Want to grow your own organic vegetables?

From NEWS CANADA

Growing your own vegetables is a fun and rewarding experience  that can improve your health and save you money – but it does take time and care.

Mike Wylie, merchant for live goods at The Home Depot Canada, has some tips to help you find the right spot to plant your veggies and protect your plants throughout the season.

Plan it out. If you don’t have an existing garden space, mark the shape with string and remove your sod to expose the soil. 

Start off with a small space; one of the biggest mistakes first-time gardeners make is planning an area that’s too large to maintain. When you have success in your first attempt with a small garden, it’s easy to expand.

Pick a spot that gets as much sun as possible. You need at least six hours each day. You’ll have to water your vegetable and herb garden regularly, so close proximity to a water spigot is ideal, whether you use a garden hose or watering can.

Remove rocks from the soil. Remove any rocks or debris from your soil and enrich it with at least two inches of Nature’s Care Organic Garden Soil. This will help stimulate root growth and ensure that you get the very best produce in your garden.

Plant your vegetable or herb seedlings. Keep in mind how big your plants will grow, and make sure to space out your plants accordingly.

Feed and water. To maximize growth, feed your garden with an organic and natural vegetable food every two months and water as needed. Water in the early morning until the soil is moist but not soggy. Remember to keep watering as needed and remove weeds when necessary.

New Lyme disease risk areas identified in Peel region

Spring is a beautiful season to spend time in parks and green spaces across the Region of Peel. 

While outdoors, residents are reminded that a little prevention can go a long way to protect oneself from being bitten by ticks which may carry Lyme disease.

With the increase in outdoor temperatures and people being outside in wooded areas, the possibility of being bitten by a tick also increases. 

Based on emerging data, Public Health Ontario has identified two new estimated risk areas for Lyme disease in Peel region. 

The estimated risk areas, covering Mississauga, Caledon and most of Brampton, are defined as wooded or brushy areas within a 20 km radius of locations where blacklegged ticks were found during tick dragging activities.

“Cases of Lyme disease remain relatively uncommon in Peel,” said Dr. Lawrence Loh, Associate Medical Officer of Health at The Region of Peel - Public Health. “But for those enjoying some time outdoors, it would be wise to take a few minutes to learn how to protect themselves against possible exposure to ticks carrying the disease.”

Prevent tick bites this spring with these tips:

Apply insect repellent containing DEET or IIcaridin to exposed skin and clothing.

Wear long-sleeved shirts that fit tightly around the wrist and long-legged pants tucked into socks or closed shoes or boots.

Wear light-coloured clothing to make it easier to see if ticks land on clothing.

Check clothing and body, especially around the groin, armpit, and on the scalp regularly for ticks after outdoor activities and remove attached ticks immediately.

Shower or bathe within two  hours to wash away loose ticks.

It’s important to note that not all ticks or bites are automatically a risk. Lyme disease is contracted only through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick followed by prolonged attachment of at least 24 hours. Symptoms of Lyme disease can arise between three and 30 days of a bite and include rash, fever, chills, headache and fatigue. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to stopping the disease from progressing. Residents concerned that they may have experienced a prolonged tick bite or who are showing symptoms should see their family doctor.

If you have been bitten by a tick and were able to collect it, you may drop it off at one of the three Region of Peel locations listed below. Submitted ticks are identified and blacklegged ticks are sent for testing for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Service Peel, 7120 Hurontario St., Mississauga; 

Service Peel, 10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton; 

Town of Caledon, Administration Building, 6311 Old Church Rd., Caledon East. 

Peel Public Health’s comprehensive approach to controlling Lyme disease include tick surveillance, investigation of reported human cases of Lyme disease, education of residents on measures to prevent tick bites, and education of local health care providers and physicians.

For more info, visit www.peelregion.ca or call 905-799-7700.