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How to Grow Dahlias in a Short Growing Season and Cold Climate

October 27, 2020

Dahlias are the queen of the cut flower growing world, but they can be tricky to grow and care for if you garden in a cold climate and short growing season. By the time they’ve grown and started blooming, the growing season is almost over and you might not even get to enjoy your blooms before the first frost.

I’ve been growing dahlias for cut flowers in zone 3–which means I only have between 90 and 110 days to work with every year. In this post I’ll share how to start your dahlias so you actually get to enjoy the blooms, how to care for them, and answer some of the most common dahlia growing questions.

Rainbow bouquet of dahlias held by a woman.

P.S. I’m also assuming that you’re wanting to grow dahlias for cut flowers, and not to put in pots. While you can grow cut flower dahlia varieties in pots, it’s better to grow them in the grown or in a raised bed.

Are dahlias easy to grow?

Yes and no. The actual growing once you put them in the ground is easy. The hard part comes when the season is over and it’s time to dig them up, divide them, and store them over the winter.

In a short growing season, the biggest challenge is to get enough blooms before the first frost comes. To combat this, I take all of my tubers out of storage in April and set them in front of a window or under a grow light. They don’t need to be watered or anything, but exposing them to light will help them to start growing.

You don’t HAVE to do this step (especially if you have a longer growing season), but it really does help. I’ve planted many a dahlia on the late side, only to be stuck with a cool summer and have only one or two blooms. Not fun!

A pail of freshly cut dahlias on a path in a dahlia garden.

Once all risk of frost has passed (usually a week or two after your last frost date), it’s time to plant the dahlia tubers in the ground. Dahlias prefer full sun, so plant them in an area that gets at least 8 hours a day. I have had success planting them in an area that only got 5-6 hours of direct sun a day, but I didn’t get as many blooms.

Plant them in well drained soil. The tubers can rot if they don’t get enough drainage. Water them regularly and fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer every two weeks. (Or sprinkle on a slow release fertilizer at the beginning of the season and forget about it.)

Once you start to get blooms, keep cutting them to encourage even more growth. Cut the stems as long as possible (even if you don’t need them that long) so that you don’t end up with a bunch of weird, short stems.

Pink dahlias grown in a field

Dahlias are very sensitive to frost, and will die if they freeze. Once your first frost hits, your dahlia season will be over, unless you cover them to try and extend the season.

Once they freeze, cut off the flower and dig out the tubers. Take off as much soil as possible, label them, and store them over the winter.

Where do you buy dahlia tubers?

There are many great places to get dahlia tubers from, it just depends what kinds of tubers you want. If you want the prettiest kinds that all the flower farmers grow, you’ll want to head to this post to get a list.

Rainbow bouquet of dahlias thrown over a woman's shoulder.

Can you leave dahlias in the ground over winter?

Unfortunately, no, unless you live in zone 8 or higher. In that case, cut them off, top them with a thick, dry mulch, and forget about them.

As for the rest of us, if you do not dig them out in the fall they will not come back in the spring. They will simply turn to mush and become compost for the soil. Frankly, dahlias are too pretty and too expensive to succumb to this fate!!

If you desperately want to try and tempt fate, maybe put a whole bale worth of straw over them? However, I’m really skeptical that that will work in a -40 winter. (If someone tried it and it actually worked, will you let me know in the comments!?!?)

Dahlia tuber after being dug up in the fall.

Broken, Shrivelled, and Dead Dahlia Tubers

No matter how well you try and store your dahlias over the winter, you will likely end up with some broken, shrivelled, mouldy, or dead dahlia tubers. Some can be salvaged, and others can’t.

Broken dahlia tubers are the best candidates for actually surviving. As long as they have an eye on them, they should bloom that year. If a tuber breaks, let it dry until it has a bit of a scab over the broken part, then try planting it in the spring.

Mouldy dahlias tubers are generally not worth planting, and will just eventually rot. Put all mouldy tubers into the compost.

