When to plant in Richmond Hill, ON
Planting dates worked out from Richmond Hill's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 18
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 12
1 year in 10 by Sep 30
Frost-free days
161
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Richmond Hill · 1.1 km away · station 240 m, town 232 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 23 – Apr 6 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 20 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jun 30 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 30 |
| Broccoli | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 9 |
| Cucumber | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 7 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 2 |
| Winter squash | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Aug 6 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 10 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jul 9 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 28 – Oct 26 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 14 |
Richmond Hill'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 |
|---|---|
| 1960 | May 2 |
| 1961 | May 3 |
| 1962 | Apr 21 |
| 1963 | May 25 |
| 1964 | Apr 16 |
| 1965 | May 30 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 21 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1972 | Apr 30 |
| 1973 | May 17 |
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 27 |
| 1976 | May 8 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1979 | May 5 |
| 1980 | Apr 24 |
| 1981 | May 17 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 3 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 29 |
| 1988 | Apr 28 |
| 1989 | May 4 |
| 1990 | May 12 |
| 1991 | Apr 23 |
| 1993 | May 18 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1996 | May 2 |
| 1997 | May 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 26 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 169 |
| 1961 | 153 |
| 1962 | 185 |
| 1963 | 121 |
| 1964 | 171 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 159 |
| 1967 | 126 |
| 1968 | 152 |
| 1969 | 147 |
| 1970 | 161 |
| 1972 | 162 |
| 1973 | 126 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 158 |
| 1976 | 155 |
| 1977 | 157 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1979 | 137 |
| 1980 | 155 |
| 1981 | 139 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1983 | 144 |
| 1984 | 155 |
| 1985 | 160 |
| 1986 | 158 |
| 1987 | 157 |
| 1988 | 166 |
| 1989 | 145 |
| 1990 | 160 |
| 1991 | 157 |
| 1993 | 134 |
| 1994 | 152 |
| 1995 | 173 |
| 1996 | 154 |
| 1997 | 136 |
| 1998 | 177 |
| 1999 | 164 |
| 2000 | 155 |
| 2001 | 161 |
| 2002 | 146 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 158 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2009 | 146 |
| 2010 | 165 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 180 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 15.4 °C |
| 1961 | 15.2 °C |
| 1962 | 15.6 °C |
| 1963 | 14.7 °C |
| 1964 | 15.2 °C |
| 1965 | 14.6 °C |
| 1966 | 14.8 °C |
| 1967 | 14.6 °C |
| 1968 | 15.5 °C |
| 1969 | 15.6 °C |
| 1970 | 15.8 °C |
| 1972 | 14.9 °C |
| 1973 | 16.1 °C |
| 1974 | 15.1 °C |
| 1975 | 15.9 °C |
| 1976 | 15.3 °C |
| 1977 | 15.8 °C |
| 1978 | 15.4 °C |
| 1979 | 15.1 °C |
| 1980 | 15.6 °C |
| 1981 | 15.7 °C |
| 1982 | 15.0 °C |
| 1983 | 15.9 °C |
| 1984 | 15.3 °C |
| 1985 | 15.5 °C |
| 1986 | 15.7 °C |
| 1987 | 17.0 °C |
| 1988 | 16.7 °C |
| 1989 | 15.8 °C |
| 1990 | 16.0 °C |
| 1991 | 17.4 °C |
| 1993 | 15.7 °C |
| 1994 | 15.9 °C |
| 1995 | 15.9 °C |
| 1996 | 15.4 °C |
| 1997 | 15.1 °C |
| 1998 | 17.6 °C |
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 15.5 °C |
| 2001 | 16.7 °C |
| 2002 | 16.8 °C |
| 2003 | 15.8 °C |
| 2004 | 15.9 °C |
| 2005 | 17.7 °C |
| 2006 | 17.0 °C |
| 2007 | 17.0 °C |
| 2008 | 16.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.9 °C |
| 2010 | 17.9 °C |
| 2011 | 17.4 °C |
| 2012 | 17.6 °C |
| 2013 | 16.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1960, Richmond Hill's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. 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 Richmond Hill (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.