Frost brings end to extended gardening season

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This article was published 10/10/2023 (1040 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Falling temperatures throughout the weekend marked the beginning of the end for an abnormally long gardening season, and while local horticulturalists are thrilled about the late frost, environmental experts suggest it could be an indicator of climate change.

On Sunday, overnight lows dipped below 0 C for the first time since May 4. The 157-day span of warm weather breezed past Manitoba’s annual average growing period of 121 days, according to data from Environment Canada’s weather station at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport.

Further review showed the airport weather station has not recorded more days above zero since at least 1998, the earliest data available. The closest year was 2021, when it recorded 155 days.

“Gardening is not for the faint of heart,” said Linda Wall, president of the Manitoba Horticultural Association. “We gamble that mother nature isn’t going to freeze in September, and this September, we won.”

Wall, whose organization represents 17 horticultural clubs throughout the province, noted every garden varies in its layout and crop. So although temperatures dropped to -1 C Monday (and were expected to hit -2 C Tuesday), many plots in the city remained untouched by frost.

The extended season was a pleasant surprise for gardeners, who were able to keep flowers in pots and planters into October. People tending to flowers may now consider bringing their plants inside to save them from the increasing cold, but root vegetables such as carrots will continue to thrive in the coming days, said Wall.

“Apparently, there was frost last night; well, it didn’t come to my garden. I still have mandevilla outside, I still have begonias outside that look absolutely beautiful and perennials — every gardener is talking about it,” said Colleen Zacharias, another avid gardener and Winnipeg Free Press columnist.

“This is the first year in several years that we could leave everything outside.”

Zacharias said she plans to pack in her garden this week, while Wall suggested planting garlic, which can remain bedded throughout the winter.

Environment Canada meteorologist Sara Hoffman said frost can vary significantly between locations, so the federal body does not track the annual beginning and end of growing seasons. Instead, it develops averages across multiple years.

As a general rule, the first frost falls on Winnipeg around Sept. 22, Hoffman said.

“We are certainly beyond that,” she said. “It’s such a strong El Niño this year that we are seeing quite high temperature anomalies above normal across the Prairies and western Canada. And, of course, climate change is compounding that.”

El Niño describes a climate pattern which typically brings warmer and drier weather conditions.

Climate change is already affecting the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather- and climate-related events — as seen in the numerous Canadian communities which were significantly impacted by forest fires this year, Environment Canada said.

Overall, the summer weather created average growing conditions for plants, with some species likely needing supplemental water owing to the dryness, Hoffman said.

“I would say definitely this is a trend we expect to continue. I would expect longer and longer growing seasons for sure,” she said.

The current weather forecast does not predict another temperature below 0 C from Wednesday until at least Sunday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca