With only four types of slugs in Canada, it sure feels like there are more than enough to go around! For as long as we can remember slugs have always been one of the worst pests in the garden. Nibbling tiny little holes in just about everything invites unwanted diseases into our plants, killing all our hard work! Don’t worry, if slugs are causing you problems we’re here to help solve them. In this week’s blog, we turned to our Nursery Experts to see what we can do in the garden to treat slugs.
Signs of Slugs
Since slugs like to feed at night, you will likely not catch them in the act until it’s too late. Once you notice tiny bite-size nibbles turning into large unsightly holes, it’s time to act. These tiny holes are an ‘open invitation for disease and infestation. Immediately prune off the dead leaves or any foliage that has been affected, to prevent further damage.
Ask Our Experts
When we asked our expert Shawn what his treatment plan for slugs looked like, he sure had a lot to say. It seemed as if he’s tried everything there is and he was happy to share with us what works. Here are five different ways to help treat slugs, from our Nursery Expert, Shawn.
“A handy trick to finding your slugs is to place a 1ft 2×6 piece of wood on the surface of the ground, directly under the affected plants. In the early morning, turn the wood over. Depending on where you live, you might find a handful of nocturnal critters. If you’ve collected some slugs, then how you dispose of them is up to you! Repeat this trick as many times as you need.”
“Did you know, slugs won’t cross copper? Commercially available, copper tape or copper wire can be applied to containers or garden bed frames, to prevent slugs from getting into your crops.”
“Garter snakes are a big predator of slugs, so if you happen to see some in your garden, let mother nature do its best work at getting rid of them naturally!”
“Ducks love slugs, keeping ducks around your garden not only gets rid of slugs but also creates many, many other benefits for your plants!”
“Above all, the best practice for keeping slugs away from your garden is to keep your yard and compost, neat and tidy. Denying slugs the natural habitat they need to live.”
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Whether you’re looking to add more plants to your pond or looking to add some to your indoor or outdoor space, water plants hold a special place in many gardeners hearts. These easy growers come in many different shapes, blooms, vines, and more! Though they’re not as easy as just adding water, they are low maintenance. Check out our top five favourite water plants, what makes each one so special and how you can grow your own at home.
1.) Japanese Water Iris
Also known as Iris Ensata, the Japanese Water Iris is a prized water plant that has been said to be celebrated in Japanese culture since the mid-ninetieth century. A tradition known as ‘The Act’ is the practice of patiently meditating and watching as the Water Iris slowly unfolds its blooms over the course of three days (The Japanese Iris, Currier McEwen, 1990).
When growing Japanese Water Irises, you can expect tall blooms reaching up to 4 feet high in June and July. In zones 4 to 9, sow seeds in a small container with loamy aquatic mix and cover with potting mix. Once the seeds are established, transplant them into pond plant baskets!
Tip: Remove dead foliage to promote healthy growth. Cutting just above the water line in the fall for dormant growing months.
2.) Papyrus
Native to African regions, Papyrus is also known as Nile grass named for its natural instinct to grow along rivers, lakes, swamps, and ponds. Though capable of growing in soil and in pots, the Papyrus flourish best when grown in water. Historically, Egyptians have widely used Papyrus to make paper, food, chairs, shoes, rope and much more. Now, you can find Papyrus as a pond plant favourite!
When grown as a plant, you can place your Papyrus in a three feet deep hole in muddy soil. Cover the hole to the top with mud to secure the papyrus structure in an upright position. Alternatively, you can plant Papyrus from rhizomes in a container with fertile-moist soil and then transfer it to your pond.
Tip: Remove broken stems and feed in spring with a balanced fertilizer.
3.) Water Lilies
A symbol of pleasure and peace. With over 70 species, the Water Lily belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family and can be found all over the world in ideal climates. With giant blooms stretching out their petals early in the morning and closing back up at night. The Water Lily is a water plant perennial that can live for fifteen to twenty years or more!
Water Lilies are not only a popular pond favourite to many of us gardeners, but it’s also a favourite to fish. The Water Lily provides fish with food and shelter from the sun, while also preventing algae by keeping your pond cool.
