Linda Gilkeson

As we move into the El Nino weather pattern this summer, here comes the first heat wave of the season. Over this weekend, forecasts show highs of 26-28oC [about 80oF] on Vancouver Island and coastal areas and up to 34oC [93oF] further inland and up the Fraser Valley. Every time I check the long range forecast, it shows higher temperatures! I have sent out heat alerts so many times in the past that I know most of you know the drill, but there are a lot of new gardeners that might need a warning: These temperature would be too hot for tiny seedlings, newly sown seed beds and plants that have been transplanted recently. No matter how well beds are watered, a bare soil surface can get so hot that seedling roots fry because they are close to the surface. Heat waves this early can also damage the new leaves of perennials and overwintered plants because their leaves have been used to cool, moist conditions and leaf cells have not yet adapted to hot weather. SO, start heat proofing yo…

Onion sets ready to harvest - Photo: Linda Gilkeson Like the last two springs, this year is also off to a late, cold start. With the Pacific circulation projected to change over from the La Nina pattern to an El Nino pattern over the summer, we can expect a shift to the warmer, drier weather typical of El Nino, but whether it will be a rapid shift in June or a slow transition over the season isn’t yet known. In any case, it is still too cold to plant much, but after the weekend the weather looks much more promising to sow or transplant the hardier vegetables: lettuce, spinach, radishes, mustards, kale and other salad-y plants, peas, Chinese cabbage, potatoes. Although hardy, Swiss chard is readily vernalized by cool weather (see below for more of an explanation) so I always wait until the first week of May to sow the new crop to avoid the risk of plants bolting to seed this summer. It is getting to past time to plant onions (both sets and seedlings). Onion varieties grown a…

With the first days of spring officially here and after a couple of warm, sunny days this week, things are picking up in the garden. The first bumble bees, butterflies and hover flies are visiting crocus and my red flowering currants are bursting with bright colour (to the delight of hummingbirds). Looking back my March 20, 2022 message, I see that the list of resources for coastal gardeners still looks useful, especially for new gardeners. If that interests you, read it here. There is also info in that message on how to grow more in the same space, so there is no need to repeat it here…. Here are some things to do/not do over the next few weeks: By the end of the month, dig up root crops still in the garden and store them in the refrigerator. As the weather warms they start to grow, using up sugars stored in the roots to grow a flower stalk with a corresponding loss of flavor and quality. Don’t clear away damaged winter vegetable plants yet: Leafy greens often grow …

Sprouting sweet potatoes I was hoping we could tiptoe through February unscathed, but it looks like winter is not done yet as we have a brief Arctic blast predicted for later this week. Forecasts show it getting colder Tuesday and Wednesday, with an very cold night Thursday with lows possibly down to -6 degrees C (21 F) around much of the coast. Temperatures that low can be especially damaging for plants that have spent the relatively warm weeks since early January resuming growth and, in some cases, starting to bloom. While garlic shoots are very hardy and should be fine, perennials that have started to grow and now show new shoots could be damaged. Artichokes are particularly vulnerable and can die from a late cold spell after the crowns have started to sprout. SO, cover them up with mulch by Wednesday, and if possible, turn a bucket or large plant pot upside down over the crowns for couple of days of cold. Get out those tarps again and cover beds of lettuce, spinach, Swis…

With days noticeably longer and our last month of serious winter coming up, gardeners are itching to be doing something. It is too early to think about garden cleanup or starting seedlings, but it is a good time to start pruning fruit trees, plan the vegetable garden and get seeds. Dormant pruning: On a dry day (there are some in this week’s weather forecast!) you might want to start pruning fruit trees, grapes, kiwi and berry bushes. If you don’t have many plants to do, you can wait until February, but if you want to get out in the garden or have a lot to do, go ahead and make a start now. Aim to have all dormant pruning done by the end of February. I just finished pruning my super dwarf apple trees (on M27 rootstock) and was struck, once again, by how much I appreciate these small, productive trees. It only takes about 10 minutes to prune each one, no ladder needed, yet they carry large crops of full-size fruit. With the warm weather last October, which caused trees to …

I usually send a note earlier in December celebrating the solstice and the beginning of longer days, but this year’s plan was derailed by having to rush my sick dog to Victoria in the teeth of last week’s blizzard, getting snowed in in Victoria for two days and, after getting back to the island, coping with the winter weather we have all been dealing with. My little dog is making a complete recovery and, thankfully, we survived the experience through the great kindness of friends who drove us through the snow storm, billeted us for days, and shoveled ever more snow… The deep snow we had during the coldest weather benefitted our overwintering vegetables, burying them in an insulating layer and keeping them from frost damage. Root crops under mulch probably didn’t feel a thing. While other plants may now be looking pretty squashed by the snow, most will be fine. Crushed leafy greens, leeks and smaller plants usually straighten up over time and, even if older leaves have been b…

Well, here it is: The first really wintery cold weather is forecast to arrive this coming week. It may get truly nasty after Tuesday with snow and very low overnight temperatures forecast by Thursday. SO right now, this weekend, finish all mulching and supplement any mulches that might have packed down in the rain. And now you can layer enough mulch on top of beds of carrots, beets and other root crops to completely cover over the tops. If needed, lay light boards, sections of stucco wire or chicken wire on top to hold leaves or straw in place. The thick mulch essentially turns the root crop bed into a living root cellar. Snow is predicted too, therefore check that your large plants, such as winter cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, are well staked up so they won’t get pulled over or broken by the weight of wet snow. While you are in the garden, cover lettuce, Swiss chard, salad greens, spinach, with tunnels, plastic or whatever you are using for winter protection this…

Look for cutworms on leaves after dark.

With frosty nights forecast this week and even a chance of snow in some places (!), mulching the garden is top of mind. The problem in my area is that many trees still have most of their leaves due to the long warm fall. I find myself standing under my biggest maple, exhorting it to get on with it! The soil is still warm enough now that there is no risk of frost damage to roots in the soil, but if you have mulch to spread this week, the priority should be roots crops that have “shoulders” sticking above the ground. Beets, in particular, push up out of the soil, especially the long Cylindra types, so they are at the top of my list, along with celeriac, to get the first mulch. Empty beds are another priority for mulch to protect the soil from erosion and prevent compaction in the heavy rains that have been arriving in storm after storm. I expect it will take a week or two yet for all the leaves to drop so…

September this year was certainly a far cry from the cool, wet month we had last year. After being away for a couple of weeks I was surprised to come back to such warm weather, but happy to have the extra warm days making up for the late start to summer this year. Garlic: Top of mind garden task this month is planting garlic, which is best done in October. You can pretty much plant garlic any time in the fall, but believe it or not, it is best to wait until the soil is cold and wet. Planting while the soil is still warm and dry as it is right now can increase the risk of infection with Blue Mold Rot (Penicillium spp.). This fungus is short-lived in the soil and thrives in dry soil at soil temperatures of 22-25oC [71-77oF]. It is well managed by good sanitation (crop rotation, planting only healthy cloves) and by waiting to plant until the soil is cold and wet. If you have already planted garlic, tough, don’t worry about it! If you prepare the beds now, before the soil bec…

The days are getting shorter and with less than a month left until fall officially starts, it means it is too late to plant some things people have asked me about this week, including beans, peas, Brussels sprouts. We are out of time to grow chard, kale, spinach, or Chinese cabbage from seed before winter, but if you can find seedlings right now, they should succeed in gardens that are still getting a full day of sun. With the sun lower in the sky these days, gardens in forested areas or urban neighbourhoods where buildings and city trees cast shade, now have fewer hours of direct sun than gardens in wide open spaces with sun from sunrise to sunset. In gardens with more shade, planting earlier helps to compensate for the fewer sun hours this time of year. There is still time to sow the small leafy greens (winter lettuce, corn salad, arugula). These can usually can be sown up to the first week of September in most gardens, but last fall was colder than normal so late seeding …

There is a heat wave forecast for next week with temperatures rising tomorrow and staying quite high all week, especially away from the water. Regular readers will know the drill by now, but if you are a new subscriber or want to review what to do to protect your garden, see the heat alert information in my June 24, 2021 message. Garden editing week has arrived: Late July is a good time to take stock of your garden and “edit out” some plants to make space for fall greens and overwintering crops. Look for plants that aren’t doing well or are maturing so late they aren’t likely to produce a crop. Winter squash, sweet corn, melons, eggplant (unless they are in a greenhouse) might be in this category depending on when they were planted. Perhaps you planted too much of some things or need to thin plants that are too crowded now that they are full grown. If you have lettuce or leafy greens that are sending up flower stalks, radishes that are not making a proper root (some do, some…

The first day of summer is here and it is drizzly and cool again, but there IS a forecast of warm sunny weather coming at week’s end. For vegetables, the forecast highs of 24-27C [75-80 F] for much of the region (hotter than that up the Fraser Valley), constitutes a heat wave. Plants have been growing for so long in cool, moist, cloudy conditions that leaf tissue is soft and unprepared for hot weather. Should the heat materialize, before you head out for beach or barbeque, take time to rig up shade on seedlings, seedbeds, cool weather crops (peas, lettuce, young plants in the cabbage family). Any plants with large, soft leaves (squash, beans, leafy greens) could experience sunscald injury, especially at the highest temperatures. So keep your shading materials handy (shade cloth, latticework, lace tablecloths) for rapid deployment and watch the weather forecast. We haven’t been thinking about watering until now, but don’t forget to check that soil isn’t getting too dry. Every…

With night temperatures finally at reasonable levels for tender vegetables, it should be safe to plant squash and tomatoes in most gardens. I am still holding my cucumbers and melons in pots for a little longer, bringing them indoors at night. If you planted out such tender plants earlier and they are still looking OK, that’s great--but if plants are now in poor shape, you might want to get replacements this week while garden centres still have stock. If they didn’t outright die, warmth loving plants that were planted outdoors while nights were still too cool may be looking sadly nutrient deficient now. They might have pale yellow leaves, or in the case of tomatoes, purplish and yellow leaves. The oldest leaves may look even worse—turning brown, wilting or dying back—especially after leaves of some plants were windburned by high winds in the storm last week. In the last several days of warmth, however, any plants with a will to live should be showing signs of healthy dark green…

With spring unfolding so slowly (some of us only recently stopped having snow showers!), there may still be a few frosty mornings ahead for some places. With a bit warmer nighttime temperatures in the forecast, you can safely plant or seed cool season vegetables outdoors such as cabbage family, peas, lettuce and other salad greens, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, radishes. It is way too cool yet to sow beans or corn outdoors or to plant out starts of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, basil and other warmth-loving plants. It has also been too cold in most places for those tender plants to spend the night in unheated greenhouses or tunnels, though the plants will be happy there during the day. They can stay out at night once night temperatures start staying mostly above 10oC (50oF). I am holding off on planting out celery and celeriac seedlings as these are readily vernalized by a spell of by a spell of 5-10oC weather (which can cause them go to seed prematurely, rather tha…

With April here and a really warm day or two this week, spring is unfolding rapidly and some gardening milestones are coming up soon: Seed starting: If you are growing your own seedlings, the first week of April is a good time to start seeds of squash, cucumbers, melons, sweet basil indoors for plants destined for the outdoor garden. You might have already started these plants if they are destined to be planted in a greenhouse for the summer. Many gardeners have set out first plantings of peas, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, but if you haven’t, not to worry—there is plenty of time to get these going. The warmer the soil is when you plant, the faster plants grow anyway. Looking ahead, I usually plant onion sets and leek and onion seedlings in my garden the second week of April. For good sized onions, you need to plant in time to allow them to grow a good root system before the really long days of June cause them to focus on making bulbs. The later onions are planted in the sp…

With climbing prices for produce and the pressure of inflation on household budgets, harvesting the maximum amount from our gardens is more important than ever. For most of us, garden space is limited by the size of our yards or community garden plots. Even where people have access to a larger area, garden size may still be limited by the expense of investing in deer fencing and irrigation systems. I have seen many gardens, however (even very small ones), that have lots of potential for increasing the total harvest without using more land. In fact, gardeners that can increase the amount they harvest per square metre might find that they can grow as much as they need on less land than before. This could free up space to plant flowers for beneficial insects, restore native vegetation and plant shrubs and trees to help mitigate global warming by capturing and holding carbon in their deep roots. While we are waiting for the weather to warm up and the soil to dry out enough to wo…

Last year this time we were coming out of a period of very heavy snowfall and sub-zero weather so this February has been quite a pleasant surprise. Now, however, a late cold snap is forecast to materialize starting Monday or Tuesday, depending on where you are, with nighttime temperatures falling well below freezing. If you were lulled into uncovering tender plants (I’m looking at you, citrus growers!), best cover them up again. Plants that have started growing are more vulnerable to cold now than they would have been a month ago. Especially be sure to protect artichoke crowns, which, if they survived the December cold, will have started to grow by now. Also protect half-hardy herbs, such as rosemary, and pull tarps back over beds of spinach, lettuce and other leafy greens for the next couple of nights. We still have a bit of winter to get through, with snowstorms in March not uncommon (and even in early April at higher elevations). Although more frosty nights are undoubtedly c…

Only last week I woke up to the fact that it IS January and that there ARE gardening tasks to get on with as the days get longer and the new season picks up speed. Snowdrops and other spring bulbs were already emerging and showing buds as the snow receded. February is a tricky month, often with at least one Arctic outbreak, so it is likely we haven’t seen the last of cold and snow, but with a spell of dry, mild weather forecast, there are a few things to do outdoors now. By now you have had a chance to see what plants survived the brutal cold spell in late December. While the summer broccoli that was still producing in my garden before Christmas is now green mush, I was happy to see how well winter broccoli and cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and hardy cabbage came through (some had tarps over them, others did not, but both groups have survived). The oldest leaves of winter broccoli and cauliflower may be dead from cold injury, but as long as new leaves look crisp and alive, t…

The first spell of really cold weather this winter is forecast to hit the coast later this week as a polar air mass continues to slide over the continent. With long range forecasts predicting -3 to -5oC (23-26oF) starting around Christmas Day and continuing for what might possibly be several weeks, do try to find time in the next day or two to prepare your garden for extreme cold. I know it might not be top of mind this week, what with the covid situation and holiday plans, but a little effort now could make a big difference in how well your winter crops come through. I won’t be sending out notices every time it gets cold, but because this is the first one of the winter, here is a reminder of what to do: In the next couple of days, while above-ground vegetables are not yet frozen, you might want to harvest enough vegetables to see you through a couple of weeks of bitter cold. Root crops won’t freeze in the soil so can be harvested any time (but it’s no fun digging in freezin…

Extreme weather driven by the changing climate is certainly hitting hard these days. We continue to get the wetter, colder weather consistent with a La Niña season, so brace for more of the same until spring. September, in particular, was a cooler than normal month, so you might have noticed that some late crops didn’t grow as much as they should have in the waning days of fall. I am disappointed in the size of my fall cabbages, for example. Hardy vegetables do grow a bit over the winter, however, and will pick up speed in early spring. If they are too small to harvest now, just leave them in the garden. With all this rain, you might also notice that leaves of spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard have developed black blotches and ragged or decomposing leaf edges. The leaves of these plants are more delicate than leaves of cabbage or broccoli, which have waxy, water-repellent leaves. When rain, rain, and more rain, abrades the cuticle of leafy greens, the leaf tissue just breaks …

As the leaves are beginning to accumulate on the ground, it is time to shift into mulch mode. You can’t get a better material than whole leaves for winter mulching! This fall you can also stockpile dry leaves now for mulch next summer—just keep them dry until you want to use them. Where fall leaves are unavailable, use any materials that won’t get too compacted over the winter, such as straw, cut bracken ferns, asparagus fronds or other coarse garden waste. This month, concentrate on layering mulch on empty garden beds and spreading it between overwintering plants. Plan on adding more mulch later when the first really cold weather is forecast, which usually happens in late November/early December. That’s when I pile on a thicker layer of mulch right over the tops of carrots, beets, celeriac and other root crops, essentially insulating them into a living root cellar. To keep the leaves from blowing off this mound of mulch, lay a few boards or a piece of stucco wire or chicken wi…