Well, as with most years, the first week of January saw good adherence to the “new plan” and resolutions, the second week, not so much. I blame it on everything but me, of course. But seriously, I was dogged by nausea all week and slept away a couple of the days. Not sure if this is a low level flu or something else, but regardless I was very thankful that it was January and things aren’t hectic yet and I could listen to the old bod and rest. But looking at my weekly plan and all the things not checked off, I am a bit discouraged, and this post, consequently, is short. Oh well, as they say, it’s the returning and returning and returning to the practice that eventually brings you to mastery.
It was in the -30’s almost every night this week (or at least it seemed so) with wind chills nearing the -40’s. The kind of cold that takes your breath away when you step out into it initially. These are the winters I remember growing up in, in Edmonton. It has been much milder for at least 10 years as far as I can tell. Last winter, out here in Wildwood, we never got into the low -30’s, meaning that if I went from that year alone, we had a Zone 4b winter (USDA zone). However, zones are defined by climate conditions over many years, so of course we are not a Zone 4, but I was most happy that some of the new perennials I planted only had to endure a Zone 4 winter 😊.
- mid post script: check out this stat I found this morning on the Weather Network for our area .Ug. If I was using the USDA system that would mean I am gardening in a Zone 1 :0
The Zone
I used to think that our climate zone was basically defined by the lowest temperatures reached in winter, thereby defining what plants are hardy or not. This is how the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) calculates their zones. Specifically the USDA simply uses “average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones” (from http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/)
Not here in Canada! I love Canada, we are a thoughtful (in all senses of the word) bunch and that is even reflected in our Zone map! Also we are up against some serious weather, so need to be particularly astute about how to survive and grow a range of plants. Our zone map was developed using a mathematical model that considers several long-term climate factors:
- Mean minimum temperature of the coldest month,
- frost free period in days,
- rainfall June through November,
- mean maximum temperature of the warmest month,
- rainfall in January,
- mean maximum snow depth and
- maximum wind gust in 30 years.
Impressive. They then populated the model with data from 640 climate stations across the country and created the map.
Reading up on this I found out some encouraging things, including that the zone map was developed for ornamental trees, not necessarily perennial plants! Also the following statement: “the maps are only a guide ….(my dots), sometimes plus or minus two zones may be reasonable, especially where there are big gradients in snow or wind in small areas”. Being the optimist when it comes to gardening, I read that to mean I can “push my zone” if I work hard at improving the micro-climates around my yard and growing areas! I will ignore the “minus 2 zones” as that is just too depressing.
I am sure I am like most gardeners, especially from Zone 2, in that I really would like to grow some of the huge range of plants available in Zone 5 and warmer. Likely not going to happen anytime soon here (and I don’t want that to happen anyways), but even if I can get up to Zone 4 my plant palette increases hugely. Unfortunately, I have an uphill climb to get to Zone 4 as my farm is also in a low point in the landscape, meaning I am in a “frost pocket”. Cold air is heavier than warm air and naturally migrates to lower points in the landscape, so being down near the Lobstick River, puts us in this type of situation. My frost-free days are fewer than some of my neighbors in higher spots. Sigh. This is the problem of buying land using your heart rather than your head. Oh well, just means I have to be more creative with season extension. And I am still going to try to push my zone! I will keep you posted on how I do with various plants.
Anyways, If you are interested in learning more about the Canadian hardiness zone map I highly recommend that you read the Canadian Forestry Service’s tech notes on this, they are written in understandable language. All of the technical info above came from them:
- http://www.glfc.forestry.ca/VLF/landscape/Tech_Note103_E.pdf
- http://www.glfc.forestry.ca/VLF/landscape/Tech_Note104_E.pdf
An aside, related, and may be of interest to those out my way: I am really looking forward to going to the San Gudo Horticultural Society’s annual Garden Day on January 27, where Morgan Webb from Greenland Garden Center in Edmonton will be talking about Zone Envy and how to deal with it! Also speaking will be Koen De Herdt from De Herdt Gardens in Barrhead (www.deherdtgardens.com). I will write more about what I hear after the Garden Day.
