When to plant in Princeton, BC
Planting dates worked out from Princeton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 18
1 year in 10 by Sep 5
Frost-free days
122
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Princeton Cs · 0.8 km away · station 696 m, town 660 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 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 2 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 21 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 25 – Jun 6 | Jun 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 22 |
| Cucumber | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 |
| Winter squash | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 31 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 4 – Oct 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 4 |
Princeton'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 | May 7 |
| 1994 | Jun 2 |
| 1996 | May 21 |
| 1997 | May 18 |
| 1998 | May 16 |
| 2000 | May 25 |
| 2001 | Jun 4 |
| 2002 | May 24 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 14 |
| 2005 | May 20 |
| 2006 | May 14 |
| 2007 | May 25 |
| 2008 | May 7 |
| 2009 | May 21 |
| 2010 | May 25 |
| 2011 | May 18 |
| 2012 | Jun 15 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | May 27 |
| 2015 | May 9 |
| 2016 | Jun 15 |
| 2017 | May 15 |
| 2018 | Jun 12 |
| 2019 | May 4 |
| 2020 | May 8 |
| 2021 | May 29 |
| 2022 | May 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | May 31 |
| 2025 | May 19 |
| 2026 | Jun 8 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 128 |
| 1996 | 119 |
| 1997 | 123 |
| 1998 | 140 |
| 2000 | 94 |
| 2001 | 95 |
| 2002 | 106 |
| 2003 | 116 |
| 2004 | 128 |
| 2005 | 123 |
| 2006 | 125 |
| 2007 | 105 |
| 2008 | 117 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 133 |
| 2011 | 107 |
| 2013 | 146 |
| 2014 | 106 |
| 2015 | 135 |
| 2016 | 89 |
| 2017 | 121 |
| 2018 | 112 |
| 2019 | 149 |
| 2020 | 159 |
| 2021 | 129 |
| 2022 | 120 |
| 2023 | 146 |
| 2024 | 119 |
| 2025 | 136 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 13.5 °C |
| 1994 | 14.7 °C |
| 1995 | 13.7 °C |
| 1996 | 12.9 °C |
| 1997 | 13.7 °C |
| 1998 | 15.2 °C |
| 2000 | 13.2 °C |
| 2001 | 14.2 °C |
| 2002 | 14.0 °C |
| 2003 | 14.6 °C |
| 2004 | 14.6 °C |
| 2005 | 13.7 °C |
| 2006 | 14.6 °C |
| 2007 | 13.4 °C |
| 2008 | 13.0 °C |
| 2009 | 14.4 °C |
| 2010 | 13.1 °C |
| 2011 | 12.8 °C |
| 2012 | 13.9 °C |
| 2013 | 14.1 °C |
| 2014 | 14.4 °C |
| 2015 | 15.0 °C |
| 2016 | 14.6 °C |
| 2017 | 14.6 °C |
| 2018 | 14.4 °C |
| 2019 | 14.3 °C |
| 2020 | 13.8 °C |
| 2021 | 14.9 °C |
| 2022 | 14.1 °C |
| 2023 | 15.0 °C |
| 2024 | 14.6 °C |
| 2025 | 15.9 °C |
| 2026 | 14.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1993, Princeton's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Princeton Cs (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.