presentation by Tim Van Duyvendyk, Dutch Growers Home and Garden.
The cold weather did not prevent about 40 people from attending our event on February 27th. Attendees learned about a variety of products and techniques to build, replenish and help maintain a beautiful garden, a lush lawn and healthy trees and bushes in harmony with our environment.
All the attendees were nodding when Tim identified their soil types; he outlined what to look for in terms of porosity, organic material, nutrients and the pH level. Tim detailed ways to improve our soil by using organic material: what types of products to look for, such as those bearing the OMRI seal and about including non-synthetic fertilizers, soil adjusters and other additives. Did you know that your blue spruce could use a boost of aluminum sulphate to increase its lovely hue? Did you know that your compost needs lots of nitrogen to produce high heat in order to break down all that organic material? Saskatchewan gardeners need at least two composters to have a ready supply in our short growing season. Did you also know that organic and carbon-based matter make better fertilizer as they are released more slowly and more completely into the soil, without any added salt? How about using rhizomes to boost seedlings and transplants? Have you heard about the benefits of using corn gluten for the best lawn maintenance?
All the questions and more will be answered in our next newsletter, thanks to Ken MacDonald. We would like to thank Tim for sharing his insights and his expertise, and for helping us make informed choices about growing our gardens organically.
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