Introducing monthly tips for the home gardener! Brought to you by Somerset Bridlewood’s Community Garden Director, accredited horticulturist, and Guides for the Prairie Gardener co-author, Sheryl Normandeau.
Top Three Tips and Tricks
#1 Have twisty carrots? Ensure you have fluffy, soft soil for straight roots. With Calgary’s soil commonly containing clay, add compost in the spring before planting, or try deep container growing, which is also great for beets!
#2 Spinach seeding too quickly? A cool season crop, spinach bolts in warm weather. Plant early in the season to get a few harvests in before it gets too hot out, then plant another crop in late summer to reap the rewards in the fall. Also be on the look-out for “bolt-resistant” varieties or try Orach or Swiss Chard.
#3 Why is my leaf lettuce so bitter? Since this crop can be harvested so often, try and cut when the leaves are younger. Lettuce also requires regular moisture, so hot, dry weather, and under watering, can cause this taste. Try growing lettuce in the shade or in a movable container.
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More About Our Local Expert!
Sheryl gets her love of gardening from her mom. She became more active within the trade after working in a university garden centre – where she participated in her first land share program. Her specialization in prairie gardening originates from the complexities found within Calgary’s climate and shorter growing season. She’s encouraged by helping others observe, adapt, and grow bountiful crops right in their own backyards.
Along with primarily overseeing Somerset Bridlewood’s Community Association Garden, she’s also active within the Calgary Horticultural Society and Master Gardeners Association of Alberta – running many garden-related groups online. Having been published countless times, and helping to co-author an eight-part mini-series, she holds both a Prairie Horticulture and Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. Even though her reputation proceeds her, she’s still a true “small space gardener,” regularly tending to a tiny balcony container spread and neighbourhood plot of her own.
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