Using a container with or without drainage holes, fill your container with soil (avoid peat soils, perlite and vermiculite). Prune your Water Lily plants and place them along the side of the container to allow for hanging over the edge. To keep your soil inside the container, top it off with stones like gravel. Submerge your pot 12-18 inches deep, allowing the leaves to float to the top!
Tip: Try to maintain cooler pond temperatures by having 60% of the pond covered by plants like water lilies to prevent unwanted bacteria.
4.) Water Lettuce
Not to be confused with regular lettuce, water lettuce can be deadly to eat! However, it’s beautiful large rippled foliage unfolds beautifully in ponds and waterscapes, creating the perfect shade to protect fish and other aquatic wildlife. Water Lettuce is also known for its ability to clean water by producing oxygen and eliminating large amounts of nitrate nitrogen, phosphate and ammoniacal.
To grow your own Water Lettuce from seed, bury your seeds in sand, cover with soil and water. Submerge slightly underwater, watch as your Water Lettuce begins to sprout and transfer to your aquatic environment!
Tip: Performs best in temperatures between 21C-26C.
5.) Broadleaf Arrowhead
The Broadleaf Arrowhead, also known as Duck-Potato or Sagittaria Latifolia. Producing edible tubers, Native Americans have traditionally used the Broadleaf Arrowhead to treat indigestion, kidney and urinary ailments. Named after its arrow-shaped foliage, unique white blooms appear in bunches of threes during the summer months.
Broadleaf Arrowhead performs amazingly in swampy areas like ponds and streams. When placed in a container, they prefer shallow water and look beautiful in waterside gardens. To grow your own Broadleaf Arrowhead, sow your seeds in late fall via tray method in 1-3 inches of water and maintain wet to highly moist soil. Once your seedlings are strong enough to be potted, transplant them to larger pots. As your plant forms new and stronger stocks, you can migrate them further into your pond, keeping their foliage above water.
Tip: Monitor for aphids and spider mites! Treat immediately.
For more inspiration for growing the best water plants, check out the latest episode of Get Up And Grow, ‘How to Get Rid of Algae in Ponds’.
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It’s officially summer, so it’s time to sit back and enjoy your hard work! Or is it? If you’re like us and enjoy every minute you can get gardening, then we’re here to help keep you busy (and your garden at its best). Check out our handy list of to-do’s for the month of July below, to take advantage of the beautiful Canadian summer we’re having this year!
Lawn & Pond
Fertilize waterlilies.
Watch for pests on water plants, like water lily aphids, beetles and snails.
Prune overgrown plants.
Apply a second application of long-lasting, slow release Get Up & Grow 28-7-14 fertilizer to your lawn.
If you have hot weather, be sure to water your lawn thoroughly and raise the blade on your lawn mower for a higher cut.
Save grass clippings for mulch to help keep your lawn cool, while feeding it nutrients.
Stop fertilizing mid-summer.
Clean the filters in your pond features and add aeration to ponds during hot temperature to keep your fish alive!
Plants
Apply all-purpose fertilizer to long-blooming perennials.
After summer-bearing raspberries finish, cut down the canes that bore fruit.
Lift garlic and shallots as soon as most of the tops have died down.
After harvesting crops of vegetables, second and third plantings can be made, use late varieties of leafy greens, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
Stake larger growing perennials to prevent rain and wind damage.
There’s still time to plant annuals for lots of colour.
Cut back delphiniums and other tall perennials as they finish blooming.
Prune flowering shrubs as the flowers finish blooming.
Prune annual herbs to promote a second harvest
Remove garlic scapes, and use them for cooking! This will also encourage bulb growth.
Harvest berries before the birds and the squirrels get to them!
Miscellaneous & More!
Add more mulch to areas most effected by the sun or hot temperatures.
Remember to change bird feeders often and especially before getaways.
Pull weeds before they bloom!
Watch for Japanese Beetles, Aphids and other pests! Purchase ladybugs as needed.
Pre-order fall bulbs, to ensure your garden plans are executed when it comes to planting.
