The Old Farmer's Almanac, printed annually since 1792, is a trusted American guide to traditional food growing and many other homestead topics. Although not suitable for Cochrane and area in some ways, the guide gives excellent details and examples for companion planting. Find it here:

https://www.almanac.com/companion-planting-guide-vegetables 

For maximum food harvest, the earlier the better. However, best do it smartly.

We agree with Krista Green, gardener from Diamond Valley. She explains:

• Jan to Mar: germinate certain seeds indoors

• April: plant cold-hardy seeds outdoors

• May - June: seeds and seedlings of tender vegetables

She also explains how she protects various tender seedlings when frost is coming.  

Find it here: https://www.zone3vegetablegardening.com/post/when-should-i-plant-my-garden

NO. The season here can be as short as 60 days frost free. There's not enough time from seed to harvest, despite what it says on your seed packets! 

If you do any or all of the following, you can plant up to two months early. We at Cultivate Cochrane have had success planting corn, carrots, and others as early as April 1. It is not guaranteed, and it depends on the levels of protection you choose.

• solarize the soil (warm it up with dark plastic on top, from March at least until you plant seeds and seedlings)

• keep the soil moist (it is retains some warmth when the temperature drops suddenly) - but not sopping

• use a layer of clear plastic greenhouse wrap over the seeds and seedlings - you'll need to open it slightly when the forecast is 10+ degrees with sun and no wind

• use another layer, either plastic or fabric, with air space between layers - this reduces temperature drops from wind

• if the temperature will go below -5 degrees C, add a quilt over the other layer(s) 

Any combination of the above will help. There are probably other methods you can use but we've found these enough for this area.

We get excellent germination with the following:

• use seeds that are meant for the current year (some plants will still germinate well even if their seeds are older)

• soak some seeds, for example: peas, beets. If they have a hard and wrinkly outer coating, it helps to soften with a 12 - 24 hour soak before planting.

• start some seeds indoors in late March to April, between moist paper towels in a plastic container. Cover with a lid. It will take 5-10 days. Good candidates include corn, beans, cukes, watermelon (Sugar Baby is good here), cantaloupe, squash, and pumpkin. When the seeds just begin to sprout roots, plant in the outdoor bed. Be careful with the fragile roots. Ensure each seed and root is covered well with moist soil. This way, you don't use time, energy and space "hardening them off". That's a term for growing them indoors to a few mature leaves, then putting the seedlings out each warm day, taking them inside each night, gradually leaving out more to get them used to the cold. Instead, they will sprout when the temperature is reliably warm enough for their particular needs.

If ever you don't get enough germinating, plant more. Replacement seed packets are cheaper than the lost opportunity of not having anything to grow.

The pests we struggle with the most are:

• deer

• rabbits and hares

• coyotes

• voles (we don't have moles here)

• mice

• pocket gophers

• various insects

For larger pests, a fabric cover over the plants keeps them out. If that's not enough, you can:

• use a stinky spray called Plantskydd, which is animal blood. Must reapply after a rain or snowfall.

• Pour urine (yours? or a pet's?) or used cat litter or dog poo around your beds

• get a motion activated sprinkler or noise maker

For voles and mice, you can set out traps (we like live traps). We find voles and mice are a real challenge if we have birdseed falling onto the ground.

For insects, one great strategy is to attract birds. They keep bugs in check. To attract birds, we need some healthy insect life for them to start with. A variety of flowering plants (early is good) will produce pollen and nectar which bring in these beneficial insects. You can find a great list of hardy flowers that will thrive here, courtesy of Anything Grows. They are a great plant store and gardening resource in Cochrane. List here: https://anythinggrowsalberta.com/plants-to-grow-for-bees/

We also find that insect infestations are kept down if plants are given appropriate nutrients and microorganisms. We use a 4-8" of a good compost such as spent mushroom manure applied in spring around the seedlings. It also keeps moisture in the soil. Highline Mushrooms allows non-commercial gardeners to take as much as they want for free. Just be sure to bring a tarp and shovel. If you have a pet rabbit or guinea pig, their spent shavings and droppings are excellent compost. If you use cow or horse manure, be sure it is aged well (a year or more). If not, the urea from the urine may burn or kill your plants.

For diseases, the Calgary Horticultural Society has a great webpage that will help you prevent and fix the most common ones. Find it here: https://www.calhort.org/resources/gardening-faqs/pests-and-diseases/ 

In any month, we can have hail, snow, frost, deep freeze, high winds, heat domes, torrential rains, and drought. Every month, expect several of these if not all! This is truly a difficult area in which to garden. If you're from Edmonton, don't be fooled into thinking it'll be easier to garden here because its further south. It is way harder.

The impact of most of these problems can be reduced by using cover: mulch, or top covers such as low tunnels or floating row covers. 

For drought, some additional points are useful. We typically only get enough rainfall to grow vegetables well here in June, about 1" per week. The rest of the months get half that or less. Plants will be stressed when they don't get enough water, especially if it's warm. Stressed plants are more vulnerable to disease and insect infestations.

To prevent disease and infestations, we must water extra. It's best if we water the soil (under any mulch, ideally) so it gets to the roots where it is needed. Then, the mulch can be replaced over the moist soil. Water deeply (several soaks or using a soaker hose or drip irrigation). The soil should be moist at least 2" down (further for carrots and other root vegetables, or heavy consumers like tomatoes). Water early in the day if possible (or at least when it's not so hot that you lose to evaporation).

Sprinklers and hose watering from above are terrible for evaporation. They also get the leaves wet. That can increase the plant's vulnerability to disease. Aim to keep the water low and slow. 

Here are several steps you can take:

• use water as thermal mass. Put jugs of water near your plant. Or any container with water. Water doesn't like to change temperature. Even if the water is cold, it can protect your nearby plants from a mild frost (-1 to -5 degrees often). Black containers will absorb energy from the sun and release it as the ambient temperature drops.

• use air. There's a reason puffer jackets keep us warm. Air is a great insulator. Putting layers of cover over your plants, and fluffy mulch around them or over them, slows the cooling process.

• use the ground. It is the biggest thermal mass out there. You can dig a 1' or deeper trench for your garden. When the air suddenly cools, it will delay the cooling of the air near your plants. On really hot days, it will keep your plants cool. Of course, you have to make sure you have good drainage. If your soil is very clay filled, this might not be a good idea. Southern Alberta is semi-arid; almost a desert. If you've moved here from Vancouver, you may not need to worry about too much water ever again!

• use clear cover. Plastic, glass, acrylic, and polycarbonate all let through sunlight. When the sunlight hits objects, it converts to infrared radiation (IR). IR is simply heat. The heat bounces around but can't escape well; these clear covers block its escape (unless they are open). That's why closed cars can reach extreme hot temperatures on sunny days, even if it is only 10 deg C outside! It is the greenhouse effect. 

• use shade and orientation. Orient the cover so more sunlight gets in when it's cool than when it's warm. You can do that by covering the top and west side with shade cloth but not the east and south side. Or having a structure that provides shade when the sun is high, like in the middle of summer. 

Verge Permaculture, an Albertan passive solar structural design company, has this list of 7 tips you can use to reduce temperature fluctuations and store the heat of the sun for use when you need it. You don't need to get very technical to get some benefits from the list! https://vergepermaculture.ca/passive-solar-greenhouse-design/ 

The Farmer's Almanac has a good guide for crop rotation: https://www.almanac.com/crop-rotation-chart-small-vegetable-garden