If you’re considering starting or expanding a Prairie strawberry farm, autumn is the time to start sourcing and securing the plants and inputs you’ll need, a producer from one Alberta-based U-pick says.
Tag Archives Mulch
So you want to farm strawberries
Fall is the time for Manitoba farmers to set the wheels in motion for the 2026 strawberry field crop
Protecting plants from winter damage
You’ll be glad you did when you see healthy plants come back in the spring
Late October/early November is the ideal time to plan on how you are going to protect vulnerable plants from our severe winter. The first step has hopefully already been taken where you have chosen most of your plants that are hardy to your climate zone. Many gardeners, however, like to try a few “challenging” plants
Night of the living mulch
It’s more fairy tale than horror story, according to researchers studying the technique
Living mulch may be a way to benefit both soil and the bottom line. The technique uses a perennial crop sown between the rows of an annual crop and University of Georgia researchers are studying how to make this old technique work even better. They’re studying the use of white clover between the rows of
Prepare evergreens for the winter
Evergreens behave differently than deciduous trees so need special care
There are essential tasks to do before winter arrives if our gardens are to be in good shape in the spring. Some of the most important features in many landscapes are the evergreen trees and shrubs that add beauty, not only during the growing season but during the winter months as well. Because evergreens are
A gritty new tool in the war against weeds
Weed and feed your crop with blasted soybean meal
Researchers with the University of Illinois have come up with a new tactic in the war against weeds: blasting. “Abrasive weeding,” a strategy that may prove most useful for small-scale organic growers, is proving to be “surprisingly effective,” university researchers say in a release. In conjunction with plastic mulch, abrasive weeding reduced final weed biomass
Glenlea Research Station opens its fields to the public on July 8
Mark your calendar to come walk the fields, check out the plots and the composting at this year’s Glenlea field day
Like any long-term commitment, it takes experimentation to keep things lively. Such is the case at the Glenlea Research Station, home to Canada’s oldest organic rotation study, which opens its fields to the public next week. Visitors will have the opportunity to check out some of the new and existing research being done at Glenlea
NGO sees gold mine in recycled grain bags
Old, used grain bags are big, bulky, and present a disposal headache for farmers. But for Rodney Sidloski, the CEO of Weyburn, Saskatchewan-based Help International, they are a potential gold mine. “We can potentially see a retail value of up to $4,000 out of a bag that brand new only cost the farmer about $1,000,”
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
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
Lack of snow probably hasn’t hurt the winter wheat — yet
Everybody is talking about the lack of snow this winter, but like the weather, nobody can do much about it. The fields here are bare and it’s the same for much of southern Manitoba. That’s raising concerns about possible winterkill to crops such as alfalfa, winter wheat and strawberries. Snow is a good insulator. Fortunately
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
