When to plant in Nelson, BC
Planting dates worked out from Nelson's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 3
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
184
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Nelson Cs · 1.7 km away · station 535 m, town 541 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 13 – Mar 27 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jun 10 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 20 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 22 |
| Winter squash | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 27 – Oct 25 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 4 |
Nelson'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 |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Apr 15 |
| 1994 | Mar 31 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | Apr 28 |
| 1997 | Apr 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 15 |
| 1999 | May 9 |
| 2000 | Apr 8 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 8 |
| 2003 | Apr 3 |
| 2004 | Apr 2 |
| 2005 | Apr 30 |
| 2006 | Apr 23 |
| 2007 | Apr 12 |
| 2008 | Apr 26 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 |
| 2010 | Apr 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 24 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | Apr 29 |
| 2015 | Apr 15 |
| 2016 | Mar 29 |
| 2017 | Apr 16 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | Apr 16 |
| 2022 | Apr 20 |
| 2023 | Apr 15 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 23 |
| 2026 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 187 |
| 1994 | 215 |
| 1995 | 184 |
| 1996 | 171 |
| 1997 | 180 |
| 1998 | 206 |
| 1999 | 141 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 177 |
| 2002 | 156 |
| 2003 | 194 |
| 2004 | 205 |
| 2005 | 189 |
| 2007 | 196 |
| 2008 | 165 |
| 2009 | 166 |
| 2010 | 188 |
| 2011 | 184 |
| 2012 | 147 |
| 2013 | 164 |
| 2014 | 194 |
| 2015 | 191 |
| 2016 | 196 |
| 2017 | 180 |
| 2018 | 173 |
| 2019 | 161 |
| 2020 | 187 |
| 2022 | 199 |
| 2023 | 194 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 14.7 °C |
| 1994 | 16.4 °C |
| 1995 | 15.0 °C |
| 1996 | 14.3 °C |
| 1997 | 14.4 °C |
| 1998 | 17.1 °C |
| 1999 | 14.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.8 °C |
| 2001 | 15.8 °C |
| 2002 | 15.2 °C |
| 2003 | 16.9 °C |
| 2004 | 16.3 °C |
| 2005 | 15.9 °C |
| 2006 | 16.4 °C |
| 2007 | 16.5 °C |
| 2008 | 15.2 °C |
| 2009 | 16.1 °C |
| 2010 | 15.3 °C |
| 2011 | 15.0 °C |
| 2012 | 15.3 °C |
| 2013 | 16.2 °C |
| 2014 | 16.3 °C |
| 2015 | 17.0 °C |
| 2016 | 16.6 °C |
| 2017 | 17.0 °C |
| 2018 | 16.2 °C |
| 2019 | 16.1 °C |
| 2020 | 15.9 °C |
| 2021 | 16.6 °C |
| 2022 | 15.9 °C |
| 2023 | 17.0 °C |
| 2024 | 16.8 °C |
| 2025 | 17.7 °C |
| 2026 | 16.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1993, Nelson's last spring frost has come about 1 day later per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Nelson Cs (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.