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Garden Vegetable Seasonal Highlight: Spinach Peas and Onions

It’s March as I write this, so lets talk about some of the earliest vegetables we can grow where I live – in the Edmonton, Alberta area. Spinach, peas, and onions are great choices for early-season planting as they are relatively cold-tolerant and actually thrive in cooler temperatures. This allows us to plant them as soon as the soil is workable in spring, even when there’s still a chance of frost.

1. all cool-season crops

Spinach, garden peas and onions are cool-season crops. They grow best in the cooler temperatures of early spring and late summer. Garden peas thrive in temperatures between 10-18°C (50-65°F), and onions also perform well in cooler weather, with optimal growth occurring during spring and late summer / early fall.

2. similar soil requirements

All three prefer well-drained, fertile soil with a pH level of 6.0 to 7.0. They benefit from soil enriched with organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure. Proper soil preparation helps provide the necessary nutrients and ensures good drainage, preventing waterlogged roots. All of them will do better when mulched. This protects the soil and the plant, reducing the need for continual watering, and the competition of weeds. It also keeps the soil soft and less prone to compact.

3. similar hardiness to frost

Planting early in the season, even before the last frost will not hurt any of them, so you can get a jump on the growing season with them. All three will tolerate light frosts, especially spinach and peas, which are famous for being frost-tolerant during their early growth stages. Onions not as much, but still pretty hardy.

4. similar planting time

Spinach and Peas
You can plant spinach while there is still snow on the ground. Go ahead and plant in March if you want. I have an area in my garden that is close to the house, so it warms up sooner than the main garden. Snow melts there first. Its the perfect spot to plant spinach. Spinach likes full sun to partial shade and optimal soil temperatures are 5 – 20 degrees Celcius (45-70 degrees Fahrenheit). The sun warms the soil while you’re not looking, so don’t waste those precious spinach-days just because you don’t want to sit outside in the sun yourself yet. Plant up to a month before the last expected frost day, and up to a week or two after at most. If you haven’t planted your spinach by the end of May, save your seeds and plant next year.

I’ve had great success planting spinach in mid-September for an early spring harvest. Many years ago, I learned that spinach could be planted in the fall, so I decided to give it a try. I planted it at the beginning of September, and within a couple of weeks, the spinach sprouted and began to leaf out. I was thrilled—until an early snowstorm hit and stuck around. I shrugged it off, thinking, “Well, that’s just fall for you. Sometimes that happens.” But the following March, as the snow began to melt, I was amazed to find those little spinach plants still green! As the sun warmed the days, they sprang back to life. By the time I would typically be planting my garden, we were already harvesting spinach! What started as a fortunate accident became a total game changer for me and deepened my respect for this hardy northern vegetable. Spinach is a surprisingly tough plant, and it really shows how adaptable it can be to different growing conditions. Planting it at the end of the season could yield a late summer harvest if the weather holds out, but if the weather turns too cold, you still have the perfect head start for early spring harvests.

Spinach and peas should be (as in – prefer to be) planted early in the spring once the soil has thawed and can be worked. Although I hesitate to mention a date because we have to read the weather and every year is different, I would still suggest that by the end of April, you’d be safe in planting both. At that time, there is still a high probability for a surprise late frost or even unexpected snow, but don’t be deterred – spinach and peas laugh at spring snow. Spring snow is wet and heavy, and doesn’t last long. I always consider it winter’s last bluff. Winter’s over and it knows it, but sometimes it just feels better about things if it can get the last word in. That’s okay. Let it. You’ll be picking both by the time other plants are just poking their heads above ground – then we can see who got the last laugh.

Spinach first – mid April or even earlier. Peas a week or two later – toward the end of April. Onions closer to the beginning of May.

Onions
While not as cold-tolerant as spinach or peas, onions can still withstand slightly cooler temperatures and can be planted early, especially when choosing varieties specifically bred for early harvest. Plan to plant as soon as the soil warms up in early May.

I usually plant my onions from seedlings which I either purchase or start indoors six to eight weeks in advance, or ‘sets’. Seedlings are young plants, while onion ‘sets’ are small, immature bulbs sold in mesh bags. Sets are grown from seed, then harvested and dried before they fully mature. They look like little mini onions, and you usually buy them in a mesh or paper bag. Both methods give your onions a head start, increasing the likelihood of a full harvest.

Our growing season simply isn’t long enough to plant seeds directly in the garden—you’ll likely be disappointed if you try.

