When to Plant Potatoes in Ontario: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
The reliable answer starts with soil, not the calendar. Potatoes go in the ground once soil temperature hits 50°F, and that point falls 14 to 21 days…
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.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Ontario
Ontario’s frost-killed vines signal harvest, on average, by mid-October, but the number that actually decides whether your crop survives the winter is…
Potato Varieties That Suit Ontario
Ontario’s growing window opens later than most gardeners plan for, and it can close early if a hot stretch settles in.
What to Plant in Ontario in September
September in Ontario still belongs to the growing season more than to the shutdown.
What to Plant in Ontario in October
October in Ontario means garlic and shallots go in the ground, spring bulbs get their last window before the soil locks up, and cover crops can still be…
What to Plant in Ontario in November
By November, most of Ontario has already passed its average first fall frost, so new outdoor plantings of anything tender are done for the season.
What to Plant in Ontario in May
May is the month Ontario gardens shift from cautious to full throttle. The province’s average last spring frost lands April 30, which means most of May…
What to Plant in Ontario in March
March in Ontario sits well ahead of the average last spring frost, so the open garden stays mostly closed this month.
What to Plant in Ontario in June
By June, Ontario gardeners are past the guessing game. The average last spring frost at the Toronto area’s Pearson station sits at April 30, so a full…
What to Plant in Ontario in July
July in Ontario runs squarely through the frost-free stretch: the average last spring frost falls April 30 and the average first fall frost isn’t until…