Earth Week events continue with Wednesday’s Gardening Lunch and Learn presentation.
In the Yellowknife Public Library, a small seminar was held on Wednesday, April 27th to help teach local gardeners various ways that they can take better care of their homegrown produce. Five key tips were given to those in attendance. While they may appear to be simple, they may end up raising one’s gardening game when it comes to growing fresh veggies.
1 – Water, water, water! The Northwest Territories get plenty of sunlight during the ideal growing season. Almost too much, it turns out. It can be well worth your time, and the health of your veggies, to do a pass with the water can at least twice a day.
2 – Three years. If you would like to start a seasonal garden and grow your own produce, allow yourself about three years to gain experience. Growing vegetables can be a tricky andchallenging venture, so don’t give up on it right away if things aren’t working out right off the bat. Yellowknife also has several gardening communities that can be reached out to for assistance.
3 – Don’t be afraid to plant in different areas. The NWT has an incredibly varied terrain, so not everybody will have a perfectly flat bed of soil to work with. Try to set up a rock garden if you must, and don’t be afraid to work with uneven ground. While they may not be ideal, they still have potential for growing!
4 – Plant your seeds in different areas if you need to. Certian areas of a garden can contain elements that can be harmful to seeds and fledgling veggies. If you find that some of your plants aren’t turning out to great in one part of your garden, try planting them in a different spot next time.
5 – Try growing more root vegetables. This is another tip that can be appealing to newcomers. Root vegetables don’t require as much immediate attention as others. Root vegetables include plants like Onions, sweet potatoes, garlic, radishes, ginger, turnips, carrots, and potatoes.
The event was also used to announce that Shirley Coumot, a garden coach, had been hired by Ecology North, and will appear at the upcoming Yellowknife Farmer’s Market. She will be at the Harvesters Table to answer questions, as well as helping to run the lunch and learn.
