Growing Parsnips in Nunavut: Will They Sweeten?
Rankin Inlet’s growing season lasts about three months, and even that stretch comes with no guarantee.
Gardening in Nunavut
Everything we have worked out for Nunavut: 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 Rankin Inlet, the last spring freeze falls around June 19 and the first fall freeze falls around September 13, 159 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: 43.5 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
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 Start Pepper Seed in Nunavut
Nunavut’s reference station at Rankin Inlet logs an average of 0.0 days a year at or above 90 F, and the average last spring frost falls around June 19.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Nunavut
Peppers rarely set fruit outdoors in Nunavut because the territory’s growing season almost never delivers the steady warmth peppers need, and because the…
When to Plant Potatoes in Nunavut: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Count back 14 to 21 days from Rankin Inlet’s average last frost of June 19, and the planting window lands between roughly May 29 and June 5.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Nunavut
Potatoes need to come out of Nunavut’s ground before the first hard frost arrives, and that window closes fast this far north.
Potato Varieties That Suit Nunavut
Early-season potatoes are the ones that suit Nunavut, and the reason comes down to a single date: the average last spring frost at Rankin Inlet A lands…
What to Plant in Nunavut in September
Nothing goes into open ground in Nunavut in September. The territory’s mean first fall frost lands around September 13, which means the short window for…
What to Plant in Nunavut in October
By October, Nunavut has already passed its average first fall frost date of September 13, and freeze-up is closing in across the territory.
What to Plant in Nunavut in November
By November, Nunavut has no outdoor planting window of any kind. The ground has been frozen solid for weeks, daylight is shrinking toward the polar…
What to Plant in Nunavut in May
In Nunavut, May is not a planting month for anything grown in open soil. The ground is still frozen or buried under snow across most of the territory…