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.

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 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.

The winter is such a great time to start planning our gardens.  It gives us a little bit of hope that this blanket of snow will eventually retreat.  I always like to try one or two new thing in the garden just to have inspiration and learning a part of every season, but I find that as the years go on, you can reduce a lot of harvest time work and stress if you focus on your garden goals from the start.  Here are some basic tips for planning this years edibles.

Taking stock of what you did last year is a good way to learn the lessons of the past.  Having an early first frost compared to the rest of north America, there is ample time to forget the lessons of last season.  So that I don't repeat the mistakes of the past, I like to quickly look at my old planting plans (no matter how tattered they are) to get a refresher on what works and what doesn't where I am.  I find that making notes while you are in the season is a great way to keep the flashes of inspiration fresh in the middle of January.  If you didn't write out a plan last year, try and capture on paper what you did do as best you can so you can use it for reference this year and in the future.  On last year's plan try to capture notes of what worked and if anything wasn't successful, why you think that was.  On a new sheet of paper (or multiple papers) create a sketch of where you want to plant this year.  It is useful to have approximate measurements.  Think about things such as if you are going to expand your garden, if you are going to plant in raised beds, planters, or a typical row garden.

Write out what your family eats on a regular basis, look through your favourite recipes and brainstorm those items you tend to buy regularly each week during groceries.  A look through your fridge and cupboards is also useful to get an idea of what you like to eat regularly.  Do you have lots of pickles in your fridge?  Maybe you should plant cucumbers, garlic and dill.  Do you have a large Italian recipe collection?  Consider planting tomatoes, basil and oregano.  Are you regularly buying jam at the grocery store?  Think about putting in a small raspberry or strawberry patch.  

Give some thought to how much you and your family will consume.  For most families one zucchini plant will suffice but for others who have zucchini relish (or zucchini cake) as a staple, they may need multiple plants.  You can find a approximate yield for each crop online.

Do you want all of your tomatoes at the same time for canning sauce or do you want to have small cherry tomatoes for your summer salads or do you want some of both?  Cultivars can vary greatly in maturity dates, size, taste, colour, harvest dates and suitability for cooking or processing.  While looking through catalogues keep your ideal characteristics in mind.   

Crop rotation is the practice of changing where you plant each annual crop in subsequent years.  It is one of those practices that you don't really see a benefit unless you don't do it and by then its too late.  Crop rotation helps especially when you garden on a larger scale but it is helpful in all gardens, even if you plant everything in pots.  It reduces pests and helps to balance the organic matter in soils.  There are some general guidelines that you can find online as to what is best planted after each crop to manage nutrients and organic matter and to reduce weeds, pests and disease 

When I first started a vegetable garden I always did look at what they were planted near.  Knowing how important crop rotation is, it made sense to me that in season it made a difference what was neighbouring each crop.  After a few years of a fairly successful garden (and likely short on time in the planning stages), I planted a few crops that were beside things that were not good companions.  Since those tough lessons I have since gone back to being really careful with what I planted and where.  The resources I use most is Wikipedia's List of Companion Plants and the book Carrots love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte.  Sometimes it takes a little juggling, but once you get a system, it can be fairly straightforward year after year.

Cool season crops versus warm season crops have different planting dates.  Different varieties of the same species can have a wide range of harvest dates.  If you will be doing any processing, you may want to time the harvest (and by extension the planting dates) to reflect when you have time to can, blanch, dehydrate etc.  You may also want a series of harvests.  As an example radishes, carrots, lettuce and beets can be harvested throughout the season with a series of plantings.  Try to group plantings where possible by planting dates.  I've learned that I can start earlier than one thinks in our climate if you look at frost tolerances of the cool season crops.

Similar to planting and harvesting, think of how you are going to water, weed and harvest your crops.  I too often have made the mistake of planting too close, completely annoyed with my spring self when I'm trying to harvest all of the produce.  If you're going to use a rototiller or wheel hoe for weeding will impact your row spacing (if you're doing a row garden.  Are you using drip irrigation or sprinkler to water?  If you're planting an organic garden, you will need to be careful on the management but also the seeds you purchase.  If you have had problems with certain pests in the past, there are also non organic varieties that through selective breeding are resistant to various pests.