When to plant in Hamilton, ON
Planting dates worked out from Hamilton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
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 15
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
164
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Hamilton Rbg Cs · 6.6 km away · station 102 m, town 95 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 19 |
| Peas | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | Jun 3 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 29 |
| Broccoli | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 8 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 1 – Oct 29 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | May 17 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Hamilton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 30 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | Apr 26 |
| 2014 | Apr 27 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 30 |
| 2017 | Apr 18 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2021 | Apr 26 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | Apr 17 |
| 2026 | May 12 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 184 |
| 1999 | 162 |
| 2000 | 153 |
| 2001 | 161 |
| 2003 | 151 |
| 2004 | 160 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 157 |
| 2007 | 173 |
| 2008 | 169 |
| 2009 | 145 |
| 2010 | 156 |
| 2011 | 175 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 179 |
| 2014 | 167 |
| 2015 | 146 |
| 2016 | 177 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2021 | 190 |
| 2022 | 172 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 175 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 17.1 °C |
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 15.8 °C |
| 2001 | 16.8 °C |
| 2002 | 17.3 °C |
| 2003 | 15.6 °C |
| 2004 | 16.1 °C |
| 2005 | 17.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.5 °C |
| 2007 | 16.5 °C |
| 2008 | 16.0 °C |
| 2009 | 15.4 °C |
| 2010 | 17.4 °C |
| 2011 | 16.7 °C |
| 2012 | 17.3 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.6 °C |
| 2015 | 16.6 °C |
| 2016 | 17.1 °C |
| 2017 | 16.5 °C |
| 2018 | 16.8 °C |
| 2021 | 17.2 °C |
| 2022 | 16.6 °C |
| 2023 | 16.5 °C |
| 2024 | 17.3 °C |
| 2025 | 16.9 °C |
| 2026 | 16.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Hamilton Rbg Cs (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.