When to plant in Hornby Island, BC
Planting dates worked out from Hornby Island's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 16
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 27
1 year in 10 by Oct 13
Frost-free days
196
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Mud Bay · 11.5 km away · station 4 m, town 75 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 12 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 28 |
| Peas | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | May 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 11 |
| Beet | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 1 |
| Potato | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 21 |
| Kale | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 7 |
| Broccoli | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | May 18 |
| 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 19 – Apr 9 | Jun 17 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Hornby Island'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 |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Apr 29 |
| 1973 | Apr 28 |
| 1974 | Apr 18 |
| 1975 | Apr 29 |
| 1976 | Apr 25 |
| 1977 | Apr 16 |
| 1978 | Apr 12 |
| 1979 | Apr 19 |
| 1980 | Apr 7 |
| 1981 | Apr 14 |
| 1982 | Apr 26 |
| 1983 | Apr 14 |
| 1984 | Apr 26 |
| 1985 | May 11 |
| 1986 | Apr 30 |
| 1987 | Apr 22 |
| 1988 | Apr 9 |
| 1989 | Apr 8 |
| 1990 | Mar 26 |
| 1991 | Apr 12 |
| 1992 | Apr 23 |
| 1993 | Mar 28 |
| 1994 | Mar 24 |
| 1995 | Apr 16 |
| 1996 | Apr 2 |
| 1997 | Apr 7 |
| 1998 | Apr 15 |
| 1999 | May 10 |
| 2000 | Apr 18 |
| 2001 | Apr 15 |
| 2002 | May 7 |
| 2003 | May 16 |
| 2004 | Apr 3 |
| 2005 | Apr 14 |
| 2006 | Apr 24 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Mar 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 150 |
| 1973 | 186 |
| 1974 | 197 |
| 1975 | 193 |
| 1976 | 175 |
| 1977 | 186 |
| 1978 | 195 |
| 1979 | 202 |
| 1980 | 216 |
| 1981 | 189 |
| 1982 | 174 |
| 1983 | 183 |
| 1984 | 173 |
| 1985 | 149 |
| 1986 | 191 |
| 1987 | 205 |
| 1988 | 200 |
| 1989 | 202 |
| 1990 | 193 |
| 1991 | 187 |
| 1992 | 172 |
| 1993 | 226 |
| 1994 | 222 |
| 1995 | 195 |
| 1996 | 196 |
| 1997 | 216 |
| 1998 | 206 |
| 1999 | 157 |
| 2000 | 203 |
| 2001 | 196 |
| 2002 | 157 |
| 2003 | 166 |
| 2004 | 202 |
| 2005 | 205 |
| 2006 | 188 |
| 2011 | 175 |
| 2013 | 189 |
| 2014 | 233 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 14.0 °C |
| 1972 | 13.6 °C |
| 1973 | 13.4 °C |
| 1974 | 13.7 °C |
| 1975 | 13.5 °C |
| 1976 | 13.0 °C |
| 1977 | 13.9 °C |
| 1978 | 14.2 °C |
| 1979 | 14.2 °C |
| 1980 | 13.7 °C |
| 1981 | 13.6 °C |
| 1982 | 13.5 °C |
| 1983 | 13.8 °C |
| 1984 | 13.1 °C |
| 1985 | 13.8 °C |
| 1986 | 13.7 °C |
| 1987 | 14.5 °C |
| 1988 | 13.9 °C |
| 1989 | 14.4 °C |
| 1990 | 14.9 °C |
| 1991 | 13.9 °C |
| 1992 | 14.2 °C |
| 1993 | 14.4 °C |
| 1994 | 14.9 °C |
| 1995 | 14.9 °C |
| 1996 | 13.8 °C |
| 1997 | 14.4 °C |
| 1998 | 15.0 °C |
| 1999 | 12.5 °C |
| 2000 | 13.4 °C |
| 2001 | 13.3 °C |
| 2002 | 13.9 °C |
| 2003 | 14.2 °C |
| 2004 | 15.3 °C |
| 2005 | 14.8 °C |
| 2006 | 14.7 °C |
| 2011 | 13.8 °C |
| 2012 | 13.7 °C |
| 2013 | 15.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1972, Hornby Island's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Mud Bay (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.