Honeyberries, Pests and the Long Weekend

Well, one of our more exciting new crops are Honeyberries (or Haskaps).  These are wonderful bushes that produce fruit that looks like a long blueberry at about this time of year.  They are a cross between a Russian and a Japanese Honeysuckle created at the University of Saskatchewan.  A great addition to any garden.  We carry them at the garden centre and they are a big hit.

Pests - well these are popping up in greenhouses now of course.  Aphids mostly.  For these you can spray a teaspoon of soap in a litre of water - as a preventative measure.  Otherwise ladybugs are the way to go.  We will be taking reservations for these soon.

You may also get a nasty looking white powdery stuff on your plants - rosemary is quite susceptible for some reason.  Mix 1 part milk to 3 parts water and spray.  Make sure you have good ventilation.  The milk solution has been my go-to for years and works very well, even in commercial sized greenhouse spaces.

The long weekend is here and for some, this is a late and nasty spring.   If you are worried that you are missing the window to plants tomatoes, peppers, cukes and the like, don't.  It is better to plant a weak or two later when you are sure it is warm than to plant now in a cold climate and set the plants back (arrest their growth).   We have plenty of seedlings at our shop - so come see us for heirloom varieties of vegetables.

Have a great long weekend.