When to plant in Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Planting dates worked out from Fort Saskatchewan's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 28
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 19
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 18
1 year in 10 by Sep 10
Frost-free days
118
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Fort Saskatchewan · 2.9 km away · station 620 m, town 627 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 1 |
| Peas | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 10 |
| Carrot | — | May 1 – Jun 12 | Jun 30 |
| Beet | — | May 1 – Jun 12 | Jun 20 |
| Potato | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jul 10 |
| Kale | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 |
| Cucumber | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 12 |
| Winter squash | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Aug 16 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 21 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 4 – Oct 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | May 30 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 24 |
Fort Saskatchewan's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1958 | May 18 |
| 1959 | May 27 |
| 1960 | May 19 |
| 1961 | May 17 |
| 1962 | May 8 |
| 1963 | May 9 |
| 1964 | May 16 |
| 1965 | May 21 |
| 1967 | May 18 |
| 1968 | May 18 |
| 1969 | Jun 12 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1972 | May 9 |
| 1973 | May 12 |
| 1974 | May 29 |
| 1975 | May 1 |
| 1976 | May 28 |
| 1977 | Jun 3 |
| 1978 | Jun 19 |
| 1979 | Jun 5 |
| 1981 | May 5 |
| 1982 | May 29 |
| 1983 | May 16 |
| 1985 | May 15 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | May 21 |
| 1988 | May 3 |
| 1990 | May 17 |
| 1991 | May 24 |
| 1992 | May 24 |
| 1994 | May 9 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 9 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 10 |
| 1999 | May 29 |
| 2000 | May 31 |
| 2001 | May 11 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 16 |
| 2005 | May 26 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | May 23 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1958 | 126 |
| 1959 | 102 |
| 1960 | 119 |
| 1961 | 116 |
| 1962 | 122 |
| 1964 | 110 |
| 1965 | 113 |
| 1967 | 127 |
| 1968 | 86 |
| 1969 | 94 |
| 1970 | 125 |
| 1972 | 117 |
| 1973 | 98 |
| 1974 | 94 |
| 1975 | 106 |
| 1976 | 128 |
| 1977 | 84 |
| 1978 | 44 |
| 1982 | 88 |
| 1985 | 113 |
| 1986 | 112 |
| 1987 | 118 |
| 1990 | 132 |
| 1991 | 107 |
| 1994 | 134 |
| 1995 | 114 |
| 1996 | 139 |
| 1997 | 116 |
| 1998 | 141 |
| 1999 | 112 |
| 2000 | 91 |
| 2002 | 122 |
| 2003 | 119 |
| 2004 | 126 |
| 2005 | 108 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 112 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1958 | 13.2 °C |
| 1959 | 11.6 °C |
| 1960 | 12.4 °C |
| 1961 | 13.3 °C |
| 1964 | 12.1 °C |
| 1965 | 11.6 °C |
| 1967 | 12.4 °C |
| 1968 | 11.6 °C |
| 1969 | 12.7 °C |
| 1970 | 12.8 °C |
| 1972 | 11.5 °C |
| 1973 | 12.3 °C |
| 1974 | 11.5 °C |
| 1975 | 11.7 °C |
| 1976 | 13.4 °C |
| 1977 | 12.3 °C |
| 1978 | 12.2 °C |
| 1979 | 12.0 °C |
| 1982 | 11.1 °C |
| 1985 | 11.5 °C |
| 1987 | 13.1 °C |
| 1988 | 13.4 °C |
| 1991 | 13.4 °C |
| 1994 | 13.1 °C |
| 1995 | 12.0 °C |
| 1996 | 11.6 °C |
| 1997 | 12.6 °C |
| 1998 | 14.4 °C |
| 1999 | 12.3 °C |
| 2000 | 11.7 °C |
| 2004 | 12.1 °C |
| 2005 | 12.3 °C |
| 2006 | 14.3 °C |
| 2007 | 13.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1958, Fort Saskatchewan's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Fort Saskatchewan (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.