Backyard

Garden Club

Welcome to the June 2023 issue of the City of Brampton’s Backyard Garden Club

e-newsletter!

In this issue, learn how to make sure your seedlings thrive in the heat and fun facts about okras!

Have gardening questions? Email us.

Ensuring your garden is set for success

Our vegetable seedlings struggling with the heat have certainly benefitted from all the rain over the last month.

If you have not already put stakes or supports up for tomatoes, pole beans, etc. now is the time to do so to prevent damage. Long twigs from tree pruning, bamboo canes and tomato cages work well. With animals searching for tasty meals, plant protection may also be necessary at this time. Chicken wire can work well, secured in the ground by stakes and even tent pegs.

Plants that deter some animals are marigolds, salvia, lavender and catnip and can encourage pollinators to visit.

Here are some tips and tricks to follow:

• It is not too late to get started on growing food - you can still purchase seedlings.
• If you seeded peppers and eggplant indoors, now is the time to plant them outdoors.
• Seeds for long-season beans and peas can be planted now to the end of July.
• Garlic scrapes will be ready for harvest very shortly.
• Add compost to soil to enrich it, mulch surrounding areas and pathways to discourage weeds.
• Keep your plants well watered as temperatures rise – water early in the morning or the evening to avoid the hottest part of the day. Avoid wetting the leaves.

Remember to enjoy your garden and watch it grow!

Contributed by Carole Spraggett, Brampton Horticultural Society