Garden tips that were once shared within families are now shared on social media. While some of the methods work great and are upheld by research, others have been discounted and should be discarded. Deciding which to use and which not to use is up to the individual.
Leaving the Dandelions as they are the bee’s first spring food is incorrect. Anyone with a hive will tell you that poplar and willow blossoms are the first flowers of the year and are very important to the hive’s survival. By the time dandelions bloom, bees, native and honey, have many different sources of nectar and pollen. Dandelions are just very noticeable.
Do not rake the lawn or remove leaves until the night temperature reaches 10˚C (50˚F) would mean that leaf litter would remain in Alberta yards past the time when the grass needs to be mowed. A better idea is to set aside a hidden area in the yard that contains old logs and leaf litter for critters that are left intact all year long.
Slugs can be a problem but putting out saucers of beer might not be the answer. Beer will attract slugs but they will only die if they fall into the beer and drown. Collecting and removing the slugs as they drink the beer works. Placing old partially rotten boards on the ground and removing the slugs in the morning can be effective.
Planting gardens on the May long weekend likely started when the family was all home making the job of planting a large garden easier. Many garden seeds can be planted as soon as the soil is dry enough to be worked. Seeds will germinate when the earth’s temperature meets the seed’s requirements.
Exceptions are warm crops such as cucumbers, squash and melons that will mold in cold wet soil.
Epson salts are mined in Epson, England and are a staple of English gardening but not always necessary. The “salts” are not typical table salts, they contain magnesium and sulphur that dissolve easily in water. The trace fertilizer is usually mixed at 1 – 2 Tablespoons per gallon and either sprayed on the foliage or used when watering the plant.
The latest research out of the United States has found that the use of Epson salts is only beneficial to soil that is lacking in usable magnesium or sulphur. The study also found that plants tend to absorb the nutrients better when used as a foliar spray as opposed to being used to water plants.
Signs of Magnesium deficiency are the older leaves turning yellow with green veins and some purple spotting at the edges.
Plants that are short of sulfur have light-colored new growth with the veins being lighter than the rest of the leaves.
Epson salts have long been touted as a cure for blossom end rot in tomatoes. The cause of the rot is a lack of calcium within the fruit which has nothing to do with sulphur or magnesium deficiencies. For calcium to move through the plant it needs a lot of moisture. Good consistent watering habits ensure that calcium is transported throughout the plant thus avoiding rot on the end of tomatoes. It is theorized that using Epson salts appears to work as it increases the amount of water the plant receives.
These are just a few pieces of misinformation about gardening that commonly changes hands. Most do not harm the garden but they do not help it either.
Linda Tomlinson is a horticulturist that has gardened in Central Alberta for over 30 years. She can be reached at your_garden@hotmail.com