Michael in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, asks: Dahlia tubers that were stored in peat moss in the basement have started to send up shoots. They’re in the coldest part of the basement, but it is 14 to 16°C in the room with about 35% humidity. Should the sprouts be trimmed off? Left alone? Nick Vanderheide of Creekside Growers in Delhi, Ontario, says: The issue at hand … [Read more...] about What to do when stored dahlia tubers sprout early?
January in the garden
Why are some of my carrots rotting?
![The garden delivers carrots. (Photo by woodleywonderworks [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)](https://media.gardenmaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/23174854/640px-Thegardendeliverscarrots-352x235.jpg)
Question from Bob in Creston, B.C. I store carrots in slightly dampened peat moss in a cool (15°C) basement. Some of them are rotting. What’s causing this? An expert's reply: We asked Niki Jabbour of Nova Scotia, an expert at savvygardening.com and author of Groundbreaking Food Gardens and The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, for her advice about carrots … [Read more...] about Why are some of my carrots rotting?
Growing alpine strawberries
I’ve always been a fan of sweet alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca, Zone 4), the small intensely flavoured little berries also known as fraises des bois, and often found in European tarts and fruit salads. As well as being delicious to eat, they grow on attractive perennial plants that make a good groundcover, or edging for a border or garden path. These charming plants with … [Read more...] about Growing alpine strawberries
Long-needled pines
When there’s a thin blanket of snow on the ground, it's just enough to put a silvery gloss on the winter garden. This is when I’m grateful for every conifer in my landscape, especially those with soft needles, three to five inches (8 to 13 cm) long. They’re graceful in all seasons, swaying gently in the wind, and have an elegant texture in snow. There is a big Eastern white … [Read more...] about Long-needled pines
Flowers in a cold season
A few years ago I had a small bay window installed in a living room wall, and it was a smart gardening decision. Now I have a cool, bright northwest exposure for flowering winter plants that provides light on three sides. Pots of forced tulips and hyacinths are happy here and their blooms last significantly longer in the cool window, with a daytime temperature of 18°C, going … [Read more...] about Flowers in a cold season