Shrivelled dahlia tubers happen when the area you store them in is too warm. If the tuber feels papery and hollow, it has shrivelled too much and is dead. If is still has something to it, it can still possibly grow and thrive.

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    So that’s basically what you need to know to grow beautiful dahlias! Now head over to my post about overwintering dahlias, the best varieties to plant for cut flowers, and where to purchase dahlias.


    READY TO GROW YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL CUT FLOWER GARDEN, WITHOUT THE HASSEL?

    I’ve taken all the guesswork out of creating a cut flower garden with my e-book, Cut Flowers Made Simple. It’s the perfect way for beginner and intermediate gardeners to start their own cut flower garden with or without seed starting.

    Click on the picture to find out more or get your copy.


    Kristen Raney

    Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

    www.shiftingroots.com

    Leave a Comment
    Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: cut flowers, dahlias

    Swoon-worthy Dahlia Varieties for your Cut Flower Garden

    October 23, 2020

    Admit it. You’ve caught the dahlia growing bug. You’ve seen all those gorgeous flower farming accounts on IG and you’re officially in love. You know you want to grow dahlias for cut flowers, but there are so. many. varieties. How do you know which dahlias make the best cut flowers? Which varieties are the prettiest and work the best in your flower arrangements?

    In this post I’ll break down what to look for in a dahlia variety (and if it’s even intended for cutting!) and share some of my favourites that look good in both your garden as well as the vase. Then, when you’ve made your list of must-haves, head over to these posts to learn even more about dahlias.

    • How to Grow Dahlias (Especially if you have a short growing season)
    • How to Overwinter Dahlias
    • The Best Places to Buy Dahlias
    A field of tall red coloured dahlia flowers at dusk.

    How to tell if a Dahlia variety would make a good cut flower

    As I mentioned above, there are TONS of dahlia varieties available. The amount is staggering, and it’s sometimes difficult to know if you’re getting a good one. They’re also pretty expensive! A cheap dahlia tuber goes for around $4 a piece, and more expensive ones can go for around $10. They’re also labour intensive, as they need to be dug out in the fall, stored over the winter, started early, and then planted. Talk about a lot of money and work for a flower! All this to say, you don’t want to mess it up.

    The best way to tell if a dahlia would be good for cutting is to check the height of the plant. Anything that will grow to around 3 feet or more is a sure bet. The shorter varieties are either meant for containers or to be planted in landscapes. While you can use these flowers in arrangements, the stems will likely not be as long as you’d like them.

    Every Shape and Size

    Dahlias generally come in 4 different sizes: small (sometimes called pom-sized), medium, large, and dinner plate. I personally am not a fan of the super large dinner plate varieties for cutting, only because the flowers are too big for most arrangements. However, the offshoot flowers tend to be smaller and a more reasonable size.

    Dahlias can come in a wide range of colours and combinations–red, orange, yellow, coral, pink, purple, white and very deep reds and purples. They also have different textures. Some, like Cafe Au Lait have looser textured petals, and others, like Jowie Winnie are tighter. There’s also cactus varieties, that have thin spiky petals.

    An example of a cactus variety of dahlia, grown in zone 3. Medium sized with orange tips and yellow base.

    Every flower farmer will have their preferences, but these are some of my favourite varieties. They’re the ones that make your brides happy and your IG account swoon-worthy.

    Looking for some easy to grow cut flowers? You’ll love these 10 picks:

    Tips for Purchasing Dahlias

    So it’s your first time growing dahlias, and you’re not sure how much or what to invest in. Here’s what you need to know, and some of my thoughts now that I’ve grown dahlias a couple of years, and invested in both cheap and expensive tubers.

    If you are growing dahlias purely for your own enjoyment, start by buying the cheap ones at a big box store. They’re much cheaper, and if you lose a tuber or two it’s not such a big deal because they’re not nearly as expensive. however, you will likely not find the really coveted varieties like I’ve listed here. That’s okay. Digging up and storing dahlia tubers over the winter is a bit tricky, so it’s better to lose cheap tubers than expensive ones.

