cold-climate-gardening

I went back to the old garden today to dig up some plants, and noticed freeze damage on many plants. It is surprising what gets knocked back and what doesn't. Most of the lilies looked fine, but the asparagus that was about the length of my finger last week was mush this week. My Camassia [...]

The new hardiness map put out by the USDA is not going to help you at all if you've been gardening in the same spot for any length of time with your eyes open and your mind engaged. Let's face it: common sense and experience will trump aggregated data every time. It doesn't matter what [...]

If, in the middle of winter, you had told me my last frost this spring was going to occur on May 6th, I would have said, "Har-de-har-har" in my most sarcastic voice. But that is what happened. Furthermore, that lone frost of 29F (-1.7C) occurred after a string of frost-free weather stretching all the way [...]

Once I had a visiting friend comment, “Everyone is so hospitable (here); I’ve never seen such smiley people”. I’ve realized it’s probably because we know something that the others don’t, and I think it’s time to break my silence. As much as we like the sun, heading out in shorts and t-shirts when it gets [...]

I was just reading Graham Rice's musings on plants that grow in the coldest climates. He observed that the resources he consulted did not agree on which plants were tough enough to take USDA zone 2. If you've been gardening for any length of time (which of course Graham has), this won't surprise you. First, [...]

Seeds of vegetables grown in cold climates need to have a short length to maturity and an ability to tolerate cooler than typical temperatures--day and night. You can look in any general seed catalog for terms like "short growing season," "early-bearing," "tolerates cool evenings," or even the magic words, "especially bred for northern growers." It's [...]

Low of 44F this morning. Yes, this is July. No, not Siberia, or Alaska. Tomatoes prefer 55F-75F at night. Peppers will not set fruit if temperatures drop into the low 40sF. And eggplants? Pollen production is curtailed when temps fall below 55F. But we can eat peas in July!

I hate to admit it to you Southerners, but when the snow melts, what it invariably reveals is…a mess. I'm not just talking about the dead vegetation that needs to be cut back. There's human-made messes that ought to be dealt with, too. But let's talk about the plants first. Cut back and clear out [...]

Mud season has finally arrived. As I have had more contact with gardeners in other climates, I've come to realize that certain aspects of my climate are completely foreign to them, so I thought I'd explain mud season for those who have never encountered it. It will sound pretty elementary to my fellow cold climate [...]