Common Calendar Dates for Planting in Ontario
Often we teach or are taught the date, but not the why behind it. This oversimplifies gardening and leaves out key information that has the potential of leading to great gardening successes. So why do we plant on the May 24 weekend in Southern Ontario?
Why do we plant on May 24?
Frost Dates. Except that frost dates have changed over the years, but because many gardeners do not know the “why” behind May 24, they continue to hold this weekend as official planting time.
We dive into frost dates more in depth here.
Why are seeds started on St. Patrick’s Day?
Our first and last frost dates dictate the length of our growing season. Plants that require more days then our growing season, require starting indoors. Many seeds require an additional 6-8 weeks. Counting back from Mid-May (previous last frost), 8 weeks lands us on St. Patrick’s day.
As a general rule of thumb, this date works but applying a blanket rule to all seeds might leave a gardener struggling with leggy plants started too soon, and others that didn’t get germinated early enough. You may miss out on prime growing season for cold hardy crops, since our ‘spring’ is a very short window.
Putting the spice in Valentines Day.
A lesser known date, but another common association is Valentine’s Day and starting peppers. These usually require an additional 10-12 weeks of growing time which lands right around, Valentine’s Day! There are other crops that can use starting at this point as well:
So when should you plant your vegetable garden? We cover that here.
It is my goal with Buying Thyme to connect the community to nature and practice sustainability practices so we can better our patch of the ecosystem. Our flowers invite you to slow down, savor simple joys, and celebrate the beauty of the seasons wherever you take them, but our blog teaches you how you can apply everything we have learned, on your own property! For our Southern Ontario specific gardening tips make sure to peruse our other blog articles here.
Buying Thyme is your local source for seasonal, sustainably grown flowers. Visit our flower stand where we offer locally gown, cut flowers, to Durham Region. All grown right here on our North Oshawa/Hampton micro flower farm.
Unlike most florists offerings, these flowers have a negative carbon footprint with no transportation, sprays or pesticides. Each year our collection of Ontario native plants grows, which not only offers more beautiful flowers to our clients but also contributes to restoring the local ecosystem.
To learn more about our floristry services and products or to visit the flower stand click here.