    Different pink varieties of dahlias

    If you are a flower farmer, or wanting to start a side hustle selling bouquets from your backyard, then it’s better to buy from a reputable grower or another flower farmer so you actually get the varieties that customers want. It’s a sizeable investment, but once you have the tubers, you can cut and divide them every year and expand your collection.

    P.S. If you’re thinking about starting a cut flower farming business, you’ll want to get on the list for Cut Flowers Made Simple: Serious Side Hustle so you’ll be the first to know when it comes out in December.

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      The Best Dahlia Varieties for Flower Farmers

      While every flower farmer will eventually figure out their favourites and what sells well with their customers, these are some of the prettiest varieties that you will often see in wedding bouquets and IG pictures.

      A quick disclaimer–I’ve made every effort to get the right dahlia pictured, but I didn’t label every one when I took a picture of it! I’ve taken my best educated guess, but there may be the odd dahlia that is not correct. If I’m unsure, I’ve made notes about which other dahlia I think it could be. Thanks for understanding!!

      Sweet Nathalie

      Gorgeous in wedding work, and paired with other dusty pinks, lavender, or Burgundy.

      Photo Courtesy of Busy Bee Farm and Florals

      Wizard of Oz

      A smaller dahlia variety with pink and white petals and a yellow centre. They look beautiful in wedding bouquets.

      Wizard of Oz Dahlia, light pink with yellow centre, small and pom sized.

      Arabian Night

      Arabian Night is one of the first dahlias to bloom in the summer. I also found it to be more resistant to thrips than my other varieties.

      Photo by Blush Brand Photography

      Peaches and Cream

      This blush colour is on point and will look dreamy on your table or in a wedding arrangement.

      Photo courtesy of Covers Flower Farm

      Cafe Au Lait

      The original must-have dahlia for flower growers. Cafe Au Lait also comes in other variations, such as Rose and Royal–which are equally as beautiful!

      Three Cafe Au Lait dahlias amongst calendula.

      Penhill Watermelon

      A beautiful watermelon shade that adds a bit of pop to an arrangement. This one might also be Cafe Au Lait Rose.

      Jowie Winnie

      Jowie Winnie is one of those beautiful, muted, complex colours. Is it purple? Pink? Hints of coral? Whatever it is, it’s beautiful and blends seamlessly with other colours in the arrangement.

      Photo Courtesy of Sarah’s Cut Flowers

      Sweet Love

      A beautiful pink and white variety. Otto’s Thrill also has a similar feel.

      Sylvia

      A small yellowy/peach variety that looks elegant in fall arrangements.

      Linda’s Baby

      I would argue that Linda’s baby is almost as standard amongst dahlia growers as Cafe Au Lait. A must-have in your garden!


      SEE WHAT’S POSSIBLE AND LEARN HOW I DESIGNED MY SMALL SPACE BACKYARD CUT FLOWER GARDEN IN THIS VIDEO. . .


      READY TO GROW YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL CUT FLOWER GARDEN, WITHOUT THE HASSEL?

      I’ve taken all the guesswork out of creating a cut flower garden with my e-book, Cut Flowers Made Simple. It’s the perfect way for beginner and intermediate gardeners to start their own cut flower garden with or without seed starting.

      Click on the picture to find out more or get your copy.


      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      Leave a Comment
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: cutflowers

      How to Grow Luffa Sponge in Cold Climates (Even Zone 3!!)

      October 12, 2020

      This year I decided to grow one of the most challenging vegetables to start from seed, especially in a northern climate, like where I live in zone three: the luffa sponge. From what I can tell in my research, it’s pretty challenging to grow in any zone from 6 and lower. But I had dreams of growing luffa sponges for both the bragging rights and as a non-plastic dish sponge and exfoliator, so the challenge was on.

      But before I go on about the strategies to grow a successful luffa plant in a cold climate, let’s get one thing out of the way. . .

