arbutus, big leaf maple, bay laurel, pink honeysuckle, Douglas-fir & other woody hosts. For more information see the Canadian Food Inspection Agency web site.

West Nile Virus as a gardener you can take steps to reduce mosquito populations around your home and property. Mosquitoes need standing pools of water to breed, so remove standing water from such items as pool covers, saucers under flower pots, pet bowls, and wading pools. Empty and clean bird baths twice a week. Also, clean eaves troughs regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water. For more information on West Nile virus see the Public Health Agency of Canada website.

Hosta virus— Many hostas are turning up that are infected with a virus called Hosta Virus X (HVX). The most commonly seen ones are plants of 'Gold Standard', 'Striptease', and 'Sum and Substance', but other common varieties are being reported infected in large numbers. While this disease does not kill plants, its primary danger lies in its proven ability to spread. For more information see Hosta Library and In the Country.

Weather Records  a summary of weather records for south coastal BC for the last three years prepared by Master Gardener Derry Walsh.

Learn more about Plant a Row - Grow a Row.

City of Vancouver Pesticide Use Restriction By-law for 2006 See what the by-law does and how it will affect you.

Drought Tolerant Plant List for City Boulevards
List compiled by volunteer Master Gardeners from Van Dusen Botanical Garden for the Prince Edward Street Waterwise Blooming Boulevard Project.

Least Toxic Pesticides -- Safers' fatty acid herbicide has now arrived on the shelves. It is sold in a ready-to-use container under the label, Top Gun. It is a non-residual, non-systematic herbicide which acts on contact to kill foliage.
Mel Felker,
Pesticide Review Committee

Dying cedar hedges - What is the Cause? Check out this BC government link for information.

 
 
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BC Master Gardeners Association