So much valuable and practical information was shared at our recent meeting with speaker Linda Gilkeson. And so many questions were asked and answered that we ran out of time—apologies to those members whose questions weren’t responded to. This speaks volumes to how important successful vegetable gardening is to our membership (and guests)!
As mentioned many times here before, mulching is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your garden. That, in addition to adding compost (which can also be used as a mulch) and an organic fertilizer (i.e. Gaia Green All-Purpose 4-4-4, Orgunique 4-3-7, or local custom blends 4-4-4) will keep your garden fertility program in prime condition.
Linda also reviewed the importance of making sure you know what your soil needs before adding lime. A proper soil test (not kits purchased from garden centres), will provide you with an accurate analysis of your soil’s pH level. If your soil is too acidic, applying lime to raise your pH to a normal level will allow proper take-up of important nutrients. Most people garden on acidic soil in the Comox Valley, but Linda says its possible for soils to be alkaline, so best to first make sure you know what conditions are present. Linda recommends MB Laboratories Ltd. In Sidney—and only pH testing is required, not a full nutrient test. https://www.mblabs.com/
Once again, many thanks to Linda for an excellent talk.
