More info: Gardening Events Schedule 2012

Spring Planting Timeline

    It is the time of the year when many new gardeners begin wondering when they should start their gardens. I have been receiving inquiries: "I am looking for information on planting dates for this region",  "When do I start a vegetable garden in the Kootenays?", "When can I plant my garden in Trail  BC?".

    The answer to those questions is: it depends.

    First of all it depends on what gardening zone you live in. The Kootenays is a very big area geographically, with plant hardiness zones ranging from 0 to 6 and planting times different in every zone.
    You will also have to know what is the last expected spring frost date for your location?
    What and where you want to grow? In the garden, in the greenhouse?
    Have you been thinking of starting some of your plants indoors?
    What kind of soil do you have in your garden? Is it clayey or is it sandy?

    The answer to the big question "WHEN?" depends on all this.

    It is not a scope of this article to answer the question in every detail, it would take a whole book.

    Here are just most basic guidelines for a start:

    - Hardiness zone. To find out what plant hardiness zone you live in click on the link above (gardening zone) or go to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada  Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada for information on hardiness in your particular location. Knowing your hardiness zone will help you decide what you can plant in your garden. The seeds of the common vegetables and flowers that you can buy in your local stores are usually ok. Pay attention to the information on the package: are they annual or may be perennial? This will tell you how to deal with them. Look for the information on the package when to sow. When you go to the local garden centre to buy perennials, shrubs or trees watch for the information about their hardiness on the label attached to the plant, you will almost always find it there. If not, ask. Buy only those that are hardy enough for your location. 

    -  The last expected spring frost date. Now when you know what you can plant in your gardening zone you will have to find out when to plant. When to start plants indoors or outdoors depends first of all on the last expected spring frost date for your location. It also depends on the speed of germination and the speed of growth of the plant. Many herbs need a long time to start sprouting. Others may take their time to grow.
The last spring frost date is related to your gardening zone but can vary within any given zone. The best way to find the date is by asking your closest neighbours gardeners, or your garden club members. They are those who know the best. They will also tell you what is the first expected fall frost date in your location. You will find this information very useful later on.

    When thinking of when to plant (supposing you already know your hardiness zone and the last spring frost date for your location), you have to consider two groups of plants that can be grown in our area:

    1. Those that are frost hardy or at least will tolerate some frost

    2. Those that will not tolerate any frost.

    Plants that belong to the first category:
    Trees and shrubs
    Perennial flowers and herbs
    Carrots, Parsnips, Leeks, Beets, Turnips, Celery, Cabbage family (they are all biennial)
    Peas, Broad Beans, many varieties of Lettuce, Spinach, Radish are annual, but belong here, too.
    They can, and usually should be, started earlier than the category two, before the last frost date, either indoors or directly in the garden. If started indoors the seedlings can be moved to the garden up to several weeks before the last spring frost date for the location. If sowed directly in the garden they usually should be sown as soon as the soil is workable but not earlier than 5 - 6 weeks before the date of the last frost.  In the same plant hardiness zone gardeners with warm, well draining, sandy soils usually can plant seeds or transplant indoor grown seedlings to the garden earlier than gardeners with cold, excessively wet, clayey soils. My last frost date is May 25. If my soil is workable I will start sowing directly in the garden usually in the middle of April.

    Most plants that are annual in our area belong to the second category. They are called “tender”. Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Melons, Beans and annual flowers belong here. They can, and some of them should be, started indoors before the last frost date, but the seedlings should never be transplanted to the garden before all danger of frost has passed. Seeds however can be sown outdoors a week or so before the expected last frost date for the area, since they need time to germinate before emerging above the soil surface, exposing themselves to sub-zero temperatures. Exactly when to sow depends on the kind of soil in your garden and on the speed of germination.  Having a warm, sandy soil, I usually take the risk and sow my tender vegetables about 2 weeks before the last frost date hoping that there will be no late frost this spring. It is always possible to repeat the sowing in case of bad luck. Cucumbers and Beans I usually sow directly in the garden. Tomatoes and Peppers I always start indoors.

    Here is a simple timetable showing when to start indoors and later plant in the garden the most commonly cultivated vegetables:

Planting Chart     Plant weeks before the last frost date   weeks after the last frost date

12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1   1 2 Perennial herbs ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____           Broccoli   ____ ____ ____ ____ ____           Cabbage   ____ ____ ____ ____ ____             Cauliflower . . . . . . ____ ____ ____ ____ ____           Onions ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____             Eggplant . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____   ____ Early Lettuce . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ____           Peppers . . . . . . . . . ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____   Tomatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____     Cucumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ____     Muskmelons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____   ____ Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ____

indicates when to start your plant in-doors

indicates when to transplant the seedling to the garden

    It is a good idea to follow the planting outdoors dates even if you don't want to bother with growing your own seedlings. The dates are safe enough to follow, but the weather can be capricious so they can never be one hundred percent safe.

    Light, sandy soils dry out and warm up quicker than heavy clayey soils. You may consider planting  a little earlier in sandy soils (I usually do), but it is wise to wait a little longer with planting in a cold, wet, clayey soil.
In any case do not wait too long with your planting. Remember, the days start getting shorter already on the 20^th day of June!

    Some gardeners take the risk and plant their seedlings earlier then recommended, some are more cautious. Some even sow their seeds in the fall, especially those who have light, warm, dry soils (the seeds will know when to sprout). I am always tempted to do so, but am usually too busy, or too tired, or both, in the fall to do that.
The same applies to the plant hardiness, some gardeners like to "push the zone" and plant in their gardens plants that are less hardy than recommended. It is a matter of personality and experience, I suppose.

top

Free Java Scripts The JavaScript Source