When to plant in Oxford, NS
Planting dates worked out from Oxford's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 30
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
136
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Nappan Auto · 29.3 km away · station 20 m, town 6 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 6 – Apr 20 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 31 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 3 |
| Peas | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 14 |
| Carrot | — | May 5 – Jun 16 | Jul 4 |
| Beet | — | May 5 – Jun 16 | Jun 24 |
| Potato | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 14 |
| Kale | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Cucumber | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 16 |
| Winter squash | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Aug 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 1 |
| Basil | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 |
Oxford'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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Jun 1 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 23 |
| 2008 | May 15 |
| 2009 | May 11 |
| 2010 | May 12 |
| 2011 | May 23 |
| 2012 | May 8 |
| 2013 | May 20 |
| 2014 | May 29 |
| 2015 | May 14 |
| 2016 | May 13 |
| 2017 | May 22 |
| 2018 | Jun 12 |
| 2019 | May 25 |
| 2020 | May 24 |
| 2021 | Jun 11 |
| 2022 | May 11 |
| 2023 | May 23 |
| 2024 | May 13 |
| 2025 | May 2 |
| 2026 | May 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 112 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 139 |
| 2008 | 129 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 152 |
| 2011 | 136 |
| 2012 | 157 |
| 2013 | 141 |
| 2014 | 112 |
| 2015 | 148 |
| 2016 | 139 |
| 2017 | 131 |
| 2018 | 102 |
| 2019 | 115 |
| 2020 | 117 |
| 2021 | 119 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 152 |
| 2024 | 156 |
| 2025 | 141 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 12.6 °C |
| 2005 | 13.3 °C |
| 2006 | 14.3 °C |
| 2007 | 13.0 °C |
| 2008 | 13.4 °C |
| 2009 | 13.4 °C |
| 2010 | 14.4 °C |
| 2011 | 13.4 °C |
| 2012 | 14.3 °C |
| 2013 | 13.6 °C |
| 2014 | 13.3 °C |
| 2015 | 13.3 °C |
| 2016 | 13.6 °C |
| 2017 | 13.8 °C |
| 2018 | 13.4 °C |
| 2019 | 12.7 °C |
| 2020 | 13.6 °C |
| 2021 | 14.1 °C |
| 2022 | 14.2 °C |
| 2023 | 14.2 °C |
| 2024 | 14.2 °C |
| 2025 | 13.8 °C |
| 2026 | 13.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Nappan Auto (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.