Amelia Bellamy-Royds Feb 13

Last week was the start of gardening season here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (sort of)

I filled up a bunch of trays (mostly old clear plastic egg cartons) with potting soil last Wednesday, when the outdoor temperatures were close to 10°C. Didn't actually get the seeds into the trays until last Friday. They're now on the shelf in front of the big south-facing window, except for a couple that I've left on the porch to experience a week of day-night thaw-freeze cycles (which help trigger germination in some plants that are native to places with cold winters).

The chrysanthemums were the first seedlings up & at 'em, 4 days after planting. But a week in there are now lots of little growing green things heralding spring.

Outdoors, real winter temperatures are due to return next week (highs in the minus teens, lows in the minus 20s). We're still nearly 2 months from any outdoor gardening — I usually get peas, spinach, and radish seeds into the sunniest garden in late March or early April.

#garden #YEGgarden

Show threadOlga Lovick (she/her)
@AmeliasBrain Man, Edmonton is tropical compared to us. I start seeds in the first week of April. Outdoor gardening not before May.
Feb 13 at 7:53pmWeb
Show threadAmelia Bellamy-Royds Feb 13

@transitionalaspect It depends on the seeds: how fast they grow & how much frost they can take in spring. (see my follow-up post) This was a bit of a late start for me, sometimes I'll get the smallest seeds in dirt mid-January.

For outdoors, planting time depends on a mix of weather & microclimates around the garden, but the three veggies I mentioned can all take some freezes, so they go in as soon as the ground is thawed. I have enough seeds of those to replant if they do get killed off by an extreme spring cold snap.

Show threadOlga Lovick (she/her)Feb 13

@AmeliasBrain the only things I do from seed are vegetables; everything else is perennials in my garden (or things that self-seed with or without my blessing).

Even removing last year's growth can't happen before late April if I don't want to kill everything that's been overwintering in the litter.

You're just that much more protected by the mountains... Envious.