Frost Tolerant Vegetables

The preview of spring that we had in mid-March put some of us "off-track" when it comes to what we can be planting in our vegetable gardens.  Our calendar needs to regulate what we plant rather than the thermometer, which as we've seen in the last 2 weeks, can change very dramatically.  In this part of Ontario, we can expect hard frosts until mid-May & some years even later.

There are some frost-tolerant vegetable plants that actually thrive in the cooler temperatures.  Lettuce, peas,  onion, & asparagus roots  sets are examples of what can be planted now. Potatoes can be planted but are a little risky.  If the plants have emerged and there is a hard frost, they will take a hit.  Cole crops like broccoli & cabbage are also quite safe to plant now.  All of the above will do well in soil that the sun has not yet warmed up.

Probably the most popular vegetable plant that everyone is keen to get started - the tomato- is the one plant you definitely should not plant until mid-May, and then with some extra care.  Cold winds can destroy tomato & pepper plants just as quickly as a frost.  Peppers are a warm weather crop, and should never be planted before mid to end of May.  These plants need a warm soil temperature to grow, and will actually be stunted if planted too early.


Now is a great time to be planting some small fruit plants.  Strawberry & raspberry canes will do well if they get an early start.  There's also some other fruit bushes, blackberry, rhubarb, blueberry, currants & grape vines that can be planted now.

I'm getting excited about getting the tiller into the garden to work up the soil, getting some fertilizer on & planting some lettuce seeds & onion sets.  Nothing like a fresh salad, straight from the garden.