      Holding a very small, mature loofah sponge with the seeds inside.

      What is a Luffa and what do you do with it?

      A luffa sponge, also spelled loofa, loufa, and probably another billion variations is a vining plant that initially looks like a zucchini (and can be eaten like one when its young) and hardens into a fibrous sponge. It can be used as a gentle and natural scrubber for cleaning your dishes or marks on your walls, or as an exfoliating sponge for your skin as-is or in a soap.

      Contrary to popular thought, luffas actually have nothing to do with the sea or sea creatures.

      Growing loofa sponges is extremely attractive for those living a zero waste lifestyle, or even if you’re just looking to cut down your plastic consumption.

      With that out of the way, let’s talk about the challenges. . .

      The Challenges of Growing Loofa Somewhere Cold and How You Can Succeed

      The first challenge, is that the louffa plant needs 200 days to get to maturity. 200 days!! When your whole growing season is 90-110 days, this presents a giant problem.

      Second, the loofa is a giant baby that doesn’t like the cold. Sure, you can baby it indoors, but if it goes outdoors in anything colder than 10 degrees Celsius, it stops growing for up to a month!! What kind of jerk plant does that!?!?

      To make matters worse, once the temperatures start dipping again, the sponge will be ruined if it gets just a touch of frost. There are no taking chances, no covering your loofa and hoping for the best. One tiny bit of frost and it’s toast.

      To sum things up: Long growing season + Unreasonable cold intolerance = ridiculously challenging plant.

      But I’m a sucker for punishment and gardening glory, so here’s what I did. . .

      Step 1: Start the Seeds in January

      This is going to vary depending on your first frost date, but you must count back 200 days from whatever that is. For me in Saskatoon, SK, Canada, that puts my optimal seed starting time at the last week of January or first week in February.

      My seed packet said to start 6 weeks before my last frost date, but I ended up starting more like 12 and I’m very glad I did. If you live in zone 2, 3, or 4, do not listen to the seed packet or other articles that say to start your seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Our temperatures just don’t get warm enough at night soon enough and long enough for the loofah vine to flourish like it does other places.

      The loofah plant can take awhile to germinate, and has notoriously low germination rates. Out of 25 seeds, only 16 germinated for me.

      Loofah seedlings just emerging from the soil.

      I didn’t use a heating pad to speed things up, but I think it would be a good idea. When the loofah plant opens, it resembles a squash plant and looks like this.

      Loofah’s don’t like to be moved or transplanted, so either plant them in a soil block, newsprint pot, or a very large pot 18-24 inches across (probably not practical for our growing situation).

      Luffa seedlings underneath a small growlight.
      This is the first grow light that I set up my luffa seedlings under before I transfer them to a south facing windowsill.

      Step 2: Find Somewhere for the luffa to climb

      Now that our loofah plant has germinated, it’s going to grow quickly and fast outgrow the space under our growlight. I am very lucky in my home to have a tall south-facing window, so once my seedlings outgrow my growlight, I transfer them over to the windowsill.

      Loofah seedling on a windowsill looking for a place to climb.

      The loofah sponges were very happy there and attached themselves to my window screen. Eventually, they grew so tall that they got taller than the window and fell back on themselves. Next year, I’ll attach a string to the pot for the vine to climb up. It will also be much easier to transfer outdoors that way.

      Loofa plants climbing up the window indoors in winter.

      To my great surprise, the loofah plants started flowering indoors! I wasn’t sure if I had to pollinate them or not, but since I was very pregnant and tired, I kept forgetting to pollinate them. Fortunately, I found out by accident that they are indeed self-pollinating, and I started to get baby loofah!!

      *insert happy dance*

      At this point I started to doubt the wisdom of when I started my plants, but as you’ll see by the time you read the rest of the article, it was still the right choice.

      Baby loofah sponge flowering and beginning to form, still growing indoors on the window screen.

