Now
15°C · Clear
Today
17° / 8°
Soil 6 cm
14°C
First frost
~32 days (Oct 10)
Gardening in Saguenay
AI field guide · refreshed weeklySaguenay Garden: September 8–14 — Harvest Season, Frost Watch Begins
Zone 4b means your first fall frost arrives around October 10—just 32 days away. Soil at 14°C is still workable but cooling fast; anything you plant now must mature before mid-October. You're 109 days past last spring frost (May 22), so tender annuals are in their final weeks. Watch the forecast closely: a hard frost could arrive any week after September 20.
Sow outdoors now
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea 'Space' or 'Bloomsdale')
Sow directly now for a quick fall crop; germinates well in 14°C soil and matures in 40–50 days before frost. Space 10 cm (4 in) apart.
Arugula (Eruca sativa)
Tolerates cool soil and light frosts; ready in 30–40 days. Sow thickly and thin as you harvest leaves.
Mâche (Valerianella locusta)
A cold-hardy Québec favourite; germinates slowly in cool soil but thrives in fall and survives light frosts. Sow now for October–November harvest.
Radish (Raphanus sativus 'Cherry Belle' or 'Icicle')
Matures in 25–30 days; direct sow now for late-September harvest before soil freezes.
Turnip (Brassica rapa 'Purple Top' or 'Gilfeather')
Sow now for October harvest; tolerates frost and improves in flavour after a light freeze. Thin to 10 cm (4 in) spacing.
Start indoors now
Microgreens (any brassica or mustard)
Start indoors on a sunny windowsill for 10–14 day harvest; extends your growing season as outdoor beds wind down.
Garlic (Allium sativum, cloves)
Begin soaking cloves now; plant outdoors in late September–early October for spring harvest. Choose a sunny, well-draining bed.
Harvest now
Tomato (all varieties)
Pick all fruit—ripe and green—before frost arrives; green tomatoes ripen indoors at room temperature in 2–3 weeks.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Harvest all peppers now, even immature ones; frost will kill the plant within days.
Squash & Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.)
Cut with 5 cm (2 in) stem; cure in a warm, dry place for 10 days before storage to harden skin.
Beans, Peas & Root Vegetables (Phaseolus, Pisum, Brassica)
Harvest beans and peas before frost; dig carrots, beets, and parsnips now or mulch heavily to extend harvest into October.
Tasks this week
- Clean up spent annual beds and add disease-free debris to compost; remove any diseased foliage.
- Mulch root crops (carrots, beets, parsnips) with 15 cm (6 in) of straw or leaves to extend harvest and prevent ground freeze.
- Stake or support any late-season crops (fall brassicas, chard) against wind gusts up to 27 km/h (17 mph) forecast mid-week.
- Divide and transplant perennials (daylilies, hostas, sedums) before soil cools; water well and mulch.
- Drain and store garden hoses, shut off outdoor water lines, and prepare beds for winter mulch.
Watch out for
- First hard frost could arrive any week after September 20; monitor nightly lows and cover tender plants with row cloth if frost threatens.
- Powdery mildew and early blight thrive in cool, damp fall weather—remove affected leaves and improve air circulation.
- Slugs and snails are active in wet conditions; hand-pick in early morning or use beer traps in low-lying beds.
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