For more help with your July gardening, check out ‘How to Turn Your Common Shrubs Into Unique Trees’ on Get Up and Grow with our President Gord Nickel on Chek News below!
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Zippy yet delicate, the Hummingbird is always a pleasure to see around the garden or at your window. Hummingbirds are beautifully coloured and quirky to watch – and they’re also fantastic pollinators! In this week’s blog, we’re here to share some exciting facts about our hummingbird friends, what makes them unique, and how you can attract them to your home garden.
Canadian Hummingbirds
Across South America and North America, the Hummingbird can be found in over 300 varieties! However, in Canada, there are five extraordinary varieties that not only call our country home but also our gardens! Check them out below.
Anna’s Hummingbird – Known for their territorial instincts, Anna’s Hummingbird was named after the Duchess of Rivoli, Anna De Belle Massena, for its Ruby coloured neck (males). This particular Hummingbird can reach up to 80 km per hour, one of the world’s fastest animals for its size! Anna’s Hummingbird calls the shoreline of the west coast home, from British Columbia to Mexico.
Calliope Hummingbird – Is the teeniest-tiniest bird that can be found in North America! Weighing just one-tenth of an ounce (about the weight of a penny!) and around three inches long. The Calliope Hummingbird holds the title of the world’s smallest migratory bird. Spending its winters in Mexico and travelling to British Columbia for breeding.
Black-chinned Hummingbird – Unlike most colourful male hummingbirds, black-chinned hummingbird males are noticeably less colourful and often mistaken for females. The distinction, male black-chinned hummingbirds, have a metallic, unique colour-changing violet throat. If you listen carefully, the black-chinned Hummingbird’s wings flapping sounds similar to that of a bee buzzing! These amazing hummingbirds call the interior of the united states west coast home, with minimal breeding grounds in some of Alberta.
Rufous Hummingbird – A uniquely coloured hummingbird with a copper-coloured appearance featuring glowing spikes of green. In this species of Hummingbird, even the females show slight coloration – just less vibrant. Well-known for being territorial, the Rufous Hummingbird is small but mighty and will do its best to scare other birds away from its favourite source of nectar. From Mexico to British Columbia, the Rufous Hummingbird has been known to reach parts of Alaska!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – The most common Hummingbird found in Canada! With a mouse-like squeak, the Ruby-throat hummingbird can flap its wings more than 50 times in a second! Breeding from Newfoundland to Alberta, down to Florida and across to Kansas! The Ruby-throated Hummingbird knows how to make an appearance!
Attracting Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are one of Mother Nature’s best pollinators! With their long-skinny beaks, they can access pollen in places that even the bees can’t reach. Introducing pollinators like hummingbirds to your garden is a great way to grow healthy and happy plants by nourishing a solid ecosystem. To reap the benefits these pollinators offer, there are ways to make your garden more attractive for our hummingbird friends.
Colours
You might have noticed that hummingbird feeders are primarily red. This is because red is their favourite colour! Hummingbirds see in the combination of ultraviolet colours, making reds, pinks and oranges highly visible. When planting flowers, aim for bright reds to get their attention.
Feeders
Approaching a highly visible red saucer filled with sweet nectar has become second nature to our hummingbird friends. Before hanging your feeder, it’s essential to know that once these birds are familiar with it, they will come to rely on your feeder for their food source. The feeder will need to be replenished weekly to ensure your hummingbirds get the nutrients they need to survive. To hang your very own hummingbird feeder, try this!
Hummingbird Tray Feeder
1.) To feed your hummingbirds, mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts boiling water and mix until fully dissolved. It is important to use hot water so that any chemicals (such as bleach) are fully evaporated and will cause no harm to the hummingbirds.
2.) Allow your hummingbird nectar to cool down fully before pouring it into the bird feeder. This will prevent any plastic from melting and ensure that the Hummingbird does not get burned.
3.) Once your nectar is cold to the touch, pour it into your favourite hummingbird feeder and hang it somewhere highly visible!
