🌱 May Weather + Spring Checklist

Author

Ontario Grower
May 05, 2025

Morning, Grower.

Let’s look at early May weather and take a peak at our Spring Checklist to get you ready for the season. 💪💪💪

đź“Ť 7-Day Regional Forecasts

Early May is bringing a refreshing chill to Ontario, with “cooler-than-seasonal” air dominating and scattered showers, even a chance of thunderstorms, early in the week. Keep your rain gear and frost blankets close!

Region

Daytime Highs

Nighttime Lows

Key Notes

Southwestern Ontario
(London, Windsor)

17–19 °C (Mon–Wed)

4–10 °C (Wed night ~4 °C)

Showers likely Mon–Tue. Frost risk very low.

Central Ontario
(Toronto area)

16–18 °C (Mon–Tue)
Sunny Thu–Fri

3–6 °C (Wed/Thu nights ~4 °C)

Clear Wed night could stress tender blossoms—cover lightly.

Eastern Ontario
(Ottawa, Kingston)

19–20 °C (Mon–Tue)
16 °C (Wed)

~1 °C (Wed night)

Watch frost pockets in low-lying fields; protect blooms.

Northern Ontario
(Sudbury)

15–17 °C (Mon–Tue)
11 °C (Wed)

–3 °C (Wed night)

Hard freeze likely—definitely cover or delay planting.

âś… Spring Fieldwork Checklist

As fields dry up, tackle these spring chores before planting starts:

  • Soil Testing: If you didn’t soil-test last fall, consider sampling now to guide fertilizer and lime needs. (OMAFRA notes that fall tests give the most consistent results before spring seeding omafra.gov.on.ca.)

  • Seed Inventory: Verify seed deliveries and orders. Go over your planting plan: check that varieties, hybrid maturities and seed sizes match each field. Keep good records so the right seed goes in the right ground.

  • Equipment Prep: Service and calibrate machinery. Inspect planters and drills – check seed depth settings, seed-to-soil contact, fertilizer attachments and worn parts. Fix any issues now, and run a test pass (or two) to ensure even planting.

  • Field Conditions: Avoid tilling wet fields – never work heavy clay when it’s sticky, or you’ll create compaction and “smearing” that hurts yields. Walk low spots to assess puddling or tile-drain problems from winter. If ditches, culverts or tiles are blocked, clear them before planting.

  • Sprayer Maintenance: Thoroughly clean and check sprayers. Flush tanks and lines, clean or replace filters and nozzles, and grease fittings. Run fresh water through the system and do a calibration test – make sure each nozzle delivers the correct volume. A well-prepped sprayer will save time (and headaches) later.

By ticking off these tasks now, you’ll be ready to hit the fields with confidence. Wishing everyone a safe and productive start to the season!

With these weather insights and spring chore checklist, you’ll hit the ground running - confident, efficient, and frost-free.

Ontario Grower Team đźŚ±đź’š

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