By Patricia J. Lucey - February, 2026

Resources

Book: Eliot Coleman: ”The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition.”

Book: Sara Chisholm Ryder, editor: “The Organic Backyard.” Published by Canadian Organic Growers, and available through Shopify

Video: MIGardener Channel
NOTE: Luke Marion is gardening in St. Clair, Michigan (USDA Zone 6a/b, comparable to the area around London - Hamilton, Ontario)

Video: GrowVeg Channel
NOTE: Benedict Vanheems is gardening in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, UK (comparable to USDA Zone 8b-9a - southeastern states and Pacific coast)

Video: How to Grow a lot of Food in a Small Garden - 9 EZ tips  
NOTE: Patrick Dolan gardens in the Chicago, Illinois area, USDA Zone 5b, comparable to the area around London - Hamilton, Ontario

Video: You Only Need 1m2 (10ft2) To Grow a Huge Amount of Food.
NOTE: Huw Richards gardens in Wales, in Zones 8 and 9, similar to US Pacific coastal zones.

Video Series: Soil Food Web

Video: Anaerobic Composting - How Does It Work?

Video: Worm Composting: How to Make a Wormery

NOTE: The videos I have recommended above are all produced by gardeners who live in hardiness zones which are warmer than Ottawa's. They have excellent growing advice to share, but of course their planting calendars differ from ours. In the following links, I've included the Farmers Almanac Spring and Fall Planting Guide for Ottawa, which I've found to be very useful in setting up my own calendar dates, crop by crop

Links:
Farmers Almanac Ottawa Spring and Fall Planting Guide for 2026
Good general article on Soil
Good article about Humus
Canadian Organic standards
Ottawa-Gatineau Agricultural Soil Map
Rodale Institute Organic Farming Practices
Welcome to Crop IPM

PDF Link: P. Lucey - Feb 2026 OHS