Early spring in Vancouver: 3 tips for gardeners
While the warm February weather means early blooms, it's important to remember a frost could still happen
The warm spring-like weather in Vancouver means many gardening enthusiasts have already got their hands dirty.
Tricia Sedgwick — the founder of an urban farm and garden project in Vancouver, The World in a Garden — dug into the ground over the weekend, but said it's important for gardeners to take a few precautions to make sure their blooms continue into the spring.
"You want to be in your garden a little bit earlier and just observing," Sedgwick told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.
"The role of the gardener is to observe what's happening in the garden and look at what needs attention."
Here are three tips she has for eager gardeners:
1. Watch out for frost
While the weather has been mild, it's worth waiting for spring before planting crops, as it's still possible for another cold snap to hit.
"If you plant something now in the ground and it sprouts, that sprout is at risk during a cold snap, said Sedgwick.
2. Stay on top of pruning
Sedgwick said winter crops like cauliflower, kale, and other brassicas are at risk of going to seed.
"It's an easier harvest right now and things are growing a lot faster," she said.
She said it's a good idea to cut back some of the sprouts and blooms, to the plant doesn't go to seed to fast — losing the spring harvest.
3. Take advantage of the weather
Sedgwick said it is a good time to start seeds indoors, to get them ready for planting in the spring.
"The plants that you are starting from seed, such as your celery, your early tomatoes that you would start seeding and putting in the greenhouse now in seed start trays — they're going to be happy. They're going to be warm."
To hear the full interview with Tricia Sedgwick, click the audio labelled: Tips for gardening in the early spring.