5. Planting

Spinach
Plant spinach, in rich, well drained soil in a SUNNY location. Just because it likes cool weather does not mean it doesn’t need sun. You can plant in rows, or by broadcasting which is what I do, as my place for it is relatively small. I sow the seeds sparsely allowing for room between each plant and cover with a thin layer of nice fluffy soil. Water well.  

As they grow, thin the young plants out to two or three inches apart. Don’t waste the thinnings, add them to your salad or throw into just about anything you happen to be making for dinner. Keep soil moist with mulch. Test the moisture level with your hands from time to time – you may be surprised at how well the mulch protects the soil.

Peas
Peas should be planted about as deep as the seed is big, and about an inch apart. Planting in elevated rows keeps the soil warmer, and as will all vegetables keep them mulched throughout the season. As they grow, go ahead and thin them out if they’re too crowded – young pea sprouts / plants are tender and tasty. Add to a salad or stir fries.

Peas need something to climb or they’ll laze all over the place getting into everybody’s business and causing trouble. A trellis, some netting that you’ve staked up, some tall interwoven sticks, …. be creative, just give them a place to grow UPward.

Onions
Onion seedlings are planted to the top of the white ‘bulb area’, and onion bulbs (sets) are planted about an inch deep. Both are planted about two inches apart, in a nice SUNNY location with loose, loamy, well draining soil that has been enriched with good compost. You’ll notice on onion sets that there is a distinct root end and a sprout (pointy) end. Plant root down, point end up. Once they start growing, you can (and you should) use them as you would green onions, continually thinning them out till they’re between four to six inches apart. This allows for good airflow and room to spread out.

As with all vegetables, plant in rows that are elevated, and keep mulched throughout the season to maintain moisture, prevent weeds and protect the soil.  Rotate their location every spring to prevent disease – as you would every other vegetable in your garden.

6. Keeping them healthy

Pay attention to your vegetables. You should be checking them from time to time throughout the year, and can often be picking tender young plants for weeks. This regular care will help you monitor for things like pests or disease. Proper rotating of vegetables each year is a good practice to prevent soil borne diseases and pests that may winter over. Keeping them thinned allows for good air flow and natural pest control.

Learning about good companion plants and trying to keep ‘friends’ together makes for good and happy garden neighbourhoods.

Over watering, not watering enough or watering inconsistently invites distress and disease.

6. Good Companions

Spinach doesn’t really need too many companions as it is happy to grow when most plants are just waking up in the spring, and there aren’t many pests active yet either.

Peas do well in the company of beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, marigolds, peppers and potatoes. I have peas planted in amongst my cucumbers, climbing on the same trellis.

Onions do well in the company of beets, brassicas of all kinds, carrots, dill, lettuce, tomatoes and even strawberries. I have a large chive plant growing in the middle of my strawberry patch.

XXX – Peas do NOT like Onions, so keep them separated. Apparently, onions stunt the growth of peas.

7. Harvesting

Spinach
You can harvest during the entire growing season, beginning by thinning the plants out and eating the baby plants. As they grow bigger, clip the larger outer leaves first allowing the inner leaves to mature. Harvest frequently so as not to waste anything. As the weather grows warmer the spinach will be less happy and start to bolt (got to seed). You’ll see that seeds will start to form on the top spikes. This signals that the plants are in distress and are preparing to die. You can let one or two go to seed if you want to collect the seed, but pull the rest up to eat while they’re still good.

Peas
Peas are typically harvested when the pods are plump with nice round peas formed inside, but still tender. The difference between tender and old can be a matter of days so be attentive. There’s nothing as wonderful as fresh tender garden peas, but old peas are dry, tough and yucky. You can save a few plants to let the seed ripen to use for next year, but keep on top of the other plants. In the Edmonton area, your peas should be ready to harvest in the first part of July. Don’t let them get old.

Onions
I pick onions all summer long, from the early thinnings to the odd one that isn’t quite mature enough to harvest, but is needed for supper. But to truly “harvest”, onions are ready when the tops fall over and begin to go brown – clearly trying to communicate to you that something has changed. The bulbs will be plump and mature. Don’t be in a hurry. Let them die back and dry in the garden for a while. You can pull them out, but if the soil doesn’t easily, loosen a little with your garden fork.

Lay them in a sheltered dry spot to further dry and cure for from two to four weeks. Curing removes moisture and protects onions from rot and mildew, maximizing their storage life. While curing, keep them out of excessive heat and prevent them from rain or other moisture. When they are completely cured, you can transfer then to a container allowing for good air circulation in a cool spot.