Cleaning Your Feeder – Be sure to always wash your feeder each week! It’s essential to ensure mould does not build up in the feeder, as this can poison your hummingbirds! To prevent mould build-up, look for hummingbird feeders that are easy to clean. Once a week, soak your hummingbird feeder in hot water with mild soap. Use a bottle brush to clean hard-to-get areas, rinse with hot water, and set aside to dry.
Favourite Plants
Above all, our favourite method of attracting more hummingbirds is to plant their favourite plants! Since we’ve been in the gardening industry for over 40 years, we know our stuff when it comes to hummingbird favourites. Throughout that time, we’ve made a few notes that we’ve been asked to share yearly. To help you attract more hummingbirds, check out our list of Hummingbird Favourites here.
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Have you ever felt the heartbreak of sowing your seeds indoors, transplanting them outdoors, and finally, when they’re just about ready to harvest, they’ve already been harvested! By you know who!? Those cute little deer that have been trotting around the neighbourhood! Who can blame them? Your hard work showed and was genuinely inviting. Don’t worry. We’re here to help your hard work in the garden stand proud. In this article, we’ll help you deter deer from your plants in a few easy steps.
Deer Favourites
The first thing to understand is what attracted the deer to your garden in the first place? It wasn’t the cucumbers, was it? No, they’re too prickly! They were more likely attracted to one of the following plants. It’s essential to take note of all the plants you have that we know deer love so we can do everything possible to protect them.
Flowering:
Edible:
Trees & Foliage:
Knock Out Roses
Beets
Apple Trees
Daylily
Cabbage
Arborvitae
Pansies
Apples
Cherry Trees
Azaleas
Beans
Hostas
Chicory
Broccoli
Yew
Impatiens
Leafy Greens
Chervil
Red Clover
Sweet Corn
Fennel
Cosmos
Sweet Potatoes
Fir
Sunflowers
Plums
Orchard Grass
Gerbera
Strawberries
Chestnut Trees
Deer Deterrents
Now that we know what brought the deer to your garden, it’s time to do everything we can to protect the plants we love! Here are a few ways to disguise the deer favourites in your garden, keeping the deer busy elsewhere.
Natural Remedies
If chemicals aren’t an option for you and your garden, a few natural ways have been said to work for deterring deer. Give one of the following natural remedies a shot if you’re looking for a natural-only DIY approach to saving your plants from snacking deer.
Chilli powder – Sprinkle chilli powder on your plants to not only disguise their scent but disguise their taste as well!
Irish Spring Soap – If you don’t mind, the esthetic, hanging bars of Irish Spring have been proven to work at disguising deer favourites with their pungent aroma.
Fabric Softener Sheets – Like soap, they hide the smell of some deer favourites in your yard.
Hair/Fur – Scattered or tied in mesh bags. It is said that the scent of a predator will keep deer at a safe distance!
Companion Planting – When planting, research what plants grow best together! Some great companion plants are used to disguise one another from predators like deer, beetles and more.
Deer Repellent
Not all deer repellents are chemical based. Deer Repellent has come a long way to ensure that the safety of ourselves, the deer and our plants are the top priority. If shopping for deer repellent, we recommend using Bobbex Deer Repellent. Bobbex offers an all-natural approach that is environmentally safe. It can be used on most sensitive plantings, trees, shrubs, seedlings and more. This repellent won’t wash off for weeks during the growing season and can last even longer during dormancy.
Deer Dislikes!
Our favourite way to ensure that the deer won’t be coming over for breakfast, lunch or dinner, is to grow plants they don’t like! Surprisingly enough, deer can be picky eaters and if they don’t smell anything good growing at your place, they’ll move right along! Knowing this, we’ve been growing deer-resistant plants for years and we’re here to share a few of our favourites with you to ensure all your hard work goes noticed and not nibbled!
For our full list of deer-resistant plants, click here! Need more inspiration for growing deer-resistant plants? Check out the latest episode of Get Up and Grow, What You Need To Know About Deer Resistant Plants below!
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When we asked our expert Shawn what his treatment plan for slugs looked like, he sure had a lot to say. It seemed as if he’s tried everything there is and he was happy to share with us what works. Here are five different ways to help treat slugs, from our Nursery Expert, Shawn.
