FAQ
How do I know when to water my plants?
Water needs vary based on soil, weather, and plants. In early stages of growth or during high temperature conditions, it is recommended to water plants a few times in the week. Signs of overwatering are indicated by yellowing leaves. Signs of under watering are indicated by browning leaves.
Why are seeds treated?
Certain seed types like corn, peas, and brassica, are more susceptible to rot. Such seeds are treated to prevent rot before germination. You may notice a coating on the seed and this coating is safe and will not affect your garden.
If you see a warning saying not to use the seed as food- it just means to not eat the seed itself. The plants are safe for consumption!
What zone am I in? What can I grow in my zone?
Zone Map
All of our perishable items (such as trees, shrubs, and bulbs) are zone hardy to zone 2, meaning they can withstand the average winter temperatures without impact (exception: figs). This means long as you are zone 2 or higher, you can grow everything else in the catalogue.
What am I to expect in my perishable order?
Your perishable order will contain your chosen root stock, bulbs, or corms, which have been put into dormancy and will produce new growth once planted. We have two great blog posts on this topic!
Dormant stock 101 and What to Expect When Ordering Perishables.
When and with what do I fertilize? What do the numbers mean?
The numbers on a fertilizer indicate their level of nutrients.
For example: 10-52-17 Nitrogen — Phosphorus – Potassium
What you fertilize with is dependent on what you are growing, generally, your middle number should be the highest for newly planted plants and trees or average growing. Corn for example likes high nitrogen but tomatoes like high potassium. Blueberries need high acid but this would ruin your vegetable garden. In most cases, fertilizing every two weeks from planting until August is acceptable. Cease fertilizing during extreme heat.
When is my order arriving?
We ship live plants, seedlings, bare roots and shrubs all across Canada and focus on making sure you receive them in great condition. To accomplish this we follow a schedule that is impacted by our local and your regional weather to avoid extreme cold, extreme heat or extreme variation. We monitor the weather very closely and generally ship orders earlier to southern areas and later to northern areas and territories. See chart here for more details.
Heirloom vs Hybrid?
Heirloom seed is seed from plants that are open pollinated and carry characteristics that are true to the first generation/parent. These cultivars have been grown and passed down for generations. Hybrid varieties are produced by the crossing of two purebred parents. Increased vigor, size, and disease resistance are major characteristics and results of this type of plant.