Recipe: Spinach, Garden Pea and Onion Salad

2 cups fresh peas (or frozen or freeze dried)
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 chopped fresh onion (red or white), or equal amount of green onions or finely chopped winter onion
1/4 cup pesto
Lightly steam your peas if desired, or use fresh from the garden. If using freeze dried peas, refresh with water till tender (will only take a few minutes).
Use whatever onion is growing in your garden. Often times, I’ll harvest an immature onion that I’m thinning out and use the bulb and greens together.
Place peas, spinach and onion in a bowl and toss with pesto to lightly coat everything.
Top with some crumbled feta or slivered fresh parmesan cheese.
Enjoy

Other cool weather crops that you can plant early

Other cool weather vegetables to plant early are: beets, radishes, swiss chard and carrots. These can generally be in the ground by the beginning of May. By the middle of the month, plant your potatoes.
Warm weather plants like the soil to be warm when you tuck them in. Wait another week for tender plants like beans and corn. Tomatoes are native to South America, so they like it hot. I wait till the long range forecast is for WARM weather to plant them out in the garden. Tomatoes are an important part of my growing season, and I don’t want to risk losing them to a rogue cold snap. I plant my cucumbers and squash outside about the same time as the tomatoes – after all danger of frost is past.

It’s not too early for starting to plan your garden.

I’d love to hear what vegetables you plant early.

Warmly,

Cindy

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the Prairie Crocus – symbol of persistence

One of the first flowers I have a memory of feeling something special for is the simple, unassuming – prairie crocus.

I grew up on a military base in northern Alberta. Our house backed onto a field with woods bordering it, so as children we spent a lotta time playing in those woods, especially in the summer. We had a spattering of wild blueberries, even wild strawberries and raspberries, and we had wild flowers: roses, tiger lilies, crocuses and all sorts of other native plants that I didn’t know the name of. When I got older and a little more interested in native plants, I could identify yarrow, kinnikinnick, labrador tea, hyssop and a few others in ‘my’ woods where I would often waunder looking for plants I could call by name. But I have some big regrets related to those tiger lilies and crocuses. When I was a child I’d go out looking for flowers to pick for the purpose of putting in a cup of water on our table. I fear I was part of their near elimination in those wild areas near our home. I still love flowers, but I grow the ones I put on my table these days, rather than forage for them. I wish I knew then what I know now – enjoy them, but leave them where they are.

The wild crocus is not the most beautiful flower, nothing ostentatious or pretentious about her. She’s happy simply being herself, doing what she was designed to do – which apparently was not to “impress” us with her flamboyance. But her very appearance told me that “spring was finally here”, that “hope” had returned. She encouraged me not to be fooled by a cold snap or a spring snow storm – if the crocuses were out, I could know that winter was over. I could count on it. To this day – I am buffered against those empty threats by my memory of the brave little crocuses that would poke their pretty heads out of a fresh snow. They give me the confidence to say “Give it all you got Winter! You don’t scare me! We both know your days are numbered.”

Crocuses don’t make big announcements – you can look closely in all the same areas you saw them last year for some sign that they’re there, and then suddenly, before your very eyes, THREE OF THEM! Like girlfriends – always hanging out in clusters. One day there is nothing, and seemingly over night they’re in full bloom! Humble and yet stalwart. Warm and friendly, yet tough as a Canadian winter. Crocuses in snow and cold are resilient, they are the poster child for “persistence”; the foliage is cold-durable and can persist under a thick blanket of spring snow. Even if some dumb little kid picks they’re brand new blossoms – don’t despair, they’ll come back next spring. They’re forgiving that way, and – persistent. I’m sure there’s a life lesson for me in there somewhere.

They’ve become quite the symbol for me: persistent, trust-worthy, patient, long suffering. They’re not quitters. Extreme cold can damage crocus blossoms that are already open but will not affect the bulb or future flowers. Another life lesson: “Your past doesn’t determine your future.” When dahlias cry and give up, crocuses come back next year – bringing friends with them.

