When to plant in Bradner, BC
Planting dates worked out from Bradner's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 199 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 2about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 141 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
- EarlyOct 191 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalNov 5about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 269 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 216 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Abbotsford A · 9.3 km away · station 59 m, town 115 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 11 – Mar 25 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 30 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 5 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 29 – Feb 5 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 14 |
| Peas | — | Mar 2 – Mar 30 | Apr 26 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 27 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| Potato | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 6 |
| Kale | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 21 |
| Broccoli | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | May 4 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 25 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 20 |
| Winter squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 25 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | Jun 3 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 2 – Mar 30 | Apr 9 |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 2 |
Bradner'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 |
|---|---|
| 1945 | Apr 28 |
| 1946 | Apr 5 |
| 1947 | Apr 4 |
| 1948 | May 2 |
| 1949 | May 4 |
| 1950 | May 8 |
| 1951 | May 1 |
| 1952 | May 5 |
| 1953 | Apr 24 |
| 1954 | May 1 |
| 1955 | May 23 |
| 1956 | Apr 30 |
| 1957 | Apr 21 |
| 1958 | Apr 27 |
| 1959 | May 5 |
| 1960 | Apr 22 |
| 1961 | Apr 20 |
| 1962 | May 7 |
| 1963 | Apr 10 |
| 1964 | May 15 |
| 1965 | May 7 |
| 1966 | May 28 |
| 1967 | Apr 24 |
| 1968 | May 1 |
| 1969 | Apr 26 |
| 1970 | May 6 |
| 1971 | Apr 17 |
| 1972 | Apr 30 |
| 1973 | Apr 30 |
| 1974 | Apr 13 |
| 1975 | May 24 |
| 1976 | Apr 26 |
| 1977 | Apr 20 |
| 1978 | Apr 12 |
| 1979 | Apr 14 |
| 1980 | Mar 30 |
| 1981 | Apr 13 |
| 1982 | Apr 19 |
| 1983 | Apr 14 |
| 1984 | Apr 25 |
| 1985 | Apr 29 |
| 1986 | Apr 30 |
| 1987 | Mar 29 |
| 1988 | Apr 7 |
| 1989 | Mar 23 |
| 1990 | Mar 27 |
| 1991 | Mar 27 |
| 1992 | Apr 8 |
| 1994 | Mar 25 |
| 1995 | Mar 27 |
| 1996 | Mar 28 |
| 1997 | Apr 7 |
| 1998 | Apr 8 |
| 1999 | Apr 14 |
| 2000 | Apr 7 |
| 2001 | Apr 14 |
| 2002 | May 7 |
| 2003 | Mar 24 |
| 2004 | Apr 1 |
| 2005 | Feb 27 |
| 2006 | Mar 19 |
| 2007 | Apr 3 |
| 2008 | Apr 22 |
| 2009 | Mar 26 |
| 2010 | Apr 10 |
| 2011 | Mar 17 |
| 2012 | Mar 22 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 172 |
| 1946 | 188 |
| 1947 | 166 |
| 1948 | 165 |
| 1949 | 155 |
| 1950 | 143 |
| 1951 | 177 |
| 1952 | 162 |
| 1953 | 180 |
| 1954 | 175 |
| 1955 | 160 |
| 1956 | 180 |
| 1957 | 176 |
| 1958 | 200 |
| 1959 | 176 |
| 1960 | 151 |
| 1961 | 161 |
| 1962 | 198 |
| 1963 | 191 |
| 1964 | 163 |
| 1965 | 198 |
| 1966 | 133 |
| 1967 | 192 |
| 1968 | 167 |
| 1969 | 169 |
| 1970 | 129 |
| 1971 | 181 |
| 1972 | 147 |
| 1973 | 161 |
| 1974 | 174 |
| 1975 | 169 |
| 1976 | 175 |
| 1977 | 165 |
| 1978 | 195 |
| 1980 | 199 |
| 1981 | 180 |
| 1982 | 181 |
| 1983 | 175 |
| 1984 | 172 |
| 1985 | 161 |
| 1986 | 190 |
| 1987 | 200 |
| 1988 | 220 |
| 1989 | 219 |
| 1990 | 218 |
| 1991 | 209 |
| 1992 | 214 |
| 1994 | 221 |
| 1995 | 214 |
| 1996 | 211 |
| 1997 | 195 |
| 1998 | 253 |
| 1999 | 232 |
| 2000 | 217 |
| 2001 | 224 |
| 2002 | 175 |
| 2003 | 220 |
| 2004 | 216 |
| 2005 | 257 |
| 2006 | 224 |
| 2007 | 212 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 199 |
| 2010 | 222 |
| 2011 | 231 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 13.6 °C |
| 1946 | 14.3 °C |
| 1947 | 14.5 °C |
| 1948 | 13.4 °C |
| 1949 | 13.8 °C |
| 1950 | 13.8 °C |
| 1951 | 14.5 °C |
| 1952 | 13.9 °C |
| 1953 | 13.8 °C |
| 1954 | 13.0 °C |
| 1955 | 12.4 °C |
| 1956 | 14.2 °C |
| 1957 | 14.5 °C |
| 1958 | 16.0 °C |
| 1959 | 13.9 °C |
| 1960 | 13.9 °C |
| 1961 | 14.5 °C |
| 1962 | 13.3 °C |
| 1963 | 14.3 °C |
| 1964 | 12.9 °C |
| 1965 | 13.8 °C |
| 1966 | 13.7 °C |
| 1967 | 14.9 °C |
| 1968 | 13.8 °C |
| 1969 | 14.3 °C |
| 1970 | 13.5 °C |
| 1971 | 13.8 °C |
| 1972 | 13.6 °C |
| 1973 | 13.6 °C |
| 1974 | 14.0 °C |
| 1975 | 13.5 °C |
| 1976 | 13.5 °C |
| 1977 | 14.0 °C |
| 1978 | 14.3 °C |
| 1979 | 14.6 °C |
| 1980 | 14.0 °C |
| 1981 | 14.3 °C |
| 1982 | 14.2 °C |
| 1983 | 14.2 °C |
| 1984 | 13.5 °C |
| 1985 | 14.4 °C |
| 1986 | 14.3 °C |
| 1987 | 15.1 °C |
| 1988 | 14.5 °C |
| 1989 | 15.1 °C |
| 1990 | 15.7 °C |
| 1991 | 14.7 °C |
| 1992 | 15.5 °C |
| 1994 | 15.6 °C |
| 1995 | 15.6 °C |
| 1996 | 14.8 °C |
| 1997 | 15.7 °C |
| 1998 | 15.9 °C |
| 1999 | 14.4 °C |
| 2000 | 14.7 °C |
| 2001 | 14.5 °C |
| 2002 | 14.9 °C |
| 2003 | 15.7 °C |
| 2004 | 16.5 °C |
| 2005 | 15.6 °C |
| 2006 | 15.6 °C |
| 2007 | 15.0 °C |
| 2008 | 14.5 °C |
| 2009 | 15.9 °C |
| 2010 | 15.0 °C |
| 2011 | 14.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1945, Bradner's last spring frost has come about 6 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 9 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Abbotsford A (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.