Now
15°C · Overcast
Today
16° / 11°
Soil 6 cm
15°C
First frost
~21 days (Sep 29)
Gardening in Regina
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyRegina Garden Guide: Early September — Harvest Season Begins, Winter Prep Underway
You're in zone 4a with 21 days until the average first frost (September 29). Soil at 15°C is cool but still workable for direct seeding fast-maturing crops. Spring frost came May 18, giving you 113 frost-free days so far—use this window for anything with 20–30 days to maturity. Nights are already dipping near 10°C; tender annuals will slow or fail after mid-September.
Sow outdoors now
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea 'Space' or 'Bloomsdale Long Standing')
Direct seed now for a quick fall crop; germinates well at 15°C soil temp and matures in 40–50 days before frost. Thin to 10 cm (4 in) apart.
Arugula (Eruca sativa)
Sow thickly for baby leaves in 30 days; cold actually improves flavor. Harvest before hard frost by cutting outer leaves.
Radish (Raphanus sativus 'Cherry Belle' or 'Icicle')
Ready in 25–30 days; plant in succession every 5 days through mid-September for continuous harvest. Tolerates light frost.
Mâche (Valerianella locusta)
Sow now for a cold-hardy winter green; survives light frosts and can be harvested under snow in late fall. Germinates reliably at cool soil temps.
Peas (Pisum sativum 'Sugar Snap' or 'Oregon Sugar Pod')
Plant by September 10 for a 60–70 day crop; they'll mature in cool fall weather and tolerate light frost. Soak seed 2 hours before sowing.
Start indoors now
Kale (Brassica oleracea 'Winterbor' or 'Lacinato')
Start seed indoors now for transplants in 3–4 weeks; these cold-hardy varieties improve in flavor after frost and can be harvested into November.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea 'January King' or 'Tundra')
Sow indoors for transplants by late September; these slow-growing storage varieties need 80–100 days and will head up in cool fall weather.
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea 'Waltham 29' or 'Packman')
Start indoors now for transplants in 4–5 weeks; fall broccoli is sweeter and less prone to bolting than spring crops in this zone.
Harvest now
Tomatoes (all varieties)
Pick all fruit now—green, turning, or ripe—before the first frost (21 days away). Ripen indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a paper bag with an apple.
Peppers (Capsicum annuum)
Harvest all peppers, green or colored; plants will die at first frost. Mature peppers store longer than green ones.
Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Pick snap beans and shell beans regularly; frost will kill plants within 3 weeks. Dry beans can be left on the plant until pods brown if frost holds off.
Squash and Pumpkins (Cucurbita spp.)
Harvest mature winter squash and pumpkins (hard skin, full color) before frost; cut with 5 cm (2 in) of stem and cure in a warm, dry place for 2 weeks.
Tasks this week
- Pull spent annuals and tomato cages; clear debris to reduce overwintering pests and disease.
- Water deeply after planting fall crops; soil is drying fast in 25 km/h winds.
- Mulch newly seeded beds with 2–3 cm (1 in) of compost to retain moisture and moderate soil temperature swings.
- Scout for aphids on brassicas and mites on beans—cool, humid weather favors them; spray with insecticidal soap if needed.
- Divide and transplant spring-flowering perennials (daylilies, coneflowers, sedums) by September 15 so roots establish before frost.
Watch out for
- First frost is 21 days away (average September 29)—don't plant anything with a longer maturity than that.
- Soil temperature is still only 15°C; seeds will rot if overwatered. Water gently and let soil dry slightly between waterings.
- Wind gusts to 35 km/h this week will dry out newly seeded beds and transplants; provide windbreaks or shade cloth if possible.
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