The crocuses we grow in our gardens now are not the native prairie crocuses I grew up with. The ones we buy are imported and from the iris family, they can be planted in full sun or partial shade. I don’t wish to sound disparaging about them; just because they aren’t purists doesn’t mean they don’t have value. They are still the same cheerful, encouraging sports, and are still among the earliest small, spring flowers – with the same cheery message about spring. They like to hang out in clusters, and you can still count on them. They’re brighter than their country cousins, wearing the vibrant Easter-egg colours of purple, lavender, yellow, cream and white, attracting and providing an important food source for the earliest bees of spring, who are drawn to their rich, golden pollen. Often their cheery blossoms will be open while there’s still snow on the ground, and in time their bulbs1 will multiply to produce more flowers. Because they bloom and die back before most trees and shrubs have even leafed out, areas that might be shaded later in the season, are still hospitable. 2

They are winter hardy in zones 3-8, and bloom best after a cold winter (generally that means 10 weeks of freezing), which makes them perfectly suited to the area I live in. 3 They’re forgiving, but they need well drained soil (they don’t like to be soggy). Plant a few handfuls of bulbs pointy end up, about three to four inches deep (yes I know, that’s DEEP) in the fall before freeze up. Tuck them into your flower beds, around rocks or along a walkway, keeping them to the front where they’ll be seen better because they’re short. They’re very social, and will be happier planted in clumps (just like you’d find them in the wild), filling your garden with flowers when you need them most before anybody else is awake. But don’t worry, after blooming they’ll fade away and make room for late spring flowers – the perfect room mates: respectful of your space, and charitable.

Persistence is essential to happiness; I’m convinced of it. And happiness is not situational, not dependent on sunshine and roses. Crocuses live by the motto “if you can’t change your circumstances, . . . change your outlook“. 4 They always see the sun notwithstanding the snow that surrounds them today. They don’t just survive in the snow – they thrive in the snow. And they thrive when the snow goes too. They’re okay either way. Another life lesson from crocuses.

Know what got me thinking about crocuses this week? I came across a quote in a book I was reading and it jumped out at me. It spoke to my heart, about persistence. Nothing fancy and spectacular – just good old fashioned, hardy “persistence”. Profoundly simple. “Press on” it said. Just what I needed to hear. I had a visual flashback to a small cluster of crocuses, on the edge of a field, surrounded by snow. I couldn’t have been older than 10 or 11 years, but I was struck by how out of place they were. Nothing else had woken up; even the nearby trees hadn’t budded out yet, but here they were! At first I thought they’d made a mistake; the recent spring snow must have surprised them. My older friend told me they were called ‘crocuses’, and that they grew very early in the spring, sometimes even with snow still on the ground. I felt some sort of kinship with them immediately.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan PRESS ON has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – Calvin Coolidge

Crocuses inspire me. They don’t demand instant success. They appreciate the time, effort and sacrifice that go into success and they’re willing to go the distance, but they focus on what they do best – their job – trusting in the process. You could say they’re ACTION oriented – not focused on hoped-for results that are beyond anyone’s ability to control – no matter how well we do our job. Crocuses get that. They simply focus on the job at hand, going about making the world a better place, blooming where they are. The truth is, sometimes things happen: the winter is weird or some dumb kid picks their first-day flowers – but they Press On, continuing to do the right thing – being them, making sure they’re where they’re supposed to be when we most need to see them. They’re kind of a super hero that way; a quiet, unassuming – super hero, too shy to take the lime light, just doing what they’re wired to do. Ironically, most of their job is beneath the surface not readily apparent to the rest of us, getting things ready for their chance to say “Good Morning!“.

I would like to be like the prairie crocus. In the snow – brightening up someone’s day, reassuring them that no matter what else is going on – winter has fulfilled its job, and for all intents and purposes – is over! Spring is up ahead, just around the corner

Thank you to the sweet, humble prairie crocus for this other, important life lesson.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

footnotes:

  1. their ‘bulbs are actually called “corms” ↩︎
  2. Prairie Crocuses have thick, woody taproots which make them difficult to transplant from the wild (so don’t risk killing one to try it), however, they’re fairly easy to grow from seed. If you want to grow a native prairie crocus, gather some seed and do it the more sure way. You can also contact your local chapter of ALBERTA NATIVE PLANTS SOCIETY, they probably have seeds to sell. Or just buy the non-native seedlings from your local greenhouse. ↩︎
  3. if you don’t know what ZONE you’re in, click this link. To provide some context, Edmonton is in its own little zone – considered 3b-4a. ↩︎
  4. Michelle McCullough – MAKE IT HAPPEN BLUEPRINT, pg 73 ↩︎

Find your growing zone.

Edmonton and the surrounding areas are in a unique micro-climate that puts them in a zone (4a) almost to themselves.

