Victoria Day weekend: gardening tips for Montrealers

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

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

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

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

Choose quality soil

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.

Plan ahead

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

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

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

Don't forget to use water, carefully

It may seem like a simple tip, but a little bit of watergoes 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."

Take good care of your stock

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.