When to Stop Cutting Asparagus in Northwest Territories, and How to Keep the Spears
Stop cutting when most of the spears coming up are thinner than a pencil. That is an object to look for, not a date to circle.
Northwest Territories
Home and garden guidance for Northwest Territories: hardiness zones, heating seasons, provincial programs and the rules that differ from across the border.
Gardening in Northwest Territories
Everything we have worked out for Northwest Territories: 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 Yellowknife, the last spring freeze falls around May 25 and the first fall freeze falls around September 18, 905 growing degree days in the year.
That is little accumulated warmth: tomatoes need a tunnel or a greenhouse here, whatever the frost dates suggest. Garlic does well: 39.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Northwest Territories: 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 Northwest Territories, and When
Up here, three things eat into a sweet corn crop, and they arrive in a fixed order. First, spring soil too cold to wake the seed.
What Eats Pumpkin in Northwest Territories, and When
In the Northwest Territories, the thing that eats a pumpkin crop most often is the calendar.
What Eats Spinach in Northwest Territories, and When
In the Northwest Territories, the thing that cuts a spinach crop short is mostly the calendar, not an insect.
How High to Mow a Lawn in Northwest Territories
The mowing height for a lawn in the Northwest Territories depends on the grass: 3 to 3.5 inches for tall fescue, 2 to 3 inches for Kentucky bluegrass and…
When to Plant Grass Seed in Northwest Territories
Sow grass seed in the Northwest Territories once the soil reaches 50 to 65 °F in late spring, and finish no later than early August. The season is short.
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Northwest Territories
Most Northwest Territories lawns never need dethatching. Measure first: if the brown, spongy layer under the grass is under 0.75 inch, leave it alone.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Northwest Territories
Aerate a Northwest Territories lawn in late summer, while the grass is still growing and ahead of the first fall frost.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in Northwest Territories?
Plan to have trees and shrubs in the ground by early August in the Northwest Territories, about six weeks before the first fall frost, which averages…
When to Mulch Strawberries and Perennials for Winter in Northwest Territories
In the Northwest Territories, winter mulch goes on after the soil begins to freeze, not before.