Success with Seeds – Seminar
Interested in learning more about starting plants from seeds? Expert Brian Minter is holding a seminar this Saturday on the topic:
“Starting plants from seeds is a breeze once you know the basics. Brian shares his expertise on how to start seeds, prepare your garden and transplant seedlings and advises on the best soils and media to use. Please call 604.792.6612 to register. Minter Country Garden”
Need to add nutrients to your garden plot? Pre-order Denbow’s VeggieZone™ soil today!
Our VeggieZone™ soil will help you grow your best vegetables ever. Specifically formulated for vegetable gardens, it is fine and rich in organic matter – and your vegetables will thrive. Ask for it by name.
Fresh mulch for spring landscaping
Spring is definitely in the air here in the beautiful Fraser Valley! At Denbow, that means we are busy building our stock by processing fresh piles of mulch.
What are the benefits of mulching landscape beds? Most of us hate pulling weeds – and mulching at 2-3″ depth every other year will help keep those pesky weeds under control. But did you know that mulching also helps retain moisture for your plants as well as maintain a better temperature for your plants? By mulching in the spring, you’re preparing for hot summer weather. The mulch will keep the soil cooler during extremely hot weather. Mulch also protects the soil from eroding and depleting. And of course, your landscape looks tidy, vibrant and beautiful!
Available in Black or Red, coloured mulch is the best choice for weed control and longer lasting colour. Made in-house for best quality, ask for it delivered bulk, blown-in or stop by our yard with your pickup truck.
Mulch – A Gardeners Best Friend
A QUICK PRIMER ON MULCH – Gardener’s Best Friend
Source: Master Gardeners Association of BC
“Plants feed from the soil, and mulch develops the kind of soil that makes healthy plants. When we force our plants to rely on fertilizer rather than healthy soil for food, they become stressed from forced growing, incorrect balance of nutrients, and drought at the air-soil barrier. Relying on fertilizer is like relying on candy for nutrition: a short-term buzz, but a long-term problem.
There are four aspects in gardening. Mulch addresses the improvement of all of them.
1. The SOIL
- Improves structure (i.e. balance of sand, organic materials, bio-available minerals)
- Controls moisture levels. Studies show moisture retention at 6, 18, and 36 inches is higher with mulch than without. Highest moisture is at 6 inches, where most of feeding and delicate roots are found.
- Improves drainage as well as movement of water
- Prevents erosion and compaction of soil
- Moderates temperature
2. The PLANTS
- Provides nutrients as it slowly composts, giving your plants a season-long feeding.
3. The LANDSCAPE
- Directly suppresses pathogens and pests
- Enhances and feeds beneficial organisms
- Neutralizes pollutants (from studies on land reclamation in Washington State, and Stanley Park’s Lost Lagoon in Vancouver)
4. HUMANS
- Economic: recycles organic materials so it is less costly to maintain landscape, conserves water, decreases need for pesticides
- Aesthetic: provides a uniform, clean, tended look to your landscape
- Ease of application: throw it down, walk away
- Ease of weeding: mulch kills many weeds. The more vigorous ones that sometimes grow through it are easy to pull because they have little in the soil below. Weeds that propagate by root runnners move up into the mulch so are easily pulled out to their full length.”
