As the weather warms up, those of us with green thumbs immediately look to our outdoor spaces and dream of lush summer gardens.
One of the biggest trends in terms of planting is vegetables and herbs, as many of us are increasingly thinking about where our food comes from. Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and lettuces are among the vegetables we can grow in this Canadian climate, and for those with smaller outdoor spaces, for instance condo balconies, potted herbs are an option.
As CityLine’s resident gardening expert Frank Ferragine observes, we don’t want to go too gung-ho on planting too early in the year. Mind your region’s last frost date, and know that it’s a best guess and not set in stone (see list below). The last thing you want is to put your delicate plants in the ground only to have late-season frost set in.
If you’d like to grow vegetables, make notes on what kind of light you have — most vegetable plants, especially warm-crop vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, need a good six hours of direct light in a day. If you’re not getting that much, you might consider planting herbs instead, which generally don’t need as much sunlight.
You don’t need a lot of space to plant vegetables — a square metre will provide you with a decent amount of growing room. But make sure to pick a good quality soil for your veggies. And use your common sense and plant what you like to eat. It’s true that both zucchini and mint tend to grow quite easily in most conditions, but if you’re a fan of neither one, what’s the point?
When planting, plant a bit deeper than the pot the plant comes in, so that the base of the stem is under the soil and is able to set down roots.
Frank also suggests we be aware of what we’re planting and where — tall plants should be planted in the eastern part of your garden, shorter plants in the western part. This ensures the shorter plants aren’t robbed of light. For more advice from Frank, click on the video below.
Last Frost Dates across Canada:
Halifax – May 6
Toronto – May 9
Winnipeg – May 26
Calgary – May 23
Vancouver – March 28
Courtesy Environment Canada