Frost and Planting Calendar
Your last and first frost from the 30-year record at your nearest station, then sow, transplant, and harvest windows for 32 crops, fitted to the season you actually get.
Your crop windows
Generic offsets shown. Set your place for dated windows.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Days to maturity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading crop library... | |||||
Offsets follow standard horticultural practice for Canadian seasons; sources on the methodology page. Frost dates are 30-year means: half of years frost later. Harden off transplants and watch the forecast.
Frost dates for major cities
| City | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | BC | April 7 | November 5 | 211 |
| Vancouver | BC | March 18 | November 10 | 237 |
| Kelowna | BC | May 10 | September 28 | 140 |
| Calgary | AB | May 21 | September 16 | 117 |
| Edmonton | AB | May 24 | September 12 | 110 |
| Saskatoon Diefenbaker | SK | May 21 | September 15 | 117 |
| Winnipeg Richardson | MB | May 23 | September 22 | 121 |
| Ottawa Cda | ON | April 30 | October 6 | 158 |
| Toronto Lester B. Pearson | ON | April 30 | October 16 | 168 |
| Windsor | ON | April 17 | October 30 | 195 |
| Montreal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau | QC | April 29 | October 12 | 165 |
| Halifax Stanfield | NS | May 7 | October 18 | 163 |
| Charlottetown | PE | May 16 | October 17 | 153 |
| Whitehorse | YT | June 5 | August 25 | 80 |
Questions, answered plainly
What is a frost date?
The mean date of the last spring frost and first fall frost at a weather station, averaged over a 30-year climate normal period. It is a planning average, not a guarantee: roughly half of years see frost after the mean spring date, so tender crops usually go out a week or more later.
When can I plant tomatoes in Canada?
Start seeds indoors about six weeks before your last frost date and transplant a week or two after it, once nights hold above 10 C. In Toronto that means indoor starts in mid March and transplanting in mid to late May; in Winnipeg or Edmonton, indoor starts in early April and transplanting in early June. Set your place above for your exact dates.
Should I use hardiness zones or frost dates?
Both, for different jobs. Hardiness zones tell you which perennials, shrubs, and trees survive your winters. Frost dates tell you when to sow and transplant annual vegetables and flowers. A planting calendar runs on frost dates and season length, which is what this tool computes.
My frost-free season is short. What still works?
Plenty. Peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, beets, and carrots tolerate frost on one or both ends of the season. For warm crops in an 80 to 110 day season, choose short-maturity varieties, start indoors, and use transplants. The table flags crops whose typical maturity exceeds your frost-free window.
Frost and planting dates by city
Every page computed from that city's own nearest-station record. All cities by province.