When to plant in Kelowna, BC
Planting dates worked out from Kelowna's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 19
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 3
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 10
1 year in 10 by Sep 27
Frost-free days
156
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Kelowna Mws0 · 9.6 km away · station 456 m, town 350 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 24 – Apr 7 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 13 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 18 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 15 |
| Peas | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 1 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 11 |
| Beet | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | May 29 |
| Potato | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 21 |
| Kale | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 18 |
| Broccoli | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 4 |
| Cucumber | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 8 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 3 |
| Winter squash | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Aug 7 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 11 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jul 4 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 1 |
| Basil | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 15 |
Kelowna'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 |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Mar 30 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1996 | May 3 |
| 1997 | Apr 30 |
| 1998 | Apr 15 |
| 1999 | May 10 |
| 2000 | May 7 |
| 2001 | May 6 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2006 | May 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 21 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 1 |
| 2010 | May 21 |
| 2011 | Apr 24 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | May 7 |
| 2015 | Apr 16 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 194 |
| 1995 | 180 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 165 |
| 1998 | 185 |
| 1999 | 140 |
| 2000 | 138 |
| 2001 | 151 |
| 2002 | 125 |
| 2003 | 148 |
| 2006 | 150 |
| 2007 | 179 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 159 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2011 | 173 |
| 2012 | 144 |
| 2013 | 155 |
| 2014 | 178 |
| 2015 | 181 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 17.3 °C |
| 1995 | 16.2 °C |
| 1996 | 15.4 °C |
| 1997 | 15.8 °C |
| 1998 | 18.2 °C |
| 1999 | 15.2 °C |
| 2000 | 15.4 °C |
| 2001 | 15.9 °C |
| 2002 | 15.9 °C |
| 2003 | 17.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.7 °C |
| 2007 | 16.1 °C |
| 2008 | 15.6 °C |
| 2009 | 16.9 °C |
| 2010 | 15.7 °C |
| 2011 | 15.7 °C |
| 2012 | 16.2 °C |
| 2013 | 16.8 °C |
| 2014 | 16.9 °C |
| 2015 | 17.3 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Kelowna Mws0 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.