Now
22°C · Partly cloudy
Today
22° / 11°
Soil 6 cm
13°C
First frost
~23 days (Oct 1)
Gardening in Prince George
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyPrince George Gardening: Early September – Race Against Frost
You're in zone 4a with an average first fall frost on October 1—just 23 days away. Soil at 13°C (55°F) is still workable but cooling fast; anything you plant now must mature before frost. Spring frost averages May 10, giving you a 144-day growing season. Focus on extending what's already growing and protecting tender perennials.
Sow outdoors now
Spinach (Bloomsdale, Space or Tyee)
Direct seed now for a quick fall crop; germinates well in 13°C soil and matures in 40–50 days before hard frost. Thin to 10 cm (4 in) apart.
Arugula (Roquette)
Fast grower (30–40 days), cold-hardy, and tolerates light frosts. Sow thickly and harvest outer leaves continuously.
Mâche (Corn Salad)
Extremely cold-hardy; sow now and it will overwinter under snow, sprouting again in spring. Germinates slowly but worth the wait.
Radish (Cherry Belle, Icicle)
Matures in 25–30 days; sow now for harvest before mid-October. Tolerates cool soil and light frosts.
Turnip (Purple Top, Hakurei)
Sow for roots and greens; turnips mature in 60–70 days but greens are ready in 30. Frost actually improves flavor.
Start indoors now
Kale (Lacinato, Winterbor)
Start seeds indoors now for transplanting in 4–5 weeks; these cold-hardy varieties will produce through November and into early winter.
Onion seeds (for spring harvest)
Sow indoors now for transplants in late October; long-day varieties like Walla Walla will overwinter and bulk up next spring.
Garlic cloves (direct or pre-chill indoors)
Plant cloves directly outdoors in 2–3 weeks, but you can pre-chill them indoors now to break dormancy and ensure strong spring growth.
Harvest now
Tomatoes (all remaining)
Pick all fruit, even green ones; ripen indoors at room temperature or use for salsa and preserves. Frost will kill plants within 3 weeks.
Beans and peas (final pods)
Harvest mature pods now; cool nights slow production. Leave some pods on the plant to dry for seed-saving if you want next year's crop.
Squash and pumpkins (winter storage types)
Pick any mature fruit with hard skin; cure indoors at 15–18°C (60–65°F) for 2 weeks before storage. Leave stems 5 cm (2 in) long.
Carrots and beets (partial harvest)
Pull larger roots now; smaller ones can stay in ground and sweeten under frost. Mulch heavily if you leave them for late-season harvest.
Tasks this week
- Mulch perennial beds with 5–8 cm (2–3 in) of compost or shredded leaves to insulate roots and suppress early-season weeds next spring.
- Cut back dead foliage on perennials only after the first hard frost; leave standing stems for winter shelter and seed heads for wildlife.
- Dig and pot tender perennials (dahlias, cannas, tender fuchsias) before frost; store in a cool, dark garage or basement over winter.
- Plant spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses) now while soil is still workable; they need 4–6 weeks of cold to break dormancy.
- Empty and store garden hoses, drain irrigation lines, and clean tools before the first hard freeze.
Watch out for
- First hard frost likely within 3 weeks—don't delay harvesting warm-season crops or protecting tender plants.
- Wet soil this week (1.9–1.4 mm rain forecast Sept 9–10) may cause root rot if you've overwatered; hold off watering established plants.
- Slugs and earwigs are still active in cool, damp conditions; hand-pick or use beer traps around remaining leafy crops.
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