The Garden Calendar - theHumm May 2021

By David Hinks

During the second week of April, daily high temperatures were averaging 20 degrees and more — folks on Facebook were clamouring to get out in their gardens and plant — I even saw questions about planting tomatoes in the garden. Fast forward to snow on April 21 and folks were asking if they need to cover up their spring bulbs. Certainly one hallmark of spring weather is its volatility.

It seems to me that this year is an indicator that the timing of many of the things that we observe in our gardens is changing. Phenology (not to be confused with phrenology) is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate. Examples include the date of emergence of leaves and flowers, the first flight of butterflies, the first appearance of migratory birds, the date of leaf colouring and fall in deciduous trees, and the dates of egg-laying of birds. Observations by citizen scientists help track these changes and relate them to climate change — your observations are important particularly if they have been made over many years.

Much as we gardeners would like to think that climate change will bring more benign growing conditions, the reality is much more likely to be more extreme temperature swings and volatility, and a higher probability of drought. Facing these challenges, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of trying to match the growing requirements of plants with the expected weather conditions in the growing season.

The first concept to master is that some vegetables prefer cool conditions and have resistance to frost while others need hot conditions and are very vulnerable to frost. For cool-loving plants think greens, the onion family, and cabbage and its many relatives. For heat-loving think tomatoes, peppers, and vine crops such as squash and cucumbers.

Another very important consideration is soil moisture. Virtually all vegetables require a minimum of an inch of moisture a week. I may well be proven wrong, but I like to think that root crops in particular planted early in spring are better able to capitalize on spring melt and not be as vulnerable to mid-summer droughts.

For all you Royalists, I regret to report that Victoria Day is not sacred and you should not hold off and plant all of your garden on the May 2–4 weekend! In fact, long before Victoria Day over half of my vegetable garden is planted. By then I am even harvesting and eating some of the early crops such as lettuce, radish and spinach.

The Victoria Day rule for planting the garden in our area is still an important one for heat-loving and frost-sensitive plants such as peppers, eggplant, basil, pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. However, there are a large number of vegetables that can be planted in the garden as early as the first week of April. Some years I have planted peas, onions, lettuce and spinach as early as the last week of March. This year I planted carrots April 13, onion sets April 14, and potatoes April 17.

An early start is essential for plants that do not tolerate heat. Our Ottawa Valley spring can be incredibly short, with snow still on the ground at the end of April and 30-degree temperatures by late May. Some plants such as peas, broccoli, cabbage and turnip grow quickly in cool temperatures and practically stop growing in the heat of the summer. Lettuce and spinach will “bolt” — that is, produce flowers — when temperatures climb above 20°C, resulting in bitter unpalatable leaves.

Onions and garlic are a special case. They need cool weather to produce the foliage which will provide energy for the bulbs that start forming when day length begins to shorten in late June. Garlic is very hardy, and I plant it in mid-to-late October for the next year’s crop — it emerges in mid-April and grows rapidly in cooler weather. For their early growth, onions prefer cool weather conditions and plenty of moisture.

Frost-hardy vegetables such as lettuce, onions, peas and spinach can be planted outdoors as soon as the ground can be worked, often by mid-April in the Ottawa Valley. Semi-frost-hardy vegetables such as beets, carrots, chard and potatoes are best planted in late April or early May as they germinate slowly in cold soil. This year I am taking a chance with carrots and potatoes as the very warm weather in early April warmed the soil considerably. An extremely early crop of carrots and potatoes is of much more value to me than a late crop when commercial growers are practically giving them away.

So, what happens if the weather turns really nasty? Onions, peas and spinach take frost and snow in their stride as do our spring blooms — no need to cover them.

Within our yards the spot where the snow melts first may well be a favourable micro-climate and a great spot for a super-early start. Raised beds and well-drained soil assist an early start by warming up much faster. In order to determine if soil is workable, take a handful and squeeze — if it stays together in a ball it is still too wet; if it crumbles it is ready. Time to get out and get planting!

Jennifer Anne Kelly — The Glass is Way More than Half-Full - theHumm May 2021

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

Last month our featured artist was Inuk jeweller and sculptor Kaajuk Kablalik, and our April cover featured a stunning glass qajaq in addition to his distinctive jewellery. The two-year qajaq project was the result of a fortuitous series of coincidences facilitated by Mississippi Mills glass artist Jennifer Anne Kelly, whom we first featured in October of 2012. When we learned that Kelly will soon be relocating to Ottawa — the “Big City” — we wanted to cele......

The Garden Calendar - theHumm May 2021