What Eats Onion in Manitoba, and When
Across Manitoba gardens, the insect responsible for stunted, yellowing, or collapsing onion seedlings almost always turns out to be one species: the…
Gardening in Manitoba
Everything we have worked out for Manitoba: 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 Winnipeg, the last spring freeze falls around May 23 and the first fall freeze falls around September 22, 1,832 growing degree days in the year.
That is enough for early varieties, tight for anything late. Garlic does well: 30.4 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Manitoba: 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.
What Eats Corn in Manitoba, and When
Two documented species actually feed on corn here: corn earworm, which tunnels into the ear tip once silks form, and Japanese beetle, which clips fresh…
What Eats Potato in Manitoba, and When
Two insects in the regional pest record actually feed on potato: the Colorado potato beetle and the three-lined potato beetle.
What Eats Parsnip in Manitoba, and When
None of the fifteen pests that regional extension services track for this part of the northern Plains are listed as parsnip specialists.
When to Overseed a Lawn in Manitoba
The overseeding window in Manitoba stretches from late July into mid-August, and it closes hard by early September in most years.
First and Last Frost Dates in Manitoba
In an average year, the last spring frost in Manitoba lands around May 23 and the first fall frost arrives around September 22, based on Environment and…
When to Pick Tomatoes in Manitoba, and Ripening the Rest
The short answer: pick ripe or near-ripe tomatoes before the first fall frost, and don’t wait for a calendar date to make that call.
When to Harvest Garlic in Manitoba, and How to Cure It
In Manitoba, garlic planted the previous fall usually comes out of the ground between mid-July and early August, once the lower third to half of the…
When to Pick Apples in Manitoba, and How Long They Keep
Pick Manitoba apples by stage, not calendar: firm flesh, background skin color turned from green to yellow or blush, seeds gone brown, and the fruit…
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Manitoba Cool?
Yes, insulation helps in Manitoba, but the honest picture is this: Winnipeg’s reference station logs an average of zero days a year above 90°F, so summer…