Seedcorn maggot in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Seedcorn maggot larvae start attacking freshly planted seeds in Ontario as soon as soil temperatures climb into the low 40s Fahrenheit, usually in late…
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.
Spotted wing drosophila in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Spotted wing drosophila shows up in Ontario as early as June, but the real trouble starts in late July and runs through October, right when raspberries…
Onion maggot in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Onion maggot larvae start tunneling into Ontario onion beds as soon as soil temperatures climb past roughly 50°F in spring, usually in late April or…
Squash bug in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Squash bugs show up in Ontario gardens right around the same time squash and pumpkin vines start sprawling, typically late May through June, once daytime…
Aphids in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Aphids show up in Ontario as soon as nighttime temperatures hold steady above 50°F, which usually lands somewhere between mid-April in the Windsor-Essex…
Japanese beetle in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Japanese beetle activity in Ontario, California typically peaks between late June and early August, when adults emerge from turf and ornamental beds to…
Apple maggot in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Apple maggot flies start emerging in Ontario orchards and backyard trees in late June, with activity peaking through July and August and tapering off by…
Colorado potato beetle in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Colorado potato beetles wake up in Ontario as soon as soil temperatures climb past 50°F, which usually happens in the first half of May across the…
Three-lined potato beetle in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
The three-lined potato beetle turns up in Ontario gardens between late May and late June, right around the time soil temperatures climb past 50°F and…
Asiatic garden beetle in Ontario: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Asiatic garden beetles show up in Ontario landscapes starting in late June through August, with peak activity in July when adults emerge from the soil at…