Plants are beginning to bud and bloom in many parts of northern Ontario, which means many start to think about gardening.
But, Susan Richards, the garden centre manager at New North Greenhouse in Sault Ste. Marie, says a long winter and late frosts mean gardeners may have to curb their enthusiasm, at least for a little while.
"[Spring] is two or three weeks behind in northern Ontario," Richards said. "But May 24 can be the weekend for hearty things, hearty vegetables, carrots, peas, things that can take the cold."
Richards said despite the warmer weather, the soil is still extremely cold.
"It's too early to be planting annuals or tender plants, trees and shrubs from a garden centre," she said. "Or perennials that have been outside when you bought them that have been acclimatized to the weather."
But the rule of thumb for farmers has been traditionally to look for the first full moon of June before planting. An event, Richards said, which is slated for late in June.
"We're a little uncertain what might happen because the season is late, we might get late frosts, we don't know," she said. "But seasoned planters and farmers usually wait until the first week of June before planting anything tender."
Think about a blanket for tender leaves
Plants with tender leaves like ferns and hostas, or anything in the perennial line could benefit from having a blanket thrown over them on cooler nights, she added.
It's also prudent to keep the fertilizer handy this weekend.
"By the time we hit the long weekend, I suspect to see active growth, and that's a good time to get a good quality fertilizer in the ground so the plants have food for the upcoming growing season," Richards said.
As for pruning, Richards cautions gardeners from clipping anything that is spring blooming.
"Don't prune right now rhododendrons, forsythia, or azalea," she said. "Don't prune lilacs because they've already set their buds. Wait until immediately after they flower. If you prune them in the spring or fall you're cutting off their buds."
She also advises gardeners when researching techniques online, to make they specify northern Ontario in their search criteria.
"If you're getting [information online]...say Zone 4 or northern Ontario to make sure you're' getting the right advice for our area."