It's May 20 and it's time to start planting around here. Tonight it will freeze (minus 2) . Most nights now are 2 or 3 above zero. So we can start to plant and by the time the plants come up there will be little risk of frost.
I have seeded radish, lettuce , chard and carrots. When it dries up I will seed the remainder of my garden. I will have to wait before I put out bedding plants. Petunias are tough and they could go in now because they will tolerate some frost. I plant my corn in pots so that they get a head start. If I plant them in the garden as seed they probably wouldn't mature. Tomatoes will go in after June 1.
Now in many areas the crops are quite mature. I see some people picking beans.
So how is late planting done here so that plants will mature? Plants have been developed specifically for this area. So the plants mature or ripen in less time.
Second , mother nature plays some tricks. Now we have a very long day so the plants grow rapidly and mature.
Today the sun rose at 5:32 AM and sets at 9:31 PM. This means we have 15 hours and 59 min of sun. We have long sunsets and long sunrise this also adds to the light our plants can use.
When I was in the Arctic from 63 to 66 the priest at the mission grew some garden plants. The cabbages at that time were the biggest I had ever seen. Of course he started all his plants in the house and put them out when there was less risk of frost. And there were times when he covered his plants to protect them from frost. His biggest problem was to get good soil for gardening.
So I'm on a bit of the extreme for gardening but I thought it would be interesting to share.
I can't imagine trying to grow crops in the Artic. His prayers must have worked. Good luck with your plants! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThe biggest cabbages I've ever seen were grown by father Adam.
DeleteI discovered that I can plant my potatoes in the fall when I harvest. I just leave small or damaged ones in the ground and they sprout up quite nicely. I did the same thing with onions last fall. They are already looking quite perky.
ReplyDeletethat would never happen here as the ground freezes.
DeleteSo does ours, actually, although I'm sure that you get much colder than we do.
DeleteWe have long daylight hours too but it stays chilly and wet so long here. And we no longer get good sunlight in our garden because the trees grew so much taller.
ReplyDeleteI had another place and I gave up gardening as the tree roots went under the plants and took all the moisture and nutrients.
DeleteIt sounds like you will have an excellent garden. It will keep you busy and also well fed. You sure do have a lot of daylight hours in the summer!
ReplyDeleteI love gardening and watching the plants grow and develop. I also like eating vegetables right out of the ground.
DeleteFrom the sunrise/sunset times you quote you must be on about the same latitude as I am here, though our climate is so much milder, thanks to the Gulf Stream Drift. We can start planting some seeds in March and increasingly you can gamble on even earlier dates than that.
ReplyDeleteYes, ocean currents do influence climate.
DeleteI checked our sunrise and sunset, just to compare to yours for fun, and was a bit surprised to see we currently have over 15 hours of sunlight. It doesn't seem like that much. And we cannot plant for a couple of weeks yet, there is too much risk of frost. Good luck with your gardening!
ReplyDeleteI think you also have some ocean currents coming from the north to keep you cool.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI think it is finally safe to plant here. We have seen the last frost.
Happy gardening, happy weekend to you!
We are getting close to the frost free time.
DeleteI gave up trying to grow plants from seed. Good luck with your crop this year!
ReplyDeleteGardening is a lot of work so you have to like it.
DeleteYou must be fit as you seem to be in good enough shape to happily tend to your Arden.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was fit until this iliotibia syndrome hit me. However, I will survive.
DeleteCongratulations on getting all that in the ground! You should have some wonderful salads in your future. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big salad fan. I just like vegetables right out of the soil.
DeleteI don't know why it never occurred to me that the longer hours of sunlight there at your northern latitude help your garden grow. You do get to have a lot of veggies right from your yard. I hope you'll post photos.
ReplyDeletePhotos will be coming!
DeleteTalking about growing seasons and the amount of sunlight, the two years that I spent living in Yellowknife it was absolutely all inspiring how much light was lost and gained at the change of season. I am not sure but I think that the differences in the days were about 20 to 40 minute increments either way depending on what time of year it was. To my sensibilities have been growing up in Red Deer, it seemed to me that there was about three weeks of spring and then boom it was summer LOL. As for planting I did some last Saturday and we'll do the rest today. Just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best as I learn about this a novice gardener.
ReplyDeleteNow your story and "anonymous make me very , very curious.
DeleteGood for you. I am not a gardener myself, but I admire gardeners -- especially my brother-in-law who shares his corn and tomatoes with us.
ReplyDeleteCorn and tomatoes are my favorites.
DeleteI would think gardening in the Arctic would be a REAL challenge! At least you're no longer that far north!
ReplyDeleteI still remember seeing the largest cabbages ever at the Inuvik catholic church.
DeleteI only plant flowers, and it is a long, long wait for the soil and air to be a good temperature.
ReplyDeleteFlowers grown here are bedding plants.
DeleteWE bought two tomato plants for our planter, but they are in the garage for safe keeping until it warms up at night. 32 this morning I believe that is 0 for you.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're going to have a wonderful garden. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteVery long days can work wonders for plants.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like quite a knowledgeable garden Red. I hope you will take photos of your produce.
ReplyDeleteWe were in Norway and still saw the sun at 10:00 PM. That was so weird.
ReplyDelete