When to plant in Saguenay, QC
Planting dates worked out from Saguenay's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 30
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 30
1 year in 10 by Sep 18
Frost-free days
131
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Jonquiere · 5.7 km away · station 136 m, town 84 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 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 29 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 8 |
| Peas | — | Apr 29 – May 27 | Jun 23 |
| Bush beans | — | May 23 – Jun 13 | Jul 12 |
| Carrot | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jul 6 |
| Beet | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jun 26 |
| Potato | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 16 |
| Kale | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 18 |
| Broccoli | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 28 |
| Cucumber | May 2 – May 9 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 19 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 2 – May 9 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 14 |
| Winter squash | May 2 – May 9 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Aug 18 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 23 – Jun 13 | Jul 22 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jul 28 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 15 – Oct 13 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 29 – May 27 | Jun 6 |
| Basil | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 26 |
Saguenay'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 24 |
| 1964 | Jun 1 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | May 25 |
| 1971 | May 24 |
| 1973 | May 15 |
| 1995 | May 28 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | May 31 |
| 1999 | May 12 |
| 2000 | Jun 5 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2004 | May 22 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 11 |
| 2009 | May 20 |
| 2010 | May 12 |
| 2011 | May 10 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 13 |
| 2015 | Apr 20 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 25 |
| 2018 | May 19 |
| 2019 | May 28 |
| 2020 | Jun 2 |
| 2021 | May 29 |
| 2022 | May 24 |
| 2024 | May 10 |
| 2025 | May 5 |
| 2026 | May 23 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 111 |
| 1969 | 109 |
| 1970 | 133 |
| 1995 | 122 |
| 1996 | 131 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 127 |
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2000 | 112 |
| 2001 | 156 |
| 2004 | 135 |
| 2005 | 163 |
| 2007 | 134 |
| 2008 | 129 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 144 |
| 2011 | 148 |
| 2013 | 142 |
| 2014 | 128 |
| 2016 | 140 |
| 2019 | 127 |
| 2020 | 106 |
| 2021 | 150 |
| 2022 | 130 |
| 2024 | 156 |
| 2025 | 149 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 12.1 °C |
| 1969 | 11.9 °C |
| 1970 | 13.6 °C |
| 1973 | 12.8 °C |
| 1975 | 12.8 °C |
| 1995 | 12.4 °C |
| 1996 | 12.5 °C |
| 1997 | 11.8 °C |
| 1999 | 14.5 °C |
| 2000 | 11.7 °C |
| 2001 | 13.8 °C |
| 2004 | 11.7 °C |
| 2005 | 13.3 °C |
| 2006 | 13.7 °C |
| 2007 | 12.5 °C |
| 2008 | 13.1 °C |
| 2009 | 12.6 °C |
| 2010 | 14.2 °C |
| 2011 | 13.3 °C |
| 2013 | 12.9 °C |
| 2014 | 13.4 °C |
| 2016 | 12.9 °C |
| 2017 | 13.4 °C |
| 2018 | 13.3 °C |
| 2019 | 12.3 °C |
| 2020 | 12.9 °C |
| 2021 | 14.2 °C |
| 2022 | 13.4 °C |
| 2024 | 15.3 °C |
| 2025 | 13.3 °C |
| 2026 | 13.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1963, Saguenay's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Jonquiere (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.