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extending your garden season adds BOUNTY to your table

Two of the most important things to remember about gardening is that
1) there are a lot of ‘rules’
2) some of those rules should be obeyed, but some of them – you must be willing to break to move ahead

There are many things about gardening that one has to experience to understand what the rules are there for. These are the things that one must learn through experiences. But they don’t always have to be your own, we can learn from each others’ experiences too. One of these age old rules in my part of the world, says that we should plant our gardens on the May long weekend (3rd weekend in May). But statistics say that the expected last frost is anywhere from May 1-10. Obeying that rule straight across the board, amounts to a week or more of lost growing time – when there are only an average of 120 (give or take) frost free days in Edmonton.

I don’t pretend to be an astronomer or any other kind of expert, but there are some things that simply make sense to me. Consider this:
The summer solstice in 2022 is June 21. It is longest day of the year – more daylight than any other. The center of “BEST SUN” days.
Count back 7 weeks to May 1, and forward 7 weeks to August 9. Those days are going to be the BEST Sun days of the summer right? A reasonable assumption to make. In fact, in Edmonton, on May 1 – 2022 the sun will rise at 5:57 AM and set at 9:05 PM = 15 hr 8 min of sunshine. On August 9 – 2022, sunrise will be 6:03 AM, sunset at 9:14 PM = 15 hr 11 min of sunshine.

My point? My point is that after August 9, the sun is not as high, and not as present. In fact only one month later, September 9, the sun rises at 6:57 AM (54 minutes later than Aug 9), and sets at 8:04 PM (70 minutes sooner than Aug 9). That is 2 hours and 4 minutes LESS sun-time. In ONE MONTH! So yes, those may be frost free days, time for things to ripen, but the ideal growing time has passed. If we’re planting on May 24, that gives us only two and a half months of best sun days to grow. When we could easily have another month or more.

So, how does one make the best of those high sun, but possibly NOT frost free days of early spring? Answer: Plant earlier.
The next obvious question then is this – what can we plant earlier that will not be killed or stunted by those chilly mornings of early spring? Answer: There are many hardy and semi hardy cool weather vegetables that thrive in our growing season. We just need to get to know them and learn to appreciate them. Here are some ‘hardy’ and ‘semi-hardy’ vegetables (and some notable fruits) that you can be growing in the average backyard garden in and around the Edmonton region.

HARDY VEGETABLES can tolerate a hard frost and temperatures between -5 and -10 Celsius

If you haven’t made friends with some of these yet, then open your mind and introduce yourself. They’re not only anxious to make friends, but are extremely forgiving and loyal. Hardy Vegetables include: Brassicas like Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Kale, and Kohlrabi, as well as Leeks, Mustard Greens, Parsley, Radishes, Spinach and Turnips. THAT is a lot to choose from, and ALL of them can be planted as soon as the ground is dry enough to work in. If it snows again after planting – no worries, they laugh at snow. I planted my Spinach seeds on April 2 this year, but I could easily have planted them a week or two early. Its not simply a matter of them TOLERATING the cooler weather, they THRIVE in it. I’m sure you’ve noticed that as soon as the weather warms up in June, your spinach bolts (goes to seed). These cooler crops don’t like the heat, and they don’t do well in it at all. They are best grown in the earliest parts of spring. In some climates they are winter crops, but not for us in Edmonton LOL. See below for some advice on ‘some’ of these hardy vegetables. I don’t have experience with all of them, but maybe you do. I’d love to hear your opinions and suggestions from your own experience. Please share by commenting below.

KALE:
Personally, I am not a fan of growing most brassicas because I’ve lost too many battles with the caterpillars that like them so much, but I make an exception for KALE. Knock on wood, I’ve never had a problem with kale (so far). It’s easy to grow, doesn’t attract pests, and it toughs out the cold weather in both spring and fall. It was a no brainer that we should become fast friends, I just needed to get to know how to use it more in the kitchen. That was the easiest part of all. I pick kale from May through September – a whole season of wholesome green goodness in salads, green smoothies, and everything in between. And it dehydrates beautifully for winter use. What else could I ask for? Depending on the weather, and the the type of spring we’re having, they can be planted outside by seed, as soon as the ground is dry and warm to the touch (anytime from April 1-30). And don’t worry if it snows – they won’t care. You can get a jump on the season by planting young seedlings outside around the 1st of May.

