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When to plant in Sooke, BC

Planting dates worked out from Sooke's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyJan 69 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalFeb 13about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outMar 171 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

  1. EarlyNov 211 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalDec 9about half of years have had frost
  3. LateNo frostsome years have no frost at all

A typical year has 317 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: William Head · 14.5 km away · station 12 m, town 39 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Mar 18 – Apr 1 May 13 – May 27 Jul 7
Sweet pepper Mar 4 – Mar 18 May 13 – May 27 Jul 12
Lettuce (leaf) Dec 16 – Dec 23 Jan 20 – Feb 3 Mar 1
Peas — Jan 20 – Feb 17 Mar 16
Bush beans — May 3 – May 24 Jun 22
Carrot — Mar 24 – May 5 May 23
Beet — Mar 24 – May 5 May 13
Potato — Mar 24 – Apr 14 Jun 2
Kale Dec 16 – Dec 30 Jan 27 – Feb 10 Mar 11
Broccoli Dec 9 – Dec 23 Jan 20 – Feb 10 Mar 21
Cucumber Apr 15 – Apr 22 May 13 – May 27 Jul 2
Summer squash and zucchini Apr 15 – Apr 22 May 13 – May 27 Jun 27
Winter squash Apr 15 – Apr 22 May 13 – May 27 Aug 1
Sweet corn — May 3 – May 24 Jul 2
Onion (from sets) — Jan 20 – Feb 10 Apr 20
Garlic — Oct 10 – Nov 7 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Jan 20 – Feb 17 Feb 27
Basil Apr 1 – Apr 15 May 13 – May 27 Jul 9

Plan all 65 crops for Sooke

Sooke's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Jan 1Feb 1Mar 1Apr 1 196019701980199020002010
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1960Mar 4
1961Mar 4
1962Mar 12
1963Apr 2
1964Feb 12
1965Mar 27
1966Apr 12
1967Apr 13
1968Apr 12
1969Mar 12
1970Mar 1
1971Mar 22
1972Apr 22
1973Feb 7
1974Mar 8
1975Apr 1
1976Mar 13
1977Mar 30
1978Mar 1
1979Feb 15
1980Mar 30
1981Apr 12
1982Apr 8
1983Apr 10
1984Feb 25
1986Apr 7
1988Feb 2
1989Mar 3
1990Feb 19
1992Jan 6
1993Feb 26
1994Mar 23
1995Mar 5
1996Feb 26
1997Jan 27
1998Jan 13
1999Feb 9
2000Jan 12
2001Feb 16
2002Mar 21
2003Feb 25
2004Jan 7
2005Feb 21
2006Mar 10
2007Mar 1
2008Jan 28
2009Mar 12
2011Feb 26
2012Mar 18
2017Feb 8

What this means for you: Since 1960, Sooke's last spring frost has come about 8 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 12 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from William Head (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

East SookeMetchosinLangfordColwoodSix MileView Royal