Welcome to a new year in the garden! If you’re like us, you must be itching to use all the gifts you got for the garden this year. But who says you have to wait until the spring to get growing? In this week’s blog, we’re here to share everything we can think of to get you all caught up on your gardening to-do’s so that you can dig right in when the soil is warm and ready!
Lawn & Pond
What lawn? The one buried under four feet of snow, or the one soaking up the mud?! Alright, chances are there is little you can do for your lawn in the month of January.. So why not learn a few handy tips for growing the green grass on your side of the fence? Here are a few of our favourite green-grass tips for the 2023 growing season and some important things to do for your pond this month.
Understand your lawn’s lifecycle! The government of Canada has a great article available to help you better understand your lawn, so you can to the root of any issue! Check it out here.
Before it’s too late, protect animals and insects that help your lawn flourish by reducing insecticide and fungicide use. Only apply when necessary.
While the snow melts away, look for puddles in your lawn and mark them as areas that need proper drainage for when the soil warms up.
Instead of applying seed after seed in high traffic-areas, consider how your lawn might look with patio stones or mulch instead.
To be the first on the list, try scheduling any necessary pond maintenance, such as cleaning now before the waiting list leaves you last in line.
If you run your pond pump during the winter, raise it onto a ledge in the pond to recirculate only the top layer of water.
Watch water levels, as ice can cause overflow and cause damage to surrounding fixtures or plants.
There are two key elements to helping your pond fish survive the winter. The first is to ensure your fish don’t freeze, and the second is to ensure they’re getting adequate oxygen. To do this, you’re going to want to have a Pond Aerator or Aqua Jet Pump. Both will create a more stable environment for your fish by increasing air circulation, preventing your pond from freezing and providing your fish with the oxygen they need to survive while preventing unwanted gas build-up.
If keeping your pond running during the winter, add pond de-icer.
Due to their natural ability to hibernate, you must not feed your fish during winter. Their bodies adapt to survive such cold temperatures by lowering their metabolisms and using their energy to stay moving instead of digesting. Feeding your fish during this process will likely cause damage or death by choking or toxicity.
If your pond is already frozen, do not break the ice. Breaking into a frozen pond could be deadly for fish, either by striking them or stunning them from the vibrations.
To prevent damage, turn off any water fixtures like waterfalls.
Plants & More!
If you’re an indoor grower, we suspect you might have collected a few extra companions to keep you company over the winter months. If not, that’s okay too. January can be a great time to planning, purchasing, sowing and even indoor ponding. Below we’ve detailed a few of our favourite things to do for January when it comes to plants—looking to try something new and exciting? See what our President Gord Nickel has to share in the Check News segment ‘Indoor Fountains and Peace Lily Plants’ below.
Pre-orders for vines are now open! Be the first to pick your favourite vine plants before they’re gone! Don’t forget to check out all the new varieties for 2023!
Looking to try something new this year? You’re in luck! January is the busiest month for us in the seed department. With hundreds of need seeds trickling in each week. They’re ready to order and ship here!
If you can’t tell, January is a great time to plan your garden. If you haven’t already, we recommend planning out your space so that you don’t over shop, or under-plan! Whether you’re a balcony gardener or have your own yard, the more efficient you can be with your space, the more plants you can plan for!
For indoor plants, be sure to do your research on whether your plants water requirements. Check their soil often to see if the indoor heat is drying them out too much, if so re-locate to a more humid room. If placed near a window, check for frost bite and consider relocating.
Remove heavy snow fall from branches as the weight can cause damage which will invite unwanted pests and disease.
Continue composting—everything you save now with warm up in no time in the spring.
Keep feeding birds to help them during harsh winters.
Have a suggestion or question?
Let us know at info@wildwoodoutdoorliving.com.
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December?! When did that happen? Well, folks, whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, December can be a busier month than you might expect. After all, preparing for your best growing season yet takes plenty of work and preparation. That’s why in this week’s blog, we’re here to share a handy to-do list to keep you busy this December.
Lawn & Pond
If you run your pond pump during the winter, raise it on to a ledge in the pond to recirculate only the top layer of water.
Watch water levels, as ice can cause overflow and cause damage to surrounding fixtures or plants.
There are two key elements when it comes to helping your pond fish survive the winter. The first is to ensure your fish don’t freeze and the second is to ensure they’re getting adequate oxygen. To do this, you’re going to want to have a Pond Aerator or Aqua Jet Pump. Both will create a more stable environment for your fish by increasing air circulation which will prevent your pond from freezing and provide your fish with the oxygen they need to survive while preventing unwanted gas build-up.
If keeping your pond running during the winter, add pond de-icer.
Due to their natural ability to hibernate, you must not feed your fish during the winter months. To survive such cold temperatures their bodies adapt by lowering their metabolisms and using their energy to stay moving, instead of digesting. Feeding your fish during this process is likely to cause damage or death by choking or toxicity.