MUSTARD GREENS:
are new to me this year, but I am excited to try them. A quick phone call secured me a pack at a local seed store. So it will be one of my 2022 experiments. I don’t have a whole lot to say about them at the moment, but stay tuned. I’m sure I will in a future post.

PARSLEY:
has been a favourite herb in my garden for years, and occasionally even comes back in the spring – though at best it is still only a biennial, so its best to count of replanting seedlings every spring. But no need to wait till late May, parsley plants can be planted by May 1st for sure. Don’t bother planting seeds outside. They take too long to germinate for that. Either start them indoors in February or early March, or buy your plants from a greenhouse.

SPINACH:
is wonderful, and one of the healthiest plants when eaten FRESH (within a couple hours of harvest). It’s leaves are tender and perfect for salads. I used to buy a lot of ‘fresh’ spinach from the grocery store, all year long, but I very rarely do anymore. We know that all produce begins deteriorating nutritionally within the first hour of harvest, and the sad new about spinach is that within four days – it has lost 100% of its vitamin C. I don’t know about where you buy yours, but I can pretty much guarantee that the spinach available in my local grocery store was NOT picked within the last 96 hours! So the very best source of spinach is the one that can it get to your table within only a few hours of harvest. That means its either grown in my garden, or its THRIVE LIFE Freeze Dried Spinach.

The tricky part about growing spinach is that it LIKES COOL WEATHER. That is its great strength as a garden vegetable in Alberta, since we specialize in ‘cooler’ weather. But wait. The convers of that fact implies that it hates hot weather. And it does. When the sun gets real hot, spinach goes to seed (it ‘bolts’ – see below). If you plant spinach around May 24, it will bolt in the heat of late June, and you are very likely to be disappointed. What to do? Plant it earlier.

Its good to know bytheway, that there are several other greens that grow well all summer long without bolting, so it doesn’t have to be “spinach or nothing”. But, back to spinach. Because it’s a cool weather crop, we can plant spinach in the early spring (early to late April depending on the year), when we can take advantage of the long ‘sun’ days that come with the cooler weather of April and May. Ironically spinach wants a nice sunny location, but doesn’t want the heat that comes with the sun, so its the perfect plant to extend your growing season. By the time your spinach has given up in the heat of summer, your swiss chard and other greens are ready to eat!

Is it worth it? Absolutely. If you can get your spinach planted early enough in the spring, you’ll get a beautiful crop that will flourish. Its the perfect opening act to your summer garden. And its a great source of iron, calcium and vitamins A, B, C, and K.

what is “bolting” and what causes it?
Bolting is a common response of cool weather vegetables to stresses of summer – temperature stress, day length stress, or water stress. When the plant is in distress, it hastens it’s purpose in life – which is to go to seed. Long spells of hot dry weather may be good for peppers and tomatoes, but NOT good for spinach. Many other leafy vegetables do the same thing. Not much you can do about the weather in summer, so just work with it. Spinach doesn’t want what tomatoes want. So planting it when the days are cooler, and giving it as much cool time to grow as possible will make it happier.

In some zones, spinach might be a good fall crop, but I’ve found that the end of our growing season is too fickle. In Edmonton, the sun is less by the end of August, but the days are still very warm and dry. We could just as easily have snow in October as not, and if we do, temperatures could drop quickly. I’ve tried extending my growing season by planting spinach at the end of August, but experience has shown me I’m gonna have more success in the early spring.

Plant your spinach in rich soil – amended with old manure and/or compost. Keep it consistently moist, but not soggy. Water deeply and regularly. Spinach is a heavy feeder, so sprinkling blood meal around the plant mid growing season will encourage rapid growth of continuous new, tender leaves. Once you see five or six nice healthy leaves on a plant, go ahead and start snipping the larger ones off for spinach salad.

RADISHES and TURNIPS:
I am not a fan of either of these vegetables for their roots, but I absolutely AM a fan of their greens! I grow both, only for their tops. They have a little zip that is great in a fresh garden salad or any other combination of greens, and are super nutritious – SO worth it. They’re best when they’re young, so start picking early while you’re thinning them out. Once the roots get big, the leaves are not as tender and suitable for salads, but they make a great Pesto. (click here Radish Green Pesto for the recipe)

SEMI HARDY VEGETABLES will tolerate light frosts and temperatures around freezing (0°C)

Semi-hardy vegetables can be planted quite a bit earlier than the May long weekend, but maybe don’t push it too far into April, unless its an especially warm spring. Some great Semi-hardy Vegetables include: Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Cabbage, Endive, most kinds of Potatoes, all kinds of Lettuces, Radicchio, Rutabaga, and Swiss Chard.

