Growing Onions in Ontario: Which Varieties Actually Bulb
Ontario sits far enough north that the sun does most of the bulbing decision for you.
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.
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Ontario, and the Ones That Struggle
A look at which Ontario border flowers survive Toronto’s cold winters and humid summers, and which popular picks like lavender and dahlias usually fail.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Ontario: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
Spring bulbs bought in Ontario this fall face one test before they ever bloom: can they get cold enough, for long enough, to trigger flowering next April?
Tomato Pests in Ontario: Which Ones Actually Show Up Here
Ontario tomato growers deal with a predictable lineup of insect pests that arrive in a fairly consistent order each season, tied loosely to the region’s…
The Ontario Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage look at the Ontario apple year, keyed to Toronto’s mean frost dates rather than the calendar.
The Best Apple Varieties for Ontario
Ontario’s climate rarely kills an apple tree outright. The real risk is bloom timing against the region’s mean frost dates, and this piece shows how to check it.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Ontario
In the Toronto area, the average first fall frost lands around October 16, roughly two weeks before Halloween.
Growing Apples in Ontario: Varieties, Timing and Frost Risk
Ontario’s cold winters and a mid-spring frost date shape which apple varieties bloom safely and bear reliably across the province.
Heating a Home in Ontario: What the Winter Actually Costs
Winter in Ontario means a heating season that stretches from late fall into April, with a furnace or wood stove doing steady work rather than occasional…
Ontario Soil: What You Are Digging Into, and How to Improve It
Most agricultural ground in Ontario sits on a Luvisol, a forest-formed soil where clay has washed downward out of the topsoil, leaving a paler, lighter…