If your pond is already frozen, do not break the ice. Breaking into a frozen pond could be deadly for fish either by striking them or stunning them from the vibrations.
To prevent damages, turn off any water fixtures like waterfalls.
Watch for the first Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) blossoms outdoor and Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis Mollis) branches can be brought indoors for fragrant blooms.
Poinsettia care: Remember the 3 M’s. Moderate bright light, moderate watering and moderate temperature. Avoid access to hot or cold areas.
Protect fragile plants by staking, wrapping and mulching. Such as dahlias, trees, azaleas and rhododendrons.
With proper care, a real Christmas tree should last 5 weeks or longer, making the first week of December the perfect time to put up a real Christmas tree. Remember to water the root ball and spray the branches with “wilt proof” to prevent excess drying. If the weather is severely cold after Christmas, acclimatize the tree by hardening off in stages.
Do not cut holly while the weather is freezing. This will make the berries black. Fresh evergreen boughs can be cut anytime to maintain a fresh supply indoors. Spruce, balsam and cedar boughs will last the longest.
The best selection of spring bulbs is available now. Wildwood Outdoor Living has the largest selection around, online and in-store! Be sure to plan out your garden ahead of your visit to make sure you have the right growing conditions for your bulb choices.
Miscellaneous
Clear gutters of all debris to prevent damage and ensure proper drainage for spring.
Keep feeding birds to help them during harsh winters.
Continue composting, everything you save now with warm up in no time in the spring.
Remove heavy snow fall from branches as the weight can cause damage which will invite unwanted pests and disease.
Looking for more to do this December? Check out the latest episode of Get Up and Grow with our President, Gord Nickel for a little bit of indoor inspiration, below.
Have a suggestion or question?
Let us know at info@wildwoodoutdoorliving.com.
Sign up here for more blogs dedicated to better gardening!
It’s November 2022 and another beautiful gardening season is coming to a close, but not just yet! There is lots you can do in November to improve your garden for next year. Check out our handy list of November to-do’s to keep you growing and outside before snowfall in this week’s blog November Gardening Tips!
Lawn & Pond
If you run your pond pump during the winter, raise it on to a ledge in the pond to recirculate only the top layer of water.
Remove pond netting and clean the bottom of the pond after the leaves have fallen.
Clean the skimmer basket. Check less often after all the leaves have fallen.
Trim waterlilies two inches above the crown and move to a deeper part of the pond.
If keeping your pond running during the winter, add pond de-icer.
Last chance to apply fertilizer to your lawn!
Maintain a clean lawn by removing leaves, toys and tool to keep it healthy.
As long as the grass is growing, keep mowing!
Plants
Keep watering plants as needed until frost.
Continue weeding as much as possible.
Divide overgrown perennials and replant. No room? They make a good Christmas present in a pot for a gardening friend (make sure to tag them).
Start paper whites and other indoor forcing bulbs for Christmas color. They need approximately seven weeks to bloom.
Plant evergreens, perennials, containerized fruit & shade trees.
Prune back Rose of Sharon and P.G. hydrangeas. Tidy up perennials.
The best selection of fall bulbs is available now. Wildwood Outdoor Living has the largest selection around, online and in-store! Be sure to plan out your garden ahead of your visit to make sure you have the right growing conditions for your bulb choices.
Add organic compost to beds and borders.
Cover your compost piles to retain nutrients.
Start seeds indoors according to your region!
Miscellaneous
Tie up cypress and globe cedar trees so heavy snows will not destroy their shape.
Construct a comport bin and create your own organic rich soil with garden refuse and leaves. Use Rot-it to quicken the process.
All your bulbs should be dusted with sulfur or bulb dust prior to storing them away.
Before storing all your tools, use rubbing alcohol to disinfect and clean them. This will prevent rust and disease.
Looking for more to do this November? Check out the latest episode of Get Up and Grow with our President, Gord Nickel to learn a few helpful tips for planting fall bulbs below!
Have a suggestion or question?
Let us know at info@wildwoodoutdoorliving.com.
Sign up here for more blogs dedicated to better gardening!
It’s October 2022 and in the world of gardening there’s plenty to do! From pruning to planting and of course decorating! October offers a variety of fun activities to keep us gardeners busy and soaking up as much of the outdoors as we can. To keep you busy as a bee this October, check out our hand list of “Fall To-Do’s” below!
Lawn & Pond
Lower the blade on your lawn mower to keep grass cut shorter for fall. Keeping your lawn shorter in fall will prevent fungus like snow mold from forming in the spring.
Remove pond netting and clean the bottom of the pond after the leaves have fallen.
Plant seed while the ground isn’t frozen and the soil is moist!
Keep all toys, tools and furniture off your lawn to allow it to breath and take in as much sunlight as it can.
Add cold water bacteria to ponds to maintain healthy a healthy ecosystem while temperatures cool off.
Remove all dead pond foliage to prevent bad bacteria build up.
Reduce feeding your pond fish to once a day to start their hibernation process.