BEETS:
good for the tops as well as the roots. Plant at the beginning of May.

young carrot tops are delicious as well as nutritious

CARROTS:
for example, take up to 3 weeks to germinate, so getting a heads start on them is important, but planting them too early, when the soil is still cold won’t help. The first days of May should be early enough for carrots. If you haven’t discovered making your own SEED TAPE, then you are in for a treat. Super easy to make yourself, and prevent wasting a ton of carrot seeds.

Did you know that carrot greens are not only good to eat, but super nutritious? More vitamin C than the actual ‘carrot’. I use them lightly chopped when they’re young and tender (the thinnings) in garden salads and in smoothies. If I have more than I can use, then I lightly chop and freeze for later. They make a fantastic Pesto!

Click HERE for the recipe.

LETTUCE:
of all kinds is fine with cooler temperatures and even the odd light frost in the beginning. They’ll germinate in a few days and will thrive in the bright light.

POTATOES:
could have an entire blog post devoted to growing them, but don’t wait till the long weekend in May to plant them. Shoot for the end of April / beginning of May, depending on the spring, when your soil is nice and warm. You don’t want them to pop up before the last frost, so don’t push your luck toooo far, but two or three weeks before last expected frost should be fine. You can expect them to be ready to harvest in 120 days, but you can begin ‘stealing’ young potatoes in early to mid August (depending when you planted them of course). The best potatoes I ever grew were hilled completely in hay. An experiment that I am trying to recreate this year. Stay tuned.

RUTABAGAS:
not to be confused with turnips. They are both root vegetables and have similar shape and appearance, but they are not the same. Turnips are usually harvested young – only 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and are a summer vegetable. Rutabagas are harvested closer to the end of the growing season, and are usually bigger. Turnips are white with a purplish top, rutabagas have a yellowish flesh, also a purplish top. Turnips taste a little like radishes to me, while rutabagas are a little milder and maybe even sweeter. Both can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, roasted or stir fried. Its all about personal preference when judging between the two, and tastes change over time, so I think its a good idea to come back to certain foods that we may not have liked in younger years. Turnips and rutabagas are the perfect example of that.

This year is a FIRST for me to grow rutabagas. I confirmed last year that I am not a fan of turnips, but I do like to oven roast the rutabagas that I buy in the winter, so I’m gonna give them a good try in my garden this season. Stay tuned for more information.

swiss chard early afternoon, destined to become spanakopita for dinner

SWISS CHARD:
is one of my best friends in the garden. Fast Growing, Forgiving and Fabulous it is delicious, nutritious and very flexible in the kitchen. It is a staple in my summer kitchen, and the most important ingredient in my SPANAKOPITA. In fact I grow swiss chard especially for this summer delicacy.

Chard will tolerate the heat of summer much better than spinach, but hot dry days will still cause it to bolt. Watering well when its dry will help cool it down, but its important to pick continuously throughout the season.

Planting Non Hardy Vegetables must wait

Rushing the season with tender plants like tomatoes and peppers, is asking for trouble, so yes, for them – stick to the age old rule of May long weekend. For the others mentioned above, a little frost, a little snow – pshaw, we’re talking about SUPER HEROES here! They’re not afraid of cold. A late, cold spring, doesn’t have to shorten our season, or decrease our harvest, in fact, cooler temperatures are best for these cool weather vegetables. Be brave, and Be positive. You’re the boss of your garden. Begin looking at cold rainy spring days as SPINACH DAYS. And there’s other good news – in the early spring, there are fewer pests around to damage plants. It’s a total WIN!

Whether you’ve been around the block a time or two, or you’re just getting your feet underneath you in the garden, cool crops are a bountiful way to extend our season. And because they’re so forgivingly easy to grow, they are encouraging plants to start off with. Success means starting with winners. And the key is to EAT them. Broaden your horizons. Commit to experiment every year, with something new to you. Learn about one more vegetable that you never knew before. Plant it. Make friends with it, and learn ways to enjoy it.

SPANAKOPITA is why everyone should always plant Swiss Chard!
There is no question that the world would be a happier place if we all did.

Hardy fruits:

There are many fruits we can grow in and around Edmonton, most notably – BERRIES. I hope you love berries because we grow awesome raspberries around here. And great red and black currents. And terrific honey berries (haskaps). And saskatoons. And plums and sour cherries. And rhubarb and apples. And all of these come back every year! We also grow excellent strawberries and even some types of grapes. So don’t limit your gardens to annual vegetables, open your mind and your arms to perennial fruits. But that’s another blog post for another time.

