Now that we're starting the second full week in May, it's time to get ready to plant your Victory Garden. Presumably, you've (a) determined the areas of your yard that get at least six to eight hours of sunlight; and (b) built a raised bed, or ensured that the soil for planting will promote plant growth, with nice texture, good drainage, and a nice dark colour that indicates the presence of lots of nutrients. You should also be prepared to hang netting to protect the new growth from being eaten by birds, rabbits, etc.

I. From Seed - or From a Nursery/Garden Centre?

As with all living things, the most vulnerable time for a plant is in its early stages. If you're brand new to gardening and want to increase your odds of success, your best option is to choose plants that are already growing nicely, in pots, ready for transplanting into your garden. You'll find these at your garden centre - and we encourage you to support local-owned businesses, especially if you are planting perennials such as shrubs and trees. Your local greenhouse knows best what not only grows here, but also what grows best. You can rely on them for good advice. You should have no problem finding tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, hot peppers and a host of other well-established plants.

You'll also find several fruit plants, and fruit trees, at your garden centre. Strawberries are a good choice, but try to find "day-neutral", as these will produce throughout the season. Raspberries are good if you have the room, but they love to spread. Rather than struggle with trying to grow blueberries (there's a reason why we don't have any "u-pick" blueberry operations in Saskatchewan!), plant haskaps (also called "honeyberries") instead. They're the same colour and about the same size as blueberries, but elongated. Most importantly, the best haskaps have been developed right here by the U of S - such as tundra and Borealis; they're very hardy and productive!

Some vegetables are best grown by direct seeding into your garden, and won't be found in pots at a garden centre. Carrots, corn and lettuce are the most common. Before you even buy the seeds, take the time to carefully read the back of the packets. Take note of the time needed from planting to harvest, keeping in mind our growing season.

Potatoes can be grown in "grow-bags" using seed potatoes.

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II. Planting

Let's start with seeds. Generally, seeds should be planted to a depth of twice the width of the seed - but again, follow the directions on the seed package. It's not an exact science, but a good thing to remember is that a seed planted too shallow has a better chance than a seed planted too deep. You can sometimes buy "seed tapes" which neatly space out the seeds for you. Otherwise, especially with very small seeds, take advantage of the fact that you have way more seeds than you actually need, so sew in plenty - then thin them out (i.e. remove excess plants, leaving just the right amount of healthy seedlings) once they've started coming up. After you've planted, lightly water and keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Once a day should do it. Don't forget to record what you've seeded and where! People often use popsicle sticks. We sometimes just code the sticks and then record  in a journal what we've planted and when. That will help us decide in future years what best to plant in our garden.

There's no law that says you have to plant seeds in a row, but it makes it easier to weed between rows, and for new gardeners it is easier to be sure that what's growing is not a weed. However, if you want to be adventurous, you can sew seeds and mix plants as you desire, but check out various online sources about "companion planting" to see some well-proven combinations. Nature doesn't grow things in a row, and all sorts of plants live in harmony. They can do the same in your yard.

For plants you buy in pots from a garden centre, the most important step is the first: hardening off. Sudden change in conditions can have very adverse effects on plants. Plants raised in the protective environment of a greenhouse need some time to acclimate to outdoor conditions. Some plants are more sensitive than others, but a general rule is to just put them out in the pots for a few hours during the day for a few days, bringing them into your home in the evening), before permanently planting them. For directions on planting, here's a brief video of Debbie repotting tomatoes. Her advice on our R&D Garden Services YouTube channel applies just as well to installing plants in your garden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkqqjmR1WW4&t=120s

For more advice, including plant recommendations, visit www.gardening.usask.ca

Here's wishing you every success!