When to plant in Toronto, ON
Planting dates worked out from Toronto's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 30
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 15
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 6
1 year in 10 by Oct 29
Frost-free days
208
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Toronto City · 4.4 km away · station 112 m, town 161 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 12 – Mar 26 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 1 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 3 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 17 |
| Peas | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | Jun 1 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 16 |
| Beet | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 6 |
| Potato | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 26 |
| Kale | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 27 |
| Broccoli | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 6 |
| Cucumber | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 26 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 21 |
| Winter squash | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jul 6 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | May 15 |
| Basil | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 3 |
Toronto'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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | Mar 27 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | Apr 3 |
| 2009 | Apr 13 |
| 2010 | Mar 27 |
| 2011 | Apr 15 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 20 |
| 2019 | Apr 11 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 8 |
| 2024 | Mar 30 |
| 2025 | Apr 17 |
| 2026 | Apr 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 197 |
| 2004 | 187 |
| 2005 | 234 |
| 2006 | 207 |
| 2007 | 218 |
| 2008 | 209 |
| 2009 | 206 |
| 2010 | 218 |
| 2011 | 216 |
| 2012 | 190 |
| 2013 | 195 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 210 |
| 2016 | 212 |
| 2017 | 230 |
| 2018 | 180 |
| 2019 | 208 |
| 2020 | 169 |
| 2021 | 196 |
| 2022 | 198 |
| 2023 | 213 |
| 2024 | 243 |
| 2025 | 205 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 16.8 °C |
| 2004 | 16.5 °C |
| 2005 | 18.5 °C |
| 2006 | 17.5 °C |
| 2007 | 17.6 °C |
| 2008 | 17.3 °C |
| 2009 | 16.7 °C |
| 2010 | 18.8 °C |
| 2011 | 18.0 °C |
| 2012 | 18.4 °C |
| 2013 | 17.0 °C |
| 2014 | 16.7 °C |
| 2015 | 17.6 °C |
| 2016 | 18.6 °C |
| 2017 | 17.3 °C |
| 2018 | 17.8 °C |
| 2019 | 16.9 °C |
| 2020 | 17.6 °C |
| 2021 | 18.1 °C |
| 2022 | 17.8 °C |
| 2023 | 17.7 °C |
| 2024 | 18.4 °C |
| 2025 | 18.1 °C |
| 2026 | 17.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Toronto City (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.