When to plant in Cowichan Bay, BC
Planting dates worked out from Cowichan Bay's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 22
1 year in 10 by Oct 11
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Duncan Kelvin Creek · 8.1 km away · station 103 m, town 92 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 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | May 8 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 10 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Apr 21 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Cowichan Bay'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 |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 21 |
| 1990 | Apr 30 |
| 1991 | Apr 29 |
| 1992 | May 20 |
| 1993 | Apr 14 |
| 1994 | Apr 14 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1996 | May 9 |
| 1997 | May 2 |
| 1998 | Apr 20 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 7 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 10 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 2 |
| 2005 | Apr 9 |
| 2006 | Apr 22 |
| 2007 | Apr 20 |
| 2008 | Apr 26 |
| 2009 | Apr 23 |
| 2010 | May 5 |
| 2011 | Apr 29 |
| 2012 | Apr 7 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 1 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 183 |
| 1989 | 176 |
| 1990 | 171 |
| 1991 | 170 |
| 1992 | 146 |
| 1993 | 200 |
| 1994 | 197 |
| 1995 | 183 |
| 1996 | 159 |
| 1997 | 170 |
| 1998 | 180 |
| 1999 | 153 |
| 2000 | 138 |
| 2001 | 190 |
| 2002 | 153 |
| 2003 | 164 |
| 2004 | 204 |
| 2005 | 216 |
| 2006 | 190 |
| 2007 | 188 |
| 2008 | 166 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2013 | 189 |
| 2014 | 224 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 13.8 °C |
| 1989 | 14.3 °C |
| 1990 | 14.9 °C |
| 1991 | 14.1 °C |
| 1992 | 15.0 °C |
| 1993 | 14.6 °C |
| 1994 | 15.1 °C |
| 1995 | 15.0 °C |
| 1996 | 14.1 °C |
| 1997 | 14.6 °C |
| 1998 | 15.4 °C |
| 1999 | 13.7 °C |
| 2000 | 14.1 °C |
| 2001 | 13.7 °C |
| 2002 | 14.4 °C |
| 2003 | 14.8 °C |
| 2004 | 15.6 °C |
| 2005 | 15.1 °C |
| 2006 | 14.9 °C |
| 2007 | 14.2 °C |
| 2008 | 13.7 °C |
| 2009 | 15.1 °C |
| 2010 | 13.6 °C |
| 2011 | 13.5 °C |
| 2012 | 14.4 °C |
| 2013 | 14.9 °C |
| 2014 | 15.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Duncan Kelvin Creek (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.