When to Stop Cutting Asparagus in Ontario, and How to Keep the Spears
Stop cutting when most of the spears coming up are thinner than a pencil. That is the rule, and it works as an object, not a date.
Ontario
Home and garden guidance for Ontario: hardiness zones, heating seasons, provincial programs and the rules that differ from across the border.
Gardening in Ontario
Everything we have worked out for Ontario: 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 Toronto, the last spring freeze falls around April 30 and the first fall freeze falls around October 16, 2,297 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 Ontario: 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 Asparagus in Ontario, and When
Nothing in the sources behind this page names an insect, a deer or a vole. The only authority here, Utah State University Extension, describes the bed…
What Eats Pumpkin in Ontario, and When
In Ontario, the thing that eats the most pumpkins is the calendar. A fruit still green when the first fall frost arrives (on average October 16 at…
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Ontario
Most Ontario lawns don’t need dethatching. Cut a wedge of turf and measure the brown, spongy layer: if it’s thicker than 0.75 inch, dethatch, and do it…
How High to Mow a Lawn in Ontario
Most Ontario lawns do best cut between 1.5 and 3.5 inches, and the right setting depends on the grass underneath.
When to Plant Grass Seed in Ontario
For most of southern Ontario, the best window for sowing grass seed runs from mid-August to the last days of August, with early spring as the backup.
Heat Pump or Gas Furnace in Ontario: Which Costs Less to Run?
A heat pump costs far less to run than electric baseboard in Ontario, and the gap is wide.
When to Dig Up Dahlias, Cannas and Gladiolus in Ontario
Wait for the first frost that turns dahlia, canna and gladiolus foliage black, then lift the roots within about a week or two.
When to Winterize Sprinklers and Outdoor Faucets in Ontario
A sprinkler line that still holds water on the first truly cold night can split, and you won’t find out until the system runs in spring.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Ontario
Aerate an Ontario lawn in early fall, while the grass is still growing and well ahead of the first frost, which averages October 16 at Toronto Pearson…