What to plant this week in St. John's, NL
St. John's gardeners are in the final push before winter, focusing on cold-hardy crops that can survive our sharp drop to -15°F. This week marks the last chance to harvest your Daikon radishes and garlic before the ground freezes solid by mid-October.
The next 7 days
St. John's, NLGrowing in St. John's right now
- Harvest Daikon radishes immediately while the soil is still workable; leave them in the ground past October 15th, and they will bolt or freeze, ruining their crunch.
- Transplant Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus) only if you can protect them with heavy row covers for our unpredictable early frosts, but expect most to die back by mid-October.
- Loofah vines are too late for new planting this week; focus on drying out mature vines now so they don't rot before the first frost on Oct 15th.
- Our coastal winds and sandy soils drain fast in autumn, so water transplants deeply but avoid soaking beds that could freeze overnight.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
4 crops- Daikon Radish
- Garlic
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
Seasonal tips
- Finish sowing cold-hardy greens now to maximize yields before the soil warms up significantly.
- Prepare raised beds by adding compost ahead of time so they are ready for transplanting in June.
- Plan your succession schedule for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant to ensure a continuous summer harvest.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites may still be active on late-season Roselle in our warm microclimates near sheltered walls before the cold shuts them down.
- Aphids often linger on garlic stems until the first hard frost; apply a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap this week to protect bulbs.
- Root maggots can attack Daikon radishes if left in the ground too long, so pull and store them indoors immediately.
Watering this week
Water deeply and consistently now that the ground has thawed, aiming for about 1 inch per week to encourage strong root establishment.
Apply a light layer of mulch around transplants once they are in the ground to retain moisture as the soil temperature fluctuates.
St. John's gardening questions
3Can I plant anything new for winter harvest in St. John's this week?
No new sowings are viable right now; with average first frost on October 15th, any seed planted today won't mature before the ground freezes.
When should I pull my Daikon radishes in St. John's?
You need to harvest them immediately this week, as the soil will freeze solid after October 15th and make digging impossible.
Is it safe to leave Loofah vines on my St. John's fence over winter?
Yes, once your Loofah vines have dried naturally after the first frost around mid-October, they can stay outside until you strip them.
Other cities in zone 5b
8See the full zone 5b guide → · Plan your St. John's garden in SproutGuide →