Concern raised about Tordon sprayed in ditches

David Neufeld learned the hard way how persistent this herbicide is 
and now wonders how surface and groundwater are affected

A Boissevain farmer is questioning the safety of a herbicide commonly sprayed on ditch weeds after discovering it makes the compost he uses in his organic greenhouse toxic to bedding plants. David Neufeld got a nasty surprise when his greenhouse tomatoes suddenly died in 2010. A Winnipeg laboratory found the composted horse manure he was



Souris River silt serves up free fertility

Farmers soil testing in the wake of floods have found the silt left behind contained 
surprisingly high levels of nutrients, including phosphorus and potassium

It appears there’s one upside from flooding — silt. After the deluge from the Souris River dried up, staff at the Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO) wanted to know what effect the flood had on research plots that were completely under water last summer. Soil tests of what appeared to be dark-coloured sand near the


Letters, July 5, 2012

We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words. Please forward letters to Manitoba


New product for chemfallow

BASF Canada has received registration to bring a new chemfallow and post-harvest herbicide in Western Canada. New Distinct herbicide, tank mixed with glyphosate, offers growers exceptional weed control and resistance management in post-harvest and chemfallow applications, with total follow crop flexibility, the company says in a release. Distinct is made up of a premix of

Create a lawn area with sod

When I am going to establish a lawn area in my garden, I find that using grass seed is frustrating and I am not always assured of good results. Even if the soil is kept constantly moist for a couple of weeks, germination can be spotty, particularly if the weather turns hot and there is

Gardening in the shade

Many plants will actually thrive in shady areas There are many garden plants that can not only survive, but thrive in the shade, like annuals such as begonia, lobelia and sweet potato and perennials such as astilbe, bleeding heart and hosta. If you have a shady area, here’re some tips:  Shade gardening often means


New initiative supports school gardens

Nutrients for Life Foundation Canada, a registered Canadian charity, has launched a network to support the growth of school gardens in Canadian middle and high schools. The hub is a new website, www.schoolgardennetwork.ca that provides a showcase for existing gardens, links to new curriculum resources and points to community resources that can help schools interested

Sustainability through xeriscaping

Whether it’s called xeriscaping, water-smart gardening or environmentally friendly planting, this water-efficient concept can be built into your existing gardening plans, either all at once or on a year-by-year basis. Xeriscaping involves selection of annual and perennial plants, shrubs, trees and vines that perform well in our region and require minimal supplemental irrigation. Landscapes of