The one cardinal garden rule that everyone should obey is to:
GROW WHAT YOU EAT, AND EAT WHAT YOU GROW. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time and space.

Have fun in your garden this year, and have fun planning and planting it. Don’t wait till all the stars align, the sun is warm and everything else is perfect. You’ll have wasted valuable growing time. Embrace the hardy vegetables of cool weather. Put your jacket and garden gloves on and get out there!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on extending your gardening season. Please comment below.

At the time of this writing it is mid April 2022. We’ve had an unseasonably cold early spring. Snow has not completely melted. The world is in turmoil. War is raging in the Ukraine as they fight to remain autonomous from Russia. This is affecting food supplies all over Europe, and the fallout will be felt worldwide. We in the west, are still recovering from droughts, floods, fires, storms, and labour shortages. Food prices have skyrocketed along with fuel and energy prices, and everything related to them (which is pretty much everything). If ever there was a good time to plant a garden to supplement our grocery dollar, this year would be it!

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Spring Cleaning

I like Spring Cleaning. 🙂

Welllll, maybe I don’t absolutely love all of the ‘verb‘ part of it. But I like what it yields. I like the feeling of everything being clean. And I like it enough to do the work necessary to make it a reality. I like the freshness of knowing the medicine cabinet and bathroom cupboards are wiped down and organized, and the mirrors are polished, and corners are wiped clean.

I like dejunking – getting rid of things we really shouldn’t be keeping anymore anyway. I like that the fridge is clean inside and out, that behind it is is clean too. I like the look of a freshly oiled table and sideboard, and the bright clean look of all surfaces that have been oiled. I like clean windows. The truth is, I’m not especially fond of the actual cleanING part – but very fond of the CLEAN part, and so far, in my life – there’s only one way to the desired destination. If I was rich, I’d probably hire someone to come in and do those deep cleaning jobs for me, or at least help me so that I could just skip ahead to the wonderful adjective version of ‘clean’ and not have to wade thru the verb version of it. . . . .

I have many memories of spring cleaning when our kids were home. Some of them are good. Oh well. I guess they’re all kinda good. I just had some lazy-butt kids when it came to spring cleaning, who didn’t always catch the vision of the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. Often times I wondered if the pain of forced labour was worth the price I had to pay for it, but I usually didn’t let that interfere. Especially if they ticked me off.

We made it a habit to use the week of spring-break for spring-cleaning. And by ‘we’, I mean the ‘royal we’ of course. As in – ME. “I” made it a habit to use the week of spring break for spring cleaning. “They” didn’t have much choice. It wasn’t a popular idea, but it had its advantages. I created a list of what needed to be done. The first person who got off their butts to get started, got their choice of jobs, the last person got what nobody else wanted. And of course, their rooms – that went without saying. Everybody over 8 was responsible for their own rooms. Each job was calculated to take the better part of a day to complete. Nothing else could be done during spring break till your job was finished. That should have worked better as an incentive than it often did. There were times when certain individuals spent the whole time feeling sorry for themselves and then the week was done, and they never did get to enjoy their week off school. And then, having wasted their entire spring break getting to do nothing they wanted, they ‘really’ felt sorry for themselves. And they thought I should too. But I didn’t. I just felt sorry for me. And the pain they put me through while they moaned and complained about the injustice of it all.

And now, all these years later, they’re all gone and they have kids of their own, and they can figure out what they want to do about spring cleaning. There are options of course: 1) do nothing and get zero results, 2) be the martyr and do it all yourself, never training your kids how to clean and find joy in a freshly cleaned house, 3) find ways to motivate your family to pitch in and do their part, 4) prevent the need for spring cleaning, by cleaning deeply on a regular basis all year long, which you could do on your own, teaching your kids that some magical fairy godmother is the source of all shiny surfaces, or you could do with the helping hands of those who live in your house. Do I regret being the meanie who made them clean? Nope. Was it easy? Nope. Would I do it again? Yup.

And now, its just me to clean. sigh . . . . and now I have to motivate myself. sigh again . . . . .
There are so many other things I’d rather do. But I remind myself: while I don’t especially love the ‘verb‘ part of it, I like what it yields – and there’s only one way to get there.

Happy Spring CLEAN!

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle