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TIME TO PLANT! www.dinternursery.ca
Great selection of quality plants, your ONE STOP for all gardening needs.
May 9 • 4:30pm to 6pm KIDS ONLY! Make a Hanging Basket or Planter For Mom
Create a lovely Mother’s Day Basket Parents may watch! $5.00 donation to Somenos Transition House.
May 17 & 24• 10am Cowichan Valley Master Gardeners
MASTER GARDENING CLINIC
Questions for this year’s garden plan? Bring your gardening questions for a detailed explanation.
Serving local gardeners since 1973
250 748 2023
5km South of Duncan on Hwy 1
26
The Healthiest Plants to Grow
f you were fortunate enough to have been raised in a home that had a vegetable garden then you will need no persuasion to appreciate the many virtues of growing your own food. Childhood memories include shelling fresh snap peas and sneaking a handful now and then to spending leisurely time harvesting ripe red raspberries to top on a bowl of ice cream. Outstanding flavor is indeed at the top of the chart when it comes to the benefits of growing food. There is a real buzz regarding the health benefits that fruits and vegetables contain. Dark green leafy vegetables and rich colored juicy fruit seems to ooze the delicious qualities that help create good health. In order for you to make certain that your vegetables and fruit has the most nutritional value make certain that you follow these simple but essential growing requirements. Soil quality is the factor of upmost importance to guarantee optimum vigour. Healthy soil provides support and nutrition for plants and retains moisture for the roots to nurture stems, fruits and flowers. The best soils for the vegetable garden have slightly acidic pH values between 6 and 6.8. The addition of manures and organic matter is referred to as soil amendments. Soil amendments optimize potential yields and quality. The goal in soil management is to increase the organic content four to five per cent over a period of years. This is not a large percentage but all that is needed.
over. Most vegetables need an average of 6 hours of sunlight. Some plants such as lettuce, peas, carrots, and kale are able to grow fine with roughly 6 hours of Trees and Shrubs sunlight. There are 1.Apple – Anti-oxidants, Vitamin C other crops 2. Fig – Fiber, Vit. B6, Copper, Potassium which 3.Blueberry – Vit. K, Manganese, Vit. C require at 4.Blackberry (Thornless) - Vit K, Tissue, least 8 hours Alertness of direct 5.Grape – Vit C, K, Immune system, Bones sunlight per 6. Sea buckthorn – Vit C, Protein, Skin, day. These Antioxidants include prevent the evening temperatures tomatoes, peppers, from falling belong 12c. eggplants and squash. As well as long light hours these crops benefit Do not let your vegetables dry out in the garden. They must from increased daily remain irrigated to retain a good temperatures. You may fresh taste. If vegetables go want to consider some without water for an extended type of cover to retain time they often acquire a bitter daily temperatures and
Vegetables 1. Broccoli/Kale – Iron, Vit. A,C,K, Antioxidants, Calcium 2. Beets – folate, manganese, potassium, copper 3. Cauliflower/Brussel Sprouts – Vitamin C,K,B6, Proteins, Omega 3 4. Garlic – Manganese, Vit. C B6, Copper 5. Greens – Vitamin A,C,E,K, Fiber, Protein 6. Spinach – Vitamin A,B2,C,K Manganese 7. Tomatoes – Vitamin A,C,K, Biotin, Copper, Potassium
Light is one of the most significant elements when growing vegetables. This is also something that we often have little control
Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley