Will Sweet Corn Ripen in British Columbia?
Yes, sweet corn can ripen in British Columbia, but only if the timing works two ways at once: the soil has to be genuinely warm before seed goes in, not…
Gardening in British Columbia
Everything we have worked out for British Columbia: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Vancouver, the last spring freeze falls around March 18 and the first fall freeze falls around November 10, 1,738 growing degree days in the year.
That is enough for early varieties, tight for anything late. Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in British Columbia: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from Environment and Climate Change Canada. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in British Columbia
Sweet corn in British Columbia’s coastal valleys goes into the ground once the soil holds steady at 60°F, not on the average frost date of March 18.
Will British Columbia Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Yes, mostly. British Columbia’s dominant agricultural soil is a Brunisol, a young, well-drained loam that meets the one hard rule asparagus asks for…
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in British Columbia
Plant asparagus crowns in British Columbia in early spring, once the ground has thawed and dried enough to dig, with the region’s mean last frost date of…
Growing Sweet Corn in British Columbia: Will It Ripen?
Sweet corn can ripen in most of coastal British Columbia in an average year, but the margin is thinner than the calendar suggests.
Growing Asparagus in British Columbia: Fifteen Years in One Spot
A bed of asparagus planted in British Columbia today can still be feeding a household in a decade and a half, provided the ground it goes into drains.
When to Sow Autumn Spinach in British Columbia
For coastal British Columbia, using Vancouver’s climate normals as the reference point, autumn spinach goes into the ground from mid-August through about…
Will Spinach Bolt Early in British Columbia?
Yes. In British Columbia’s coastal climate, spinach bolts early not because summers get hot, but because the days get long.
When to Sow Pumpkins in British Columbia
In coastal British Columbia, aim to have pumpkin flowers opening no later than the third week of September.
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in British Columbia?
In most years, a pumpkin planted in British Columbia’s coastal valleys has a real shot at ripening before frost, but the margin is thin.