When to Sow Beets in Manitoba
Sow beet seed directly into Manitoba garden soil in early-to-mid May, roughly two to three weeks ahead of the region’s average last frost date of May 23…
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.
Beet Soil in Manitoba: What the Root Will Meet
Beet roots pushing into Manitoba ground meet a dark, alkaline, loam-textured soil that drains slower than a beet would like, under a spring that swings…
Growing Parsnips in Manitoba: Will They Sweeten?
Manitoba’s winters run cold enough, and long enough, that a parsnip left in this ground doesn’t just mature. It sweetens.
When to Start Pepper Seed in Manitoba
Start pepper seed indoors 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to set transplants outside.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Manitoba
Manitoba peppers usually fail to set fruit because of cold, not heat. The reference station at Winnipeg records zero days a year at or above 90°F, so…
Growing Carrots in Manitoba: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Manitoba’s typical garden soil runs 45 percent sand, 24 percent clay and 31 percent silt, a loam that leans alkaline (median pH around 7.6) and drains…
Growing Beets in Manitoba: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Manitoba’s ground runs alkaline and moisture-heavy in ways that push against what a beet actually wants: deep, well-drained, sandy soil loosened with a…
When to Plant Potatoes in Manitoba: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Winnipeg gardeners hear the same answer more than any other: the first week or two of May. That figure isn’t a guess pulled from a farmer’s saying.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Manitoba
Dig your potatoes before Manitoba’s average first fall frost of September 22, cure them for 2 to 3 weeks at 55-60 F in a humid spot such as a basement…
Potato Varieties That Suit Manitoba
Manitoba’s short frost-free stretch and its run of soil days above 90°F point straight to early and mid-season potatoes, planted from certified seed as…