When to plant in Taber, AB
Planting dates worked out from Taber's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMay 49 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalMay 14about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 221 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlySep 111 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalSep 19about half of years have had frost
- LateSep 289 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 128 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Vauxhall Cda Cs · 29.3 km away · station 779 m, town 813 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 16 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 21 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 27 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 4 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 27 |
| Beet | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 7 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 11 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 6 |
| Winter squash | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Aug 10 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 14 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jul 16 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 5 – Oct 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 |
Taber'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 13 |
| 1996 | May 11 |
| 1997 | May 19 |
| 1998 | May 13 |
| 1999 | May 13 |
| 2000 | May 24 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 16 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 24 |
| 2005 | May 12 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | Apr 22 |
| 2008 | May 13 |
| 2009 | Jun 8 |
| 2010 | May 12 |
| 2011 | May 18 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 5 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | May 20 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 29 |
| 2018 | May 12 |
| 2019 | May 20 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2022 | May 23 |
| 2023 | Apr 28 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 128 |
| 1996 | 134 |
| 1997 | 122 |
| 1998 | 130 |
| 1999 | 128 |
| 2000 | 109 |
| 2001 | 123 |
| 2002 | 129 |
| 2003 | 120 |
| 2004 | 119 |
| 2005 | 134 |
| 2006 | 136 |
| 2007 | 143 |
| 2008 | 133 |
| 2009 | 104 |
| 2010 | 128 |
| 2011 | 133 |
| 2012 | 122 |
| 2013 | 144 |
| 2014 | 116 |
| 2015 | 119 |
| 2016 | 121 |
| 2017 | 139 |
| 2018 | 138 |
| 2019 | 130 |
| 2020 | 152 |
| 2022 | 120 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 13.0 °C |
| 1996 | 13.7 °C |
| 1997 | 14.1 °C |
| 1998 | 15.6 °C |
| 1999 | 12.9 °C |
| 2000 | 13.9 °C |
| 2001 | 14.9 °C |
| 2002 | 12.5 °C |
| 2003 | 14.2 °C |
| 2004 | 13.2 °C |
| 2005 | 13.3 °C |
| 2006 | 15.1 °C |
| 2007 | 14.1 °C |
| 2008 | 13.1 °C |
| 2009 | 13.7 °C |
| 2010 | 12.6 °C |
| 2011 | 13.6 °C |
| 2012 | 14.4 °C |
| 2013 | 14.2 °C |
| 2014 | 13.8 °C |
| 2015 | 14.2 °C |
| 2016 | 14.3 °C |
| 2017 | 15.1 °C |
| 2018 | 13.6 °C |
| 2019 | 13.6 °C |
| 2020 | 13.7 °C |
| 2021 | 14.7 °C |
| 2022 | 14.5 °C |
| 2024 | 14.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Vauxhall Cda Cs (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.