When to plant in Mercier, QC
Planting dates worked out from Mercier's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
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 6
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
160
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ste Martine · 13.5 km away · station 38 m, town 46 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 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 11 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 25 |
| Peas | — | Apr 15 – May 13 | Jun 9 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 22 – Jun 3 | Jun 21 |
| Beet | — | Apr 22 – Jun 3 | Jun 11 |
| Potato | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 1 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 4 |
| Broccoli | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 14 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jul 14 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 22 – Oct 20 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 15 – May 13 | May 23 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Mercier'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 |
|---|---|
| 1963 | May 12 |
| 1964 | May 21 |
| 1965 | Jun 3 |
| 1966 | Jun 1 |
| 1967 | May 14 |
| 1968 | May 11 |
| 1969 | May 2 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 15 |
| 1972 | May 8 |
| 1973 | May 15 |
| 1974 | May 5 |
| 1975 | Apr 28 |
| 1976 | Apr 13 |
| 1977 | May 8 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1979 | May 7 |
| 1980 | Apr 22 |
| 1981 | May 18 |
| 1982 | Apr 29 |
| 1983 | Apr 23 |
| 1984 | Apr 13 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 19 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | May 4 |
| 1991 | Apr 13 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 7 |
| 1996 | Apr 29 |
| 1997 | May 5 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 29 |
| 2000 | Apr 18 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | Apr 29 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 124 |
| 1964 | 130 |
| 1965 | 116 |
| 1966 | 117 |
| 1967 | 145 |
| 1968 | 168 |
| 1969 | 139 |
| 1970 | 163 |
| 1971 | 150 |
| 1972 | 154 |
| 1973 | 128 |
| 1974 | 141 |
| 1975 | 159 |
| 1976 | 181 |
| 1977 | 152 |
| 1978 | 128 |
| 1979 | 135 |
| 1980 | 154 |
| 1981 | 135 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1983 | 169 |
| 1984 | 166 |
| 1985 | 164 |
| 1986 | 125 |
| 1987 | 130 |
| 1988 | 155 |
| 1989 | 162 |
| 1990 | 168 |
| 1991 | 161 |
| 1992 | 139 |
| 1993 | 144 |
| 1994 | 160 |
| 1995 | 139 |
| 1996 | 157 |
| 1997 | 141 |
| 1998 | 161 |
| 1999 | 159 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 162 |
| 2002 | 168 |
| 2005 | 160 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 182 |
| 2017 | 176 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2020 | 130 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 14.4 °C |
| 1964 | 15.1 °C |
| 1965 | 14.6 °C |
| 1966 | 14.8 °C |
| 1967 | 14.8 °C |
| 1968 | 15.3 °C |
| 1969 | 15.0 °C |
| 1970 | 15.7 °C |
| 1971 | 15.2 °C |
| 1972 | 14.5 °C |
| 1973 | 16.1 °C |
| 1974 | 15.1 °C |
| 1975 | 16.5 °C |
| 1976 | 15.5 °C |
| 1977 | 15.6 °C |
| 1978 | 14.7 °C |
| 1979 | 15.4 °C |
| 1980 | 15.3 °C |
| 1981 | 15.5 °C |
| 1982 | 14.8 °C |
| 1983 | 15.9 °C |
| 1984 | 15.9 °C |
| 1985 | 15.2 °C |
| 1986 | 15.1 °C |
| 1987 | 16.0 °C |
| 1988 | 15.9 °C |
| 1989 | 15.7 °C |
| 1990 | 15.3 °C |
| 1991 | 16.3 °C |
| 1992 | 14.5 °C |
| 1993 | 15.2 °C |
| 1994 | 15.4 °C |
| 1995 | 15.7 °C |
| 1996 | 15.5 °C |
| 1997 | 14.9 °C |
| 1998 | 16.7 °C |
| 1999 | 17.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.3 °C |
| 2001 | 16.6 °C |
| 2002 | 16.5 °C |
| 2005 | 17.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.7 °C |
| 2007 | 16.2 °C |
| 2017 | 16.6 °C |
| 2018 | 17.0 °C |
| 2020 | 16.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1963, Mercier's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ste Martine (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.