Where'd all the Canucks go?

Eh? Where'd you all go?..lol
Here was I thinking I'd get to know all these cool Canadian Gardeners and you all ran away...

What's everyone up to?

Aran

They're still chipping the ice off their computers!

GG - In Snowless SD

I have a January thaw, actually it started on the last day of January and it's about plus 1 C right now...lol
Seems one of the groundhogs saw its shadow today... another 6 weeks?

On my calender, The Farmers Almanac one, says its Candlemas day today and if it's nice today then we're gonna get more bad weather..the sun is shining.... oh well, they didn't get it right last year either...lol

Aran

Goosegirl wrote:

They're still chipping the ice off their computers!

GG - In Snowless SD

We do have heating in our igloos.

All the snowbirds got smart and went to Vero Beach.

I was wondering the same thing.....

They must still be hibernating.

I will be starting up my table top grow op shortly as I prepare for Canadian spring here in Petawawa.

Well, after the snow we got in the past 24 hours I think they all went down to Florida...lol
We got 15 inches in 24 hours and we're expecting an Alberta Clipper coming through later in the week.....

I've been working on getting my potting shed ready, it used to be my chicken shed but I gave the chickens to a new home, it was costing us about $15 for a dozen eggs, I like organic, free range but not that much....lol I do miss the birds though, they had such characters.

So the potting shed/seed starting shed is about ready I just need to get it warmed up, it's still minus 2 in there right now and I don't want to use too much hydro warming it up... So more plastic around doors and windows find any and all drafts... I'll be sowing seeds by next week which is at least two months earlier if not more than usual.
Yaaaay...

Aran

AranMC wrote:So the potting shed/seed starting shed is about ready I just need to get it warmed up, it's still minus 2 in there right now and I don't want to use too much hydro warming it up... So more plastic around doors and windows find any and all drafts... I'll be sowing seeds by next week which is at least two months earlier if not more than usual.
Yaaaay...

Aran

Way to go, Aran.

Kelejan, another cool Canuck

I've decided that I'll buy a heater for the shed, it will take too long for it to warm up any other way. We'll be going to North Bay on Thursday so I'll probably get a Propane heater then.

So I'll be able to sow this next week, Cabbages, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Parsley to begin with and probably other stuff.. I need to go through all my seeds since the ANSFG book doesn't/couldn't list ALL veggies and herbs....lol
I'm counting my last frost date as May 15, Sudbury, which is an hour or two north of us is May 15 so I figure if I stick with their frost date I should be okay....lol

Since I usually can't sow outdoors until first week of June, I'll have a fantastic start on my gardening by starting indoors now. I couldn't start seeds in the house because we have 10 rescue cats...
By autumn I will have a lean-to greenhouse, we have an open lean-to right now and I'm going to put sides on it and using plastic sheeting it will be come my greenhouse and will have 2 20ft side beds to increase the season even further in Spring and in Fall... and hopefully overwinter some of the more tender perennials/herbs...

Aran

AranMC wrote:
I couldn't start seeds in the house because we have 10 rescue cats...

Aran

I hear ya on the seeds vs. cats. The first year I tried seeds indoors I found my cat happily sitting on one end of the seedling tray while she munched her salad from the other end of the seedling tray. So much for my early start to peppers and tomatoes that year!

GG

One of the cats weighs 14lbs and lays on anything, simply because she can....lol

Aran

AranMC wrote:

One of the cats weighs 14lbs and lays on anything, simply because she can....lol

Aran

My Garden Destroyer is only 7 lbs, probably because she is a salad eater!

GG

Hello Fellow Canucks - I'm glad to find you. As you can tell, I'm a newbie and have so much to learn. Was thinking of starting my seeds indoors and had never even thought of my cats (I have 2) as a concern but will do so now. Worst case they eat some good roughage and I use plants this year. I'm close to Barrie Ontario and will dig up my anticipated frost date, but think I can also use May 15th - thanks for the info. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. I'm looking forward to my adventure

SFG_Newbie21 from a British Columbian SFGer.

Goosegirl wrote:

AranMC wrote:
I couldn't start seeds in the house because we have 10 rescue cats...

Aran

I hear ya on the seeds vs. cats. The first year I tried seeds indoors I found my cat happily sitting on one end of the seedling tray while she munched her salad from the other end of the seedling tray. So much for my early start to peppers and tomatoes that year! GG

I used plastic forks to keep my foster cat out of the round foot garden on my porch. She lives with us from October thru April or so, when her Mommy and Daddy go to Arizona.

Hi Aran,

Wow you are really getting things going! A heated potting shed sounds like a wonderful sanctuary!

I usually start peppers Feb or Mar to give them a really good headstart. I learned last year that they grow better in pots...can take them in and out of house or shed to avoid frost and chance the sun as it changes positions.

We both have a very short growing season to work with, so earlier is definately better!

Happy gardening!

Back from Cuba! Starting some seeds indoor this weekend...

Hi,

I'm here. Just started onion seeds inside today. I am lucky I have a storage room with a window, it has a door.....no cats allowed. Last year I used the small cages from the garden to cover my starts. Can't wait to see little green sprouty things.

I started planting seeds indoors about a month ago, I am gradually putting all the seedlings in 3inch pots........ or is it 10 cm?
I have all my spinach and greens outside under cattle panels low hoop houses AND am hoping to start up my higher hoop house in a few weeks with my tomato seedlings. It is my first winter in Canada in 15 years and so i am trying to maintain my hype.
Have taken up snowshoeing to "embrace" the winter

Where in BC are you? I am in Winfield.

Scotch Creek, Not too far away...

I am gonna be sowing seeds TOMORROW!!! It's taken this long to get the shed finished and heated up.. We had a weather bomb a few days ago, where you get days of weather in a few hours.. 18 inches of snow in less than 4 hours... 24 hours ago we were at minus 30 Centigrade, today we are at PLUS 12 Centigrade....we have a spring melt happening and the basement is already starting to get wet....

Aran

my ground is still as hard as a rock, so I am attempting to warm up my beds with hoops and plastic.
ENJOY your planting today.....

My ground is still under 4ft of snow right now but at least it's finally started melting...lol



Aran

Well here's to meltin snow........
I just wish it would go away.
Except at higher elevations.......