Apple pruning tends to intimidate people.  It is often a question I get from people who really don't know where to start.  I always send them this video. It is my go to apple pruning video for regular trees since its so quick and simple.  The pruned apple tree doesn't look like much in winter, in fact it might look a little stark compared to other trees on your property, but one of the main purposes of pruning apples this way is to help with fruit production rather than aesthetics.  Hopefully the simple shapes of these trees give those that are nervous about pruning apples some comfort.  While you don't want to take off more than a third each year, most apples are vigorous enough and thrive when they get a good pruning.

As also mentioned in the Pruning Haskaps post.  
1.  Prune with clean and sharp pruners.
2.  Keep a disinfectant in a spray bottle handy.  A 10% solution of bleach or rubbing alcohol works well to spray on between bushes.
3.  Always begin with the 3Ds of pruning Dead , Diseased, Damaged and then move on to opening up the canopy and addressing any crossing or rubbing branches.

​On May 10, 2025, we are hosting the Ardrossan Recreation and Agriculture Society in conjunction with the Strathcona County Library Bookmobile for a pruning workshop.  If you're looking for some hands on information on pruning, come join us at 10:00 on the farm.

I know most people despise pruning raspberries but it is one of my favourite things to prune.  I think most people don't like it because they don't know how to do it (and possibly because they're not trellised well.  My fruit productions professor at school just made it so easy to understand and I really like the low risk factor in pruning raspberries.  It would be really hard to prune an established stand and do any kind of damage.  This is a great quick overview of pruning raspberries (both summer and fall bearing).  

A few other things to keep in mind is:

• They are very tough so pruning them first thing in the spring helps to ease the pressure from your other gardening tasks later in the season.
• Get good tough gloves that can withstand the thorns and w​ear long sleeves.
• ​Once all the dead canes have been removed, keep the 5 strongest canes per meter (or yard).  This allows for good airflow and seems to make harvesting better (in my opinion).

As also mentioned in the Pruning Haskaps post.  

1.  Prune with clean and sharp pruners.
2.  Keep a disinfectant in a spray bottle handy.  A 10% solution of bleach or rubbing alcohol works well to spray on between bushes.
3.  Always begin with the 3Ds of pruning...Dead (although that is usually the main point of pruning raspberries), Diseased, Damaged and then move on to thinning.

​On May 10, 2025, we are hosting the Ardrossan Recreation and Agriculture Society in conjunction with the Strathcona County Library Bookmobile for a pruning workshop.  If you're looking for some hands on information on pruning, come join us at 10:00 on the farm.

Spring is the time for really looking at your haskaps (a.k.a. honeyberries) and doing some light pruning.  Haskaps are great because they are extremely hardy so they can be one of the first fruits to prune without the risk of a spring storm causing stress.  The true experts on haskaps are the researchers at the University of Saskatchewan.  Here they give a good overview of how easy they are to prune.

As always, when pruning consider a few beneficial practices to ensure that your bushes remain healthy.

1.  Prune with clean and sharp pruners.
2.  Keep a disinfectant in a spray bottle handy.  A 10% solution of bleach or rubbing alcohol works well to spray on between bushes.
3.  Always begin with the 3Ds of pruning...Dead, Diseased, Damaged.  Once you take care of those branches, you are well on your way to having a bumper crops of haskaps.

On May 10, 2025, we are hosting the Ardrossan Recreation and Agriculture Society in conjunction with the Strathcona County Library Bookmobile for a pruning workshop.  If you're looking for some hands on information on pruning, come join us at 10:00 on the farm.

As part of a program with the Strathcona County Library Bookmobile, we did a session on starting seeds in milk jugs.  If you've seen it on social media and haven't had a chance to try it yet, we highly recommend it.  I've used this method often for the farm and have found it's a great way to get a head start in the spring.

Here are few reasons that this might be the project for you...

• Extend the season - you can take full advantage of the lengthening days, moisture and increased warmth as soon as spring arrives.
• Easy to move - its an easy method to move many plants when you're ready to get them in the garden or if there is a surprise snow storm in the spring and you need to bring them in for a day or two.
• Germinates many plants in a small area -  per square inch you can germinate many seeds which are then easily transplanted out once the spring is in full swing.
• Helps to manage your time during the busy planting time - in spring there is always so much to do.  This method can be done when things are slower in the middle of the winter and then have a good supply of plants to get in the garden when you're ready to transplant.  It saves time with hardening off your plants as much of the hardening off is already done (with the exception of exposing them to a little wind).  
• Great to do with kids - it is a really simple system so you can get the whole family helping.
• Inexpensive -  I really enjoy projects that let you use readily available materials (or adapt to other materials as needed.  It's an easy project for a beginner or an advanced gardener.

