My Yukon Garden: July 10

Now's when you really start to see the growth from week to week in the garden. (Click for the big picture.) Last week Monday it looked like this. Quite the change, eh? We've had lots of rain, so the weeds have grown at the same rate as the vegies, requiring that I spend a lot of time weeding over the past week.

I've also received a few emails commenting on the garden and asking questions about Yukon gardening, so I thought I'd answer them in this post.

What is the growing season like up there? When do you plant and when do you get the last harvest in?

Planting is usually done around the last week of May and the first week of June. The exact time of planting changes a little from year to year, depending on what kind of spring it is, and how quickly the frost goes out of the ground, and what your location is. The last things to harvest are the root vegetables--the potatoes, carrots, and beets, etc. I aim to have all those in by the first of October. I harvest the brussel sprouts from early to middle October. And if there's any lettuce left, sometimes you can brush off the snow and harvest it in October, as long as the temperature hasn't dropped too low.

I read what you have growing in your garden and I did not see any kind of beans listed. Do any kinds of beans like pinto beans or soybeans grow there?

For growing outdoors, we have to content ourselves with cool weather/frost resistant plants, which rules beans out. Our average last spring frost date is June 11, and our average first fall frost date is August 25, but it is possible for us to have frost any time during the summer, even in the middle of July. Someone who has a greenhouse can grow beans there. When I had a greenhouse I grew pole beans, because they take up less space.

Does corn grow there?

It's the same for corn as for beans. I used to have a neighbour who grew some stalks of corn in her greenhouse, but to be honest, I don't see the point. Corn takes up an awful lot of space to grow a few ears.

Of all the food plants you have grown, which ones seem to do best?

Carrots. The carrots are always good, and the mountain air seems to make them particularly crisp, tender and sweet. Other plants that are fairly reliable are any greens, potatoes, and broccoli.

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Previous weekly garden photos:

1. June 5
2. June 12
3. June 19
4. June 26
5. July 3
   

Also check out Violet's flowers.

You can find the frost dates across Canada here.

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Do you have questions related to gardening in the Yukon? Ask away, and I'll try to answer them in the weekly garden photo post.

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