Victoria Day weekend: gardening tips for Montrealers

CBC News | Posted: May 23, 2016 10:00 AM | Last Updated: May 23, 2016

Good soil, plenty of water and maintenance go a long way for any garden

Image | Teresa amorosa

Caption: Teresa Amorosa, the manager of the West Island Nursery, has tips for all Montreal gardeners. (CBC)

Spring has finally arrived in Montreal just in time for the long Victoria Day weekend and for gardeners across the city.

Teresa Amorosa, the manager of the West Island Nursery, has tips for all Montrealers planning on adding vegetables and plants to their garden.

"The better your vegetables are nourished and treated, the better you will harvest in the fall," Amorosa said.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind if you are headed out to your rooftop terrace, backyard oasis or community garden this weekend.

Choose quality soil
Image | Lettuces
Caption: Good soil helps nourish plants and vegetables. (Markus Schwabe/CBC)

Gardeners should opt for the best soil and this is especially true for vegetable gardens, Amorosa said.

If you have the choice between regular black soil and triple mix soil, it's best to choose the latter.

"I always prefer the triple mix because it's more balanced," Amorosa said. "Everything is about balance."

She also recommends mixing it with compost for a healthy garden.

Most gardeners are ambitious but it's best to take space, time and budget into account.

"It's overwhelming," Amorosa said. "People come in and they want to do everything."

Amorosa suggests that all gardeners measure how much room they have for their gardens. She recommends taking time to consider what fits.

It may seem like a simple tip, but a little bit of water goes a long way for any kind of garden.

"It's so important to water the base of your vegetables and not the leaves with a sprinkler," Amorosa said.

"Too much moisture on the leaves causes fungal problems and we don't want that."

One of the easiest ways to ensure a happy, healthy garden is to use fertilizer.

"We like to use natural fertilizers as well as a chemical but we amend it continuously with the natural," Amorosa said.