When to plant in Stettler, AB
Planting dates worked out from Stettler's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Station used: Forestburg Plant Site · 43.9 km away · station 663 m, town 814 m. How we match towns to stations
The nearest reliable station is 44 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 26 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | May 30 |
| Peas | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | Jun 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 9 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 28 |
| Beet | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 18 |
| Potato | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jul 8 |
| Kale | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 9 |
| Broccoli | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 19 |
| Cucumber | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 16 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 11 |
| Winter squash | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 19 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jul 19 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 11 – Oct 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | May 28 |
| Basil | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 |
Stettler's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1968 | May 20 |
| 1970 | May 12 |
| 1971 | Apr 29 |
| 1972 | May 9 |
| 1973 | May 12 |
| 1974 | May 14 |
| 1975 | Apr 28 |
| 1976 | May 6 |
| 1977 | Apr 22 |
| 1978 | Apr 21 |
| 1979 | May 9 |
| 1980 | Apr 12 |
| 1981 | Apr 27 |
| 1982 | May 10 |
| 1983 | May 12 |
| 1984 | May 11 |
| 1985 | May 6 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | May 21 |
| 1988 | May 3 |
| 1989 | May 28 |
| 1990 | May 13 |
| 1991 | May 7 |
| 1992 | May 22 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | May 4 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 3 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 31 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2005 | May 2 |
| 2007 | Apr 23 |
| 2008 | May 10 |
| 2009 | Jun 9 |
| 2010 | May 29 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | May 12 |
| 2015 | May 17 |
| 2016 | May 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 29 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | May 19 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 123 |
| 1970 | 120 |
| 1971 | 144 |
| 1972 | 135 |
| 1973 | 125 |
| 1974 | 109 |
| 1975 | 143 |
| 1976 | 150 |
| 1977 | 163 |
| 1978 | 166 |
| 1979 | 152 |
| 1980 | 165 |
| 1981 | 152 |
| 1982 | 142 |
| 1983 | 129 |
| 1984 | 136 |
| 1985 | 139 |
| 1986 | 138 |
| 1987 | 140 |
| 1988 | 167 |
| 1989 | 104 |
| 1992 | 93 |
| 1993 | 145 |
| 1994 | 156 |
| 1995 | 116 |
| 1996 | 135 |
| 1997 | 153 |
| 1999 | 136 |
| 2000 | 112 |
| 2001 | 150 |
| 2002 | 122 |
| 2003 | 127 |
| 2005 | 153 |
| 2008 | 151 |
| 2009 | 110 |
| 2010 | 110 |
| 2011 | 135 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 148 |
| 2014 | 121 |
| 2016 | 144 |
| 2018 | 135 |
| 2019 | 131 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 12.1 °C |
| 1970 | 13.5 °C |
| 1971 | 13.4 °C |
| 1972 | 12.3 °C |
| 1973 | 12.8 °C |
| 1974 | 11.9 °C |
| 1975 | 12.2 °C |
| 1976 | 14.2 °C |
| 1977 | 13.1 °C |
| 1978 | 13.1 °C |
| 1979 | 12.8 °C |
| 1980 | 13.9 °C |
| 1981 | 14.5 °C |
| 1982 | 12.6 °C |
| 1983 | 13.5 °C |
| 1984 | 13.3 °C |
| 1985 | 12.6 °C |
| 1986 | 12.7 °C |
| 1988 | 14.6 °C |
| 1989 | 13.9 °C |
| 1990 | 13.8 °C |
| 1991 | 14.1 °C |
| 1994 | 14.2 °C |
| 1995 | 12.8 °C |
| 1996 | 12.9 °C |
| 1997 | 13.8 °C |
| 1999 | 13.1 °C |
| 2000 | 13.1 °C |
| 2001 | 14.3 °C |
| 2002 | 12.9 °C |
| 2005 | 13.1 °C |
| 2007 | 13.8 °C |
| 2008 | 13.3 °C |
| 2009 | 13.6 °C |
| 2010 | 12.5 °C |
| 2011 | 13.5 °C |
| 2012 | 14.4 °C |
| 2013 | 13.7 °C |
| 2014 | 13.1 °C |
| 2016 | 14.2 °C |
| 2017 | 13.7 °C |
| 2018 | 12.7 °C |
| 2019 | 12.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1968, Stettler's last spring frost has come about 1 day later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Forestburg Plant Site (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.