When to plant in Petawawa, ON
Planting dates worked out from Petawawa's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 21
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 30
1 year in 10 by Sep 18
Frost-free days
141
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Petawawa Hoffman · 2.6 km away · station 153 m, town 143 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 26 – Apr 9 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 15 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 20 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | May 29 |
| Peas | — | Apr 19 – May 17 | Jun 13 |
| Bush beans | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 3 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 25 |
| Beet | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 15 |
| Potato | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 5 |
| Kale | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 8 |
| Broccoli | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jun 18 |
| Cucumber | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 10 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 5 |
| Winter squash | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Aug 9 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 13 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jul 18 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 16 – Oct 14 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 19 – May 17 | May 27 |
| Basil | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 17 |
Petawawa'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 |
|---|---|
| 1994 | May 14 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 29 |
| 1997 | May 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 12 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | May 13 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 9 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 16 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | May 18 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 17 |
| 2017 | May 11 |
| 2018 | May 16 |
| 2019 | May 8 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | May 29 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | May 11 |
| 2026 | May 12 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 139 |
| 1995 | 127 |
| 1996 | 126 |
| 1997 | 128 |
| 1998 | 157 |
| 1999 | 132 |
| 2000 | 127 |
| 2001 | 147 |
| 2002 | 135 |
| 2003 | 150 |
| 2004 | 146 |
| 2005 | 148 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 147 |
| 2008 | 125 |
| 2009 | 136 |
| 2010 | 143 |
| 2011 | 133 |
| 2012 | 146 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 123 |
| 2015 | 137 |
| 2016 | 145 |
| 2017 | 142 |
| 2018 | 141 |
| 2019 | 149 |
| 2020 | 127 |
| 2021 | 142 |
| 2022 | 146 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 132 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 14.6 °C |
| 1995 | 14.3 °C |
| 1996 | 14.3 °C |
| 1997 | 14.0 °C |
| 1998 | 16.1 °C |
| 1999 | 16.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.1 °C |
| 2001 | 15.8 °C |
| 2002 | 15.5 °C |
| 2003 | 14.9 °C |
| 2004 | 14.6 °C |
| 2005 | 16.3 °C |
| 2006 | 15.5 °C |
| 2007 | 15.4 °C |
| 2008 | 15.2 °C |
| 2009 | 14.6 °C |
| 2010 | 16.6 °C |
| 2011 | 16.0 °C |
| 2012 | 16.1 °C |
| 2013 | 15.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.0 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 15.8 °C |
| 2017 | 15.5 °C |
| 2018 | 16.0 °C |
| 2019 | 15.1 °C |
| 2020 | 15.5 °C |
| 2021 | 16.8 °C |
| 2022 | 16.0 °C |
| 2023 | 16.1 °C |
| 2024 | 16.9 °C |
| 2025 | 16.1 °C |
| 2026 | 16.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1994, Petawawa's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Petawawa Hoffman (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.