Pine Cone

Do any of you grow your own backyard veggies? Is this just not a thing in Canada? I did wonder about the climate, but after talking to some acquaintences in other cold places like Northern Norway and Iceland, it seems to be a pretty normal thing to do. They just grow veggies which require a shorter growing season or have some kind of a greenhouse arrangement. I've been looking at real estate websites online and the vast majority of houses seem to have completely empty gardens with a pool (do they even get much use?), a deck and an empty lawn. Not exactly inspiring! But there are also plenty of garden centres, so clearly people buy plants.

Atlantic Xpat

Good grief, do you think Canada is permanently covered in snow or ice? Of course people grow their own veggies. Some places - where I live being an example - have a shorter growing season but there's quite s lot of agriculture in Canada (he says understatingly) so yes, it's entirely possible to grow veggies unless perhaps you are planning to move to Iqaluit.

Pine Cone

I don't doubt for one minute that it's possible. It's just that all the real estate photos I'm seeing online show pretty much zero evidence of vegetable growing. Lawn is boring and not very useful. I'm just trying to guage how common it is, as this is something we enjoy a great deal and it's nice to have friends and neighbours to trade with. There are Ooooby groups in Canada but not as many members as the likes of NZ, Australia or the UK.

Shirtback

Yes. I had quite an extensive & successful 'potager' when I lived in a house with acreage (no greenhouse for most of that time).

I still grow veggies in pots as an apartment dweller.

There are a couple of threads on the subject floating around, from memory there's a recent one started by Leith.

Oodles of online groups & fora, meet ups & plant/seed swaps exist for just about every area in CA.

ann m

I worked in a garden centre a few years ago and I can tell you veggie growing is super popular and in fact to get in quick to buy what you want a few weeks either side of the Victoria Day long weekend, because stocks dont last very long!

And yes, the season can be shorter. There is a lot of growing in pots and bags too. It's more mobile as you can shuffle your tomatoes around the deck as the sun moves, and I know many in condos that have an impressive veggie garden growing up and down and all over balconies.

I built a raised veggie garden but don't plant it up every year - depends on summer holiday plans and the need to bug people to help with watering. I haven't invested in irrigation systems.

dbd33

My wife grows vegetables, in pots, in raised beds, in a straw bale garden even in plastic bins half buried in the snow. When living in town we had potatoes in suspended bin bags but we now have a "potato wall" a sort of cage arrangement allowing them to grow alongside the garage. The only reason for not growing them in the ground is that the soil is poor with lots of heavy clay and digging the beds (which we did the first year) is hard work for little result. Edible produce includes tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, potatoes, cabbages, parsnips, peas, green beans, squash, onions.

A greenhouse is thought to be of limited benefit due to the cost of heating it but we do have a grow-op type arrangement of lights suspended from fixtures made of plumbing pipes in the basement. Seeds will be started shortly.

Note that this is in Ontario near Guelph, it'd be different in Fort McMoney.

Juggernaut1064

I have noticed the whole raised bed thing, why do they do that here ? Just curious.

bats

Peas? I've not had any luck with peas. Maybe I put them in too late as they don't like the heat. I've grown potatoes in the raised bed, a dustbin, and black bags. The raised beds did best I didn't water the others often enough.
I tried leeks one year but they didn't do well by the end of the season they were only scallion size. Some Dutch neighbours took pity on me and brought me their produce before they headed south for the winter.

TrishP

I grow tons of veggies, no greenhouse ... squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe, courgette, cucumber, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes by the bucketload, etc. and a ton of herbs. I'm just starting some of my seeds indoors now of veggies that have a long season (leeks & celery) and will be trying winter sowing this year too. It's best to choose varietals wisely, according to number of days to harvest, in order to maximise growth and maturity of produce prior to first frosts. For my zone (Ottawa - 4b), last spring frost is officially early May (although, no one plants frost-tender plants before the May long weekend) and first fall frost is October 5th.

Many folks opt to do raised bed gardening, esp in the urban portion of the city, as the soil on which the lawn has been grown is too poor quality to support veggie growth. Raised beds also help with drainage over soils which are clay-based.

BristolUK

From wiki
Raised beds produce a variety of benefits: they extend the planting season, they can reduce weeds if designed and planted properly, and they reduce the need to use poor native soil. Since the gardener does not walk on the raised beds, the soil is not compacted and the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening. Waist-high raised beds enable the elderly and physically disabled to grow vegetables without having to bend over to tend them.

My stepdaughter uses raised beds and pots. Grows Peppers, Beans, brilliant cucumbers, Snow or Sugar snap peas (can't remember which) tomatoes, cauli, parsnips, grapes, herbs....

TrishP

There are many farmers' markets and food co-ops around the country. Here in Ottawa, we have the Good Food Box, a monthly delivery of veggies and fruit supplied at cost price by local farmers, originally set up to assist those on lower incomes but is actually open to all. Given the recent hike in the price of fruit and veggies, there has been a huge jump in the number of people using the program.

Juggernaut1064

The previous owner of my condo covered the balcony it seems properly with glass so its like a sun room and ive been thinking of putting tubs out there for vegs. Im ground floor so no weight restrictions either. Actually was thinking of checking if they have grow bags here or if i really would have to buy tubs, just for my first year or two and see how it goes, then get some tubs. One veg i miss is new potatoes and been pondering how to go about it here, very much a gardener in the UK and raised in the country but not had the opportunity till i bought my present place to consider gardening again.

TrishP

I've grown potatoes in stacked tyres and in an old plastic bin - pretty easy and effective. Just make sure you drill drainage holes in the bin first.

Juggernaut1064

yep, im thinking there wouldnt be an issue but new potatoes have to be planted in the fall, well at least on UK farms they are and thinking i need a basement to grow those. Although i suppose if i put enough heat into my covered balcony i could maybe make it work ? I might just be thinking too much farmer but even myself i planted them in the fall in the UK. I wish they imported new spuds in the stores lol

BristolUK

They sell new potatoes here but they are not 'new' potatoes as we know them.

But they do have 'baby' potatoes and they seem to be what we're used to. Except that they're usually between 99c and $1.39 a lb.