Seed starting
On the seed starting front, I did not start anything this week. Thankfully, that is not because I failed to follow my own schedule, it is because there were none on the schedule to be started this week. Phew.
Of the ones I planted the first week of January, I was excited to see the emergence of some Mountain Mint seedlings, 1 Jasione seeding, more Rudbeckia triloba (first true leaves appearing!), several new Blue False Indigo, with 2 of the original seedlings growing great guns and already showing their second set of true leaves! A small clutch of White Snakeroot babies emerged, and Two Russian Sage seedlings, but I lost one of the Perovskia‘s to damping off. I have taken the humidity dome off to help with this. I don’t’ spray any fungicides as we are gunning for an organic certification in the future.
| Common Name | Source | Species | Planting treatments on Jan 1 | January 7 | January 13
(cumulative) |
| Russian Sage | GN | Perovskia atriplicifolia | 50% O
50% HMHH |
1 |
1* lost one to damping off |
| Blue False Indigo | GN | Baptisia australis | 50% O
50% SN
|
3 |
6 |
| Prairie Shooting Star | GN | Dodecatheon pulchellum | 50% O
50% HMHH |
0 |
0 |
| Mountain Mint | GN | Pycnanthemum virginianum | 100% HMHH |
0 |
3 |
| White snakeroot/Tall boneset | GN | Eupatorium rugosum syn. Ageratina altissima | 100% HMHH |
3 |
12 |
| Hysssop | GN | Hyssopus officinialis | 50% O
50%RT4 |
0 |
0 |
| Sheep’s Bite Scabiosa | GN | Jasione perennis | 100% HMHH |
0 |
1 |
| Honeysuckle- red | GN | Lonicera dioica | 100% RT4 |
NA |
NA |
| Branched Coneflower | GN | Rudbeckia triloba | 10%O
10%HMHH |
5 |
11 |
| Prairie Smoke | GN | Geum triflorum | 30% 0
30%RT 1 wk |
NA |
NA |
| Prairie Blazing Star | WF | Liatris pycnostachya | 50%O
50%RT4 |
NA |
NA |
| Rough Blazing Star | WF | Liatris aspera | 50% O
50% RT1wk |
NA |
NA |
| Yellow Wild Indigo | WF | Baptisia sphaerocarpa | 50%O
50% RT1wk |
NA |
NA |
| Green-Headed Coneflower | WF | Rudbeckia laciniata | 50%O
50% RT1wk |
NA |
NA |
| Branched Coneflower | WF | Rudbecia triloba | 10% O
10% RT1 wk |
NA |
NA |
| Wild Lupine | WF | Lupinus perennis | 50%O
50% RT4 |
NA |
NA |
| Prairie Smoke | WF | Geum triflorum | 50% 0
50%RT 1 wk |
NA |
NA |
| Maral Root | R | Leuzea carthamoides | 10% HMHH |
1 |
1 |
| Joe Pye Weed | R | Eutrotrichium purpureum | RT4 |
NA |
NA |
| Pink Lupines | Me | Lupinus | 30% O |
NA |
NA |
| Lupines – mixed | GS | Lupinus polyphyllus | 30%O |
NA |
NA |
GN= Gardens North
WF= Wildflower Farm
R= Richters Herbs
GS= Geo seeds
Me= seed collected from my own plants
SN= soaked seed overnight and then “nicked” seed coat prior to seeding into potting mix and putting on heat mat under lights inside
O= planted in moist potting mix in plastic jug and placed outside
HMHH= planted in moist potting mix covered in vermiculite as necessary and put on heat mat under lights inside
RT4 mo= refrigerator treatment as per seed packet instructions. Seeds placed in moist paper towel and put in a plastic baggie in crisper in fridge
RT1 wk= seeds placed on moist paper towel and put in a plastic baggie in the crisper in the fridge for 1 day, then in freezer 1 day, alternating this treatment for 1 week. Then will be planted in soil.
or alternating fridge to freezer (also in moist paper towel inside a plastic baggie) for one week
NA = data not available yet
Well that about wraps it up for the second week of January 2018, see you here next week!