Dear Helen: Is it too late to plant garlic?
S.L.
It’s not too late, but do plant as soon as possible, to give the cloves time to establish strong root systems in the cooling soil, before freezing weather arrives.
October is the traditional garlic planting month, though in recent years mid-September through mid-October has become the preferred planting period. I aim for the third week in September. That timing has produced an excellent garlic harvest in the past five years.
Dear Helen: I was intrigued by the tall white Nicotiana (flowering tobacco) in your Thanksgiving column. I cannot find a source for the seeds. Can you help?
F.A.
Among the sources that I know of, only two list Nicotiana sylvestris, but they use common names for the plant. William Dam Seeds lists it as Tall White. Florabunda Seeds, which specializes in heritage flowers and vegetables, lists it as Woodland Tobacco. Both are seed companies in Ontario, owned and operated by generations of growers who came to Canada from Holland.
Dear Helen: As the weather cooled, rather rapidly, at summer’s end, my partner and I engaged in a “discussion” over when the last ripe and ripening tomatoes should be brought into the house. Are there any clear guidelines for this?
C.E.
Overnight low temperatures are a guide on when to bring indoors usable tomatoes left on plants in the open garden. Just as, in spring, tomato transplanting is safely done only when night temperatures no longer dip below 10 C, temperatures below that mark bring the possibility of deterioration in tomatoes still on the vines.
This year was tricky. The sweltering hot summer turned cool rather abruptly. By the end of August and in early September I was already recording overnight lows of 10 and 11 C. By the beginning of October, they were dipping consistently well below 10 C.
Though conditions in different parts of the Island, and even in individual gardens, can vary widely in degrees of shelter and warmth, generally speaking an earlier than usual harvesting of the last tomatoes was called for this year. Cold temperatures can cause deterioration in the texture and flavour of tomatoes.
Dear Helen: In the spring I had a bad infestation of little green winter moth worms on some of my trees. This fall I hope to prevent a repeat of the infestation by applying sticky bands to the tree trunks. It’s my understanding that the gluey material traps the flightless female moths as they proceed up the trunks of deciduous trees to lay eggs on the branches. When should I apply the sticky bands?
B.L.
Soon after mid-October is ideal for putting sticky traps in place, but it’s far from too late. The moths are active from late October to the end of January, The eggs hatch into small green caterpillars in late March and early April. Winter moth commonly targets fruit trees, Garry oaks, birch and other deciduous trees.
The sticky material, such as Tanglefoot, is not applied directly onto the trunks. It is spread over the upper area of waterproof parcel tape or plastic food wrap secured around a trunk, high enough to be out of reach of pets. Replace the bands as they become full of moths and debris. After February, they can be taken off the trees. Commercial tree band kits are available.
Harvest festival. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich, is hosting its Annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Families are invited to come and explore the gardens, plant a bulb, make a bird feeder, take a walk to learn about fall bird migration, and explore the facts about bats. Fee is $25 per group. Details and registration at hcp.ca, or register by phone: 250-479-6162. HCP is open during the fall and winter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday.
Gordon Head meeting. The Gordon Head Garden Club will met via Zoom on Monday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. Amy Sanderson from Stellata Plants will speak about Expanding the Mediterranean Plant Palette. For Zoom link information, contact delciemclellan@shaw.ca. Though membership in the club is encouraged, there is no charge for non-members and visitors.
Wreath workshops. Russell Nursery, 1370 Wain Rd. in North Saanich, is offering holiday wreath workshops. The classes fill quickly. See the schedule and details at russellnursery.com/classes.
