Cool to find another Ontarian with a gardening channel, I'm in Oakville, same zone as you. I've found in large fast growing cities the historic frost date can be out of date, since urban heat island effects can get stronger and extend the frost free period by a week or two. Being really close to a Great Lake can matter too. During fall cold snaps, it's often 5C, if not close to 10C warmer by Lake Ontario in the GTA than in rural areas further from the lake (ex Halton Hills).
I think for the very cold hardy ones you can basically plant as soon as the ground can be worked, like spinach and carrots. At least around here, they probably won't germinate until the soil is warm enough. So you can just let the seeds decide the exact time that they're ready. I wouldn't do that with frost sensitive plants in case you get some really warm days in April that cause them to germinate only to get hit by a freak frost in late April/early May, but for the cold hardy ones it should be fine. I sowed my radish, spinach and snap peas on April 4 this year and would probably try even earlier next year.
Hi Nicolas! Very true about the lake effect. I drove from Niagara to Mississauga every day for years and saw the drastic difference in weather over that drive. Even here in Niagara there are different pockets where we can see significant weather variations, depending on how far you are from the lake. Always glad to meet a fellow Ontarian here on YT and hope you're getting a nice harvest this fall!
Good explanation, thanks. We are in zone 4a NNY. Looks like you have a lot less snow left than we do. Do you soak your peas and beans overnight before planting? We always have, and got better germination rate.
Hey Michael, yes our snow is pretty well melted now. Sometimes I'll soak them, but not always - I've only noticed a tiny bit of improvement. I usually get fresh seeds each year since I grow so many, so that definitely helps increase germination rate too. Thanks for the tip!