      Step 3: Wait Until the Nightly Temperature is Warm enough

      If you remember earlier, I told you that loofa sponges can’t survive in temperatures colder than 10 degrees Celsius. Hugely problematic when you live somewhere cold. Even though freezing temperatures stop at the end of May, it did not get consistently warm enough at night until the middle of July. (This is written about the summer of 2020, and our June was a lot colder than normal.)

      I tried to experiment with wrapping up my vines and providing protection for them, but they were too big and it just didn’t work. Well, it worked for awhile, until we had a surprise night of -5 degrees Celsius temperatures. They were toast. But it was okay, because I was sacrificing these plants in the name of science!! Anyway.

      The most effective way to harden off my louffa plants was to open the window that they were growing on, and leave that window open during the day, then close it at night. When it was finally time to transfer them outdoors, they didn’t go into shock for too long.

      Two louffa gourds growing and another one flowering on vines growing indoors on a windowsill in zone 3, Canada.
      In retrospect, these containers were not wide or deep enough for the length of time I needed to leave them indoors.

      Step 4: Transfer the Vine Outdoors

      When the night time temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius, you can finally transfer the louffa outdoors. Save the warmest spot in your yard, and make sure the vine has a lot of space to climb. While it won’t get insane like it does in warmer zones, mine still grew to around 10 feet during a colder than normal summer.

      If at any point there is a risk of frost, pick your louffa sponges. They will be ruined and/or discoloured if they get frost, and all your hard work will be for nothing. Don’t worry if they are green, you can dry them indoors.

      As a side note, I also found that any flowers that were on the vine immediately fell off when I set it outdoors. Once the plant had established itself again, flowers continued to bloom.

      Mature Loofah Sponges

      Once my little sponges were tan coloured, totally dry, and rattled inside, I knew they were ready. Mine were much smaller than I expected them to be, and I have a feeling that if I had left them indoors and not tried to transfer them outside, they would have gotten larger.

      Ideally you pick them at this stage, but if frost came when they were still green, I’d still pick them and dry them indoors.

      A very small, but mature loofah plant opened to expose the sponge.  The luffa is about the size of my hand.

      What I’d Do Differently

      So in a perfect world, I would actually grow louffa plants in a greenhouse or high tunnel and keep them there the whole summer. I think they would be a lot happier and I’d get much larger fruit from them. As you’ll see in my pictures, my best louffa sponge was only the size of my hand. Not like those huge ones that literally everyone else on the internet who grows them gets.

      Now that I know that I’ll be growing my luffas indoors for a good chunk of their lives, I’ll start them in newsprint pots and transfer them to a larger pot indoors. In fact, I’m going to experiment with growing one vine entirely indoors and never transferring it outdoors. I’ll update this article in 2021 and let you know what happens!

      Even though the vine gets crazy indoors, I’m going to stick to the same planting schedule as I did this year. Anyone I know in the same zone as me that started their sponge 6-8 weeks before the last frost date and put their plant out at the same time as all their other plants did not get any sponges.

      Where Do You Get the Seeds?

      This year I purchased my seeds from the Ontario Seed Company. If you have a locally owned garden centre, just ask them if they could bring them in for you. Most owners will be happy to bring in items that they know their customers want to buy.

      Two of my mature luffa sponges and some seeds, ready to plant next year.
      These black seeds will likely germinate, but anything that’s lighter coloured will likely not.

      Since I had two of my 3 sponges get completely to maturity, I actually have a few of my own seeds to grow next year! However, since the germination rate can be bad, I’ll probably order a seed packet, just in case.

      So that’s my story of growing loofah plants in zone 3! I hope you found this post helpful. If you want to see me grow loofahs again in real time, follow my Instagram profile, @shifting_roots. It will be all over my stories, promise.

      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      8 Comments
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: Gardening, luffa sponge

      Beef Birds

      October 9, 2020

      One of my family’s favourite foods to make for special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving are these beef birds, or rouladen, filled with stuffing and baked in tomato sauce. Think of it as an all meat version of a cabbage roll.