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Why does this method work?
Using this method replicates many of the natural processes that happen in the spring.  You get to use temperature, light and moisture to your advantage, while keeping these little plants contained.  Here is a little of what is going on inside your milk jug ecosystem.

Temperature - Cold can help with the germination of some seeds.  Often those cold tolerant plants have a little tougher seed coat that is designed by nature to withstand cold temperatures but also need the cold to break its tough shell.  

Moisture - The first thing that happens when a seed begins to germinate is that it takes in (imbibes) water and swells.  The milk jug works like a greenhouse but it also is a self watering (for the most part) as the design of the milk jug traps water.
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Light - If you set these outside, you get to maximize the light that your seedlings are getting while our days are getting longer.

If you're seed packet says something to the effect "plant as soon as the soil is workable" then it is probably a good candidate for this method for setting out in the winter and early spring.  You can still do this method with warm season crops like tomatoes and peppers but you will need to find a warmer place to have them germinate inside (and possibly a place to put them when you transplant them.

However the following vegetables and flowers are great candidates to start seeds this way, without a concern for the temperatures.
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Popular Vegetables

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Radish
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard

Popular Herbs

• Chives
• Cilantro
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

There are many great tutorials across the internet on how to do this process.

Winter Sowing - The Reid Homestead
How to Use Milk Jugs to Sow Seeds in the Winter - Finch and Folly
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We recently started carrying a grown and made in Alberta fertilizer called Ovis Aries made by an entrepreneurial friend of ours.  So I could be biased since this year was the year we decided to get a bottle baby lamb but I'm thrilled with this new fertilizer I've been using for several reasons.  I have tried it in our greenhouse and in some of my pots and in as I was putting it in with one of my flower beds to test it out in a variety of scenarios.  I didn't get too scientific but I put about a tablespoon in every hole for the greenhouse tomatoes.  I also added a bit of bone meal to round out the macronutrients.  In the same greenhouse on the same day I did my standard slow release fertilizer with the same variety of tomatoes in a bed right across the aisle. 

At this point I can't tell a difference in terms of size of the plants, but where I'm noticing a difference is how they're managing with this recent heat wave (and what looks to be another one coming up).  One of the additional benefits of this fertilizer is that it can retain moisture and release it back into the soil.  You can imagine in a greenhouse how things can heat up but one of my indicators to water has been the beds with the slow release fertilizer.  If I only looked at the beds with the Ovis Aries fertilizer, I could probably go another day or two.  I'm interested to see if it influences fruit set or even taste of the tomatoes.

In the pots I've been really impressed with how they've held up in this heat as well.  Hanging pots are notorious for drying out and ours get the benefit of the drying westerly winds.  However, I mixed in several tablespoons in when potting them up and they are the best I've ever been able to grow in this location (so far).  The other hanging baskets (which the plants came from the same nursery) did not faire so well with this last round of heat and I'm not trying to remediate them for hopefully some blooms by August.  

The fertilizer supposedly has benefits with slug control too, but that is yet to be seen - one can only hope that we have enough rain to test it out.  I would like to try it out in my row crops but that will have to wait for next spring.  Either way this is a definite must for all potted arrangements and the greenhouse crops from now on at this farm.  

We have rhubarb ready for picking this weekend. To make sure we have enough supply and are in line with all restrictions we ask that you call for an appointment. We should also have some later today in the roadside stand.

Springtime is a great time to look through what extras we have in our canning cupboards.  With planting season soon upon us, what better time to prepare an Easter meal with those extra items in our cupboard.  We thought we would post this now to give you ideas while planning your Easter menu.

We have a little bit of sun poking through, happily melting the snow.  Everywhere you go in our local communities, people are out and buzzing with this first sign of spring.  In our cold climate though, we have to remember that it is only a hint of things to come and that some cold weather is likely to still come our way.  I always like to think of the things that I can still do to prepare so that I am the most efficient during our short growing season.  If you haven't already, you still have time to start some seedlings before planting them out.  We still have 10 weeks before most plants will be put out in the garden depending on what you're looking to plant.  It is always so satisfying to tend to your plants inside when it is wet and cold outside.   Here are a few great resources to get you (and your future harvests!) started.

I pulled this image from Pinterest because I think it is wonderful design that can accommodate many different locations and tastes - literally. This design is so simple but with such impact that you could recreate it in your yard using ornamental plants. However, if want to introduce some edibles to your yard, this design would lend itself to this purpose very well.

This could be used as it appears, along a wall, or the design can be used to create a “room” within a garden or yard. If you’re on a budget, the design is simple enough that you can add to it every year to extend it around a yard. Alternatively you can invest in one element each year and build to the final design.