When to plant in Tofield, AB
Planting dates worked out from Tofield's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 16
1 year in 10 by Sep 7
Frost-free days
113
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Tofield North · 21.1 km away · station 701 m, town 697 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 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 6 |
| Peas | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 18 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 21 |
| Carrot | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | Jul 3 |
| Beet | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jun 21 |
| Potato | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 13 |
| Kale | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Broccoli | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Cucumber | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 |
| Winter squash | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 31 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jul 26 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 1 |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 4 |
Tofield'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 |
|---|---|
| 1975 | May 28 |
| 1976 | May 2 |
| 1977 | Jun 11 |
| 1978 | May 12 |
| 1979 | May 29 |
| 1980 | Jun 7 |
| 1981 | May 15 |
| 1982 | May 28 |
| 1983 | Jun 4 |
| 1984 | May 25 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | May 21 |
| 1988 | May 4 |
| 1989 | May 28 |
| 1990 | May 19 |
| 1991 | May 25 |
| 1992 | May 24 |
| 1993 | Jun 16 |
| 1994 | May 21 |
| 1995 | Jun 7 |
| 1996 | May 24 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 11 |
| 1999 | May 29 |
| 2000 | May 31 |
| 2001 | May 12 |
| 2002 | Jun 8 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | Jun 17 |
| 2005 | May 28 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | May 23 |
| 2008 | May 10 |
| 2009 | Jun 8 |
| 2010 | May 30 |
| 2011 | May 29 |
| 2012 | May 25 |
| 2013 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 79 |
| 1976 | 153 |
| 1977 | 91 |
| 1978 | 134 |
| 1979 | 113 |
| 1980 | 102 |
| 1981 | 110 |
| 1982 | 89 |
| 1983 | 99 |
| 1984 | 96 |
| 1986 | 111 |
| 1987 | 139 |
| 1988 | 138 |
| 1989 | 104 |
| 1990 | 130 |
| 1991 | 106 |
| 1992 | 88 |
| 1993 | 73 |
| 1994 | 122 |
| 1995 | 102 |
| 1996 | 119 |
| 1997 | 113 |
| 1998 | 141 |
| 1999 | 118 |
| 2000 | 111 |
| 2001 | 122 |
| 2002 | 106 |
| 2003 | 118 |
| 2004 | 83 |
| 2005 | 116 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 112 |
| 2008 | 118 |
| 2009 | 111 |
| 2010 | 108 |
| 2011 | 107 |
| 2012 | 113 |
| 2013 | 137 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 10.8 °C |
| 1976 | 12.6 °C |
| 1977 | 11.7 °C |
| 1978 | 11.8 °C |
| 1979 | 11.2 °C |
| 1980 | 12.1 °C |
| 1981 | 12.7 °C |
| 1982 | 10.9 °C |
| 1984 | 11.7 °C |
| 1986 | 11.3 °C |
| 1987 | 12.8 °C |
| 1988 | 12.8 °C |
| 1989 | 12.2 °C |
| 1990 | 12.2 °C |
| 1991 | 13.1 °C |
| 1992 | 11.5 °C |
| 1993 | 11.6 °C |
| 1994 | 12.7 °C |
| 1995 | 11.6 °C |
| 1996 | 11.3 °C |
| 1997 | 12.0 °C |
| 1998 | 13.8 °C |
| 1999 | 11.9 °C |
| 2000 | 11.4 °C |
| 2001 | 12.6 °C |
| 2002 | 11.3 °C |
| 2003 | 12.2 °C |
| 2004 | 11.4 °C |
| 2005 | 11.9 °C |
| 2006 | 13.9 °C |
| 2007 | 12.4 °C |
| 2008 | 12.2 °C |
| 2009 | 12.6 °C |
| 2010 | 11.7 °C |
| 2011 | 12.3 °C |
| 2012 | 13.1 °C |
| 2013 | 12.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1975, Tofield's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Tofield North (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.