      As with any of these family recipes that I post, like Hutzelbrot or Beet Leaf Rolls, once I research the roots of them I usually discover that our version is a bit farther removed from the original than I thought. You can go down the rabbit hole yourself, but I’ll give you the shortened version.

      There are two main versions: The German and Swiss. Since our family is more German/Hungarian/Luxembourgish I assumed our version would be closer to the German one. No.

      German versions tend to have bacon and dill pickles in them, whereas the Swiss version has more of a vegetable stuffing like ours does. Neither of them have the tomato sauce. However, that really doesn’t matter, because once you start researching the terms beef birds, steak birds, veal birds, or rouladen, you realize that there are probably at least 50 different versions on the Internet, and you’re just going to have to pick the one that sounds the best (and maybe easiest!!) to you.

      I hope it will be mine and that you’ll love them just as much as our family does.

      Beef Birds in Tomato Sauce (Rouladen)

      Beef Birds in Tomato Sauce (Rouladen)

      These rouladen take a little extra effort, but are so worth it to celebrate a special occasion. My family usually makes them for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

      Prep Time 1 hour
      Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
      Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

      Ingredients

      • 3-4 lbs beef roast
      • 2 packages Stovetop stuffing
      • 1/2 cup flour
      • oil for frying
      • 2 cans tomato soup
      • 3/4 can of hot water
      • 1 tsp salt
      • 1/2 tsp pepper
      • 1 tsp dried onion flakes
      • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

      Instructions

      1. Cut beef in 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch slices.
      2. Tenderize each slice.
      3. Wrap a small amount of stuffing in each beef slice and secure with a tooth pick. Approximately a tbsp worth, but it will depend on the size of your slice of beef.
      4. Fry rolls until browned.
      5. Place the rolls in a 9 x 13 sized casserole dish.
      6. In another bowl, mix together soup, water, and spices. Pour over the rolls.
      7. Cook at 350 degrees Farenheit for 90 minutes.
      8. Serve over rice or pasta, and enjoy!
      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      1 Comment
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: beef recipes, Christmas, Thanksgiving

      How to Grow Bug-Free Brussel Sprouts from Seed

      October 7, 2020

      Brussel sprouts can be tricky to grow in a cold climate with a short growing season, like zone 3. They take a long time, are prone to bug pressure, and take up a lot of space. However, the taste of an organic, homegrown brussel sprout roasted to perfection makes it worth it!

      It’s taken me 4 tries to finally grow brussel sprouts worth eating, and now I’m going to share it with you how I grow it from seed. My advice will work best for those who garden in zones 2, 3, and 4, but the bug pressure advice should work for any gardener in any zone.

      So here’s how I grow (almost) bug free brussel sprouts in my zone 3 garden.

      This post contains affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase anything. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

      Before I get into the details, I know some of you would rather watch a video than read every detail. You can see me and my real life garden in the video below:

      Alright, on to the good stuff!

      Are Brussel sprouts easy to grow from seed?

      Yes, but in a short growing season you’ve got to get the timing right. The bulk of my garden typically gets planted around the May Long weekend in Canada (sometime around May 20th), but brussel sprouts need to be both started from seed and put outside much sooner than that.

      These brussel sprout seedlings were started 10 weeks before our last frost date–around the first week of March.

      Brussel sprout seedlings under frost cloth in a raised bed garden.

      Then, since brussel sprouts love and can handle the cold, I put them out in my raised beds under frost cloth and hoops around the beginning to middle of April. This step was the key to my success this year.

      The brussels sprouts thrived in the cooler spring weather and were not stunted in size by staying in a seed starting pack for a longer time. The frost cloth kept them warm enough, but it was okay if there was a killing frost overnight, because brussels sprouts can handle colder temperatures.

