Growing Local
Saturday, January 21, 2012 @ 3:45 AM
I find that more people are becoming more active in what they eat and where it comes from. There is something called the 100 hundred mile diet which basically means that the food you eat comes within a 100 mile radius from your home. This would be very difficult in our climate but we can certainly help with this by purchasing local produce when in season or producing our own food in the garden.
There are many vegetables and even some fruits that can be grown very successfully in our northern climate. Growing your own fruits, vegetables and even herbs has many benefits.
Homegrown produce is much tastier and fresher then produce in the grocery store. You also know exactly what you are eating in regards to how it is grown. You can choose to grow completely organically or only use chemicals when they are needed. Gardening is also healthy for you in the fact that it is stress releasing as it allows you to get back in touch with nature and it is also good exercise.
Even though we live in a zone 3 climate and the variety of plants that can be grown here is limited we can still grow most of the vegetables quite easily. All the brassicas such as cauliflower, broccoli, kale, kohlrabbi, brussel sprouts, the different types of cabbages, enjoy cooler temperatures and so do very well in Prince George. Other vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, onions, can grow here with very little effort. It is easy to grow your own salads, by planting the different types of lettuce, greens, radishes, green onions, and even some herbs as these don’t need a long time to grow.
It is the length of time for growing things that can become a problem when growing a vegetable garden in Prince George as we have a very short growing season. Look for varieties that require a shorter amount of time to maturity as these will do better.
Varieties that require a longer growing period can be grown here but they are better started as transplants and then planted outdoors giving them a head start. Some vegetables such as heat loving plants that do not handle any frost can be a bit of challenge to grow. Corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, eggplant, can be grown in Prince George but they will need extra protection when temperatures go below freezing.
Fruit can also be grown in Prince George. There is a number of apple trees that do very well and the apples they produce are a good size and very tasty. There are a few varieties of cherry trees, including new ones such as ‘cupid’, and ‘juliette’ that have proven themselves. Berries are another favourite and strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and recently honeyberries all have different varieties that produce large, tasty berries that grow well in Prince George.
Whether you have a lot of space for a garden and fruit trees, or very little space and are limited to a few pots on a patio, anyone can grow a few plants that can be eaten on their dinner table! This is the right time of year to do your research and see what varieties you would want to try, as staff at the garden centres have more time to answer questions.
-Jos
Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Garden Centres in Prince George:
· Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
· Highway 97 north at Northwood Pulpmill Road
Comments
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thats not too bright when u think about it. I know ppl who live like this and they do stupid things like buy six rolls of TP for five dollars when they could get 24 for ten dollars, they think they are saving money cause they spent only $5 but they dont understand they are keeping themselves in the poor house!!
anyways I wish I could grow food localy but I rent so no dice. also I have tried the veggies u can get from the farmers market and its always terrible! even in the summer. except for the sweet potatos they are good, they are smaller than the ones in saveon so it’s easier to cook up for one.
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