      It’s key to remember this fact in the fall. When it’s the beginning of September and the first frost comes, don’t worry about covering your brussels sprouts–they’ll be totally fine. In fact, if your brussels sprouts are still on the small side, just keep them in the ground until the temperature drops until around minus 10 celsius or lower. At the time of writing, it’s the beginning of October and my plants (except the one I pulled in the video) are still in the ground.

      Can you Grow Brussels Sprouts in Raised Beds?

      Yes! In fact, if you watch the video, my brussels sprouts are living quite happily in raised beds. I gave them around 18 inches of room this year, but next year I will give them closer to 24 inches. If you’re a square foot gardener, that means that you’ll plant each brussel sprout seedling in the middle of 4 squares.

      P.S. If you need help with the spacing in your square foot garden, I personally love and use the Seeding Square, and you can also get 4 of my free plans below:

      Get 4 Free Square Foot Gardening Templates

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      What insects eat Brussel sprouts? (And what do I do about it?)

      One of the things that make brussel sprouts so difficult to grow is that so many bugs like to eat them! Flea beetles, slugs, aphids, and more all love to get into them. It’s also frustrating, because of the way brussels sprouts leaves overlap each other, once the bugs get in they can’t really get out, and its very difficult to get rid of them.

      Sadly, the best way to “get rid of bugs” from brussels sprouts is to prevent them in the first place. To do that, I keep the frost cloth over the plants as long as possible, as they also keep out most of the bugs. You can replace the cloth with actual bug cloth if you wish once the risk of frost is over.

      The only downside of preventing bugs this way, is that you need to make the hoops really tall. Mine were only about 2-3 feet tall, and it was not nearly enough. Next year I will make them 4 feet tall, so I can keep them on through most of the bad bug pressure.

      To make your own hoop system for keeping out bugs, read this post for creating one in rows, or this post for a raised bed version.

      Unfortunately, the bug fabric won’t keep out the slugs. For that, I’ll be setting out pie plates with beer, and setting out copper tape. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try slug bait or a spray. Use one like Sluggo that’s safe for pets and wildlife.

      slug damage in a brussel sprout.

      Finally, if aphids are the bug that’s plaguing your vegetables, you can buy a colony of ladybugs from your local garden centre. Lady bugs naturally eat aphids, so they’re a great natural pest control.

      How to Harvest Brussels Sprouts

      If you’ve never grown brussels sprouts before and only seen them in the grocery store, you might not know that they grow along very tall stems with big leaves that stretch out. To harvest, pull out the plant and cut off all the branches. Then rip off the individual heads and clean them. That’s it!

      If you watch the video up above, you’ll see how easy it is to snap them off.

      In the kitchen, wash the brussels sprouts off, cutting off the ends and any sketchy looking bits. Then either eat them that evening or put them in a bag to freeze.

      As for eating them, I like to keep it simple and roast them in the oil with a little salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.

      So that’s how you grow brussels sprouts from seed. All is really takes is knowing the right timing and protecting it from bugs from day 1.

      I’d love to know in the comments if you have any additional growing tips to share. Please mention what zone you’re in, as it helps other readers. Thanks!


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      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

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      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: brussels sprouts, vegetable gardening, Vegetables

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      Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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      Welcome!

      Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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      Got the seed starting itch? There's some things y Got the seed starting itch?  There's some things you can actually seed start now and you won't end up with crazy leggy seedlings and endless problems.  In fact, these plants require that you start now, and need to be started in zone 3 by the end of February at the absolute latest.⁠
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I've already started some lisianthus and eucalyptus, and am waiting on my seed orders to start some more.⁠
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If you're starting a luffa sponge, make sure you have some sort of eventual plan for the vine.  last year mine went over my fall windows before I was able to take them outdoors.⁠
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P.S. I've actually never started onions from seed, so if anyone wants to chin in about their experience, feel free!
      Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year? Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year?  A new post is on the blog to walk you through it.  While in theory eucalyptus is easy to grow, it's challenging in my zone 3 garden for three reasons: ⁠
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➡️It needs a long time to mature⁠
➡️I have a short growing season⁠
➡️I live in a cool climate, and eucalyptus grows better when its warm.⁠
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That said, you can see by this picture that it can be done!!⁠
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Are you growing eucalyptus this year?
      Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums up how this last week went, I think it's this one.  Babies crying, trying to stay calm, outwardly looking like it's all under control, but feeling very overwhelmed.⁠
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This post isn't gardening related, so feel free to scroll by if you're here only for the gardening content.⁠
⁠
Thankfully it's January, and I keep reminding myself that the Internet will not break if I don't keep to my self-imposed posting schedule.  But it doesn't make a week full of teething-and-not-sleeping baby any easier. ⁠
⁠
Felicity slept through the night for the first time ever last Monday, then proceeded to punish us with frequent wakings and terrible sleep until Saturday.  And as tough as this is in regular times, in Covid times its extra frustrating because I don't have my village.⁠
⁠
I can't just call up another Mama friend and go for coffee at her house.  I can't take my son out for a Mommy-and-Dominic date because everything he'd want to do isn't really much of an option.  There's no playgroup or play place to just drop in on.  And forget just taking everybody out to get groceries just for a change of scenery.⁠
⁠
I know people have way more serious problems than this, and I hope I don't sound whiny and entitled, it's not my intention.  Please know that I'm very grateful for my family and job and that so far we've been healthy. ⁠
⁠
A lot of you who follow me do so in part because you are also juggling life with very little people through this strange time.  I hope that in occasionally sharing my struggles, it makes you feel better about your struggles. (You're struggling too sometimes. . . right?)
      Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth deg Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth degree, do you just wing it, or are you somewhere in-between?⁠
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I tend to plan it all out, and then when I actually get out in the field, so to speak, the plan changes a little bit. ⁠
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If you need a garden planner that's both pretty & practical, my garden planner is available in the ebooks section.  It's only $9 and has lots of upgrades from the previous planner.  Use code CANADA if you're Canadian to account for the exchange.⁠
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P.S. You can see exactly what you're getting in the video--no surprises. ⁠
P.P.S  I get my planner bound and printed at a printing place.  Lots of people just print their own and put the sheets in a binder.
      Are you gardening in containers this year? When y Are you gardening in containers this year?  When you're shopping for vegetable seeds, look for varieties that have names with words like patio, tiny, small, etc.  While lots of vegetable varieties will do fine in a container, you'll have an easier time with ones that are specifically bred for that situation.⁠
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📸 by @blushbrandphotography
      I'm living the pepper dream in this photo. While I'm living the pepper dream in this photo.  While these ones are a bit on the small side, who doesn't want ripe peppers in July in zone 3?!?! ⁠
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Over the years I've gotten better at growing peppers, and I promise I'll spill my secrets in February when it's actually time to start them.  Until then, get yourself all or one of my four favourite varieties: ⁠
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🌶️Carmen⁠
🌶️Escamillo⁠
🌶️Candy Stripe⁠
🌶️Hungarian Hot Wax⁠
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Do you have a favourite pepper variety?⁠
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      Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately? It Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately?  It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed, especially if you're new to gardening.  Why are there so many varieties of everything and which ones do I choose?⁠
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Here's how I try to narrow it down.⁠
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🌤️ Short growing season like me?  Try and prioritize varieties that have short dates to maturity.⁠
🥗 What do you or your family actually eat?  While I think you should always try a couple of new things, there's no sense in planting a giant garden filled with vegetables that you're not going to cook with. ⁠
🥒 Do you care whether your vegetables are heirlooms or hybrids?  Heirlooms are the kind that have been around for 50+ years and you can save seeds from.  Believe it or not, this year we're prioritizing hybrids for some of our garden.  The Hermit @mgsraney is obsessed with production this year, so anything that's going in "his" greenhouse better be able to produce a lot.  I'm using more heirlooms in my "glamour garden" as we call it, because I want things that are pretty and I can save seeds from.⁠
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What do you prioritize when you're picking out seeds?⁠
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