When to plant in Saint-Valère, QC
Planting dates worked out from Saint-Valère's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 27
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 18
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 24
1 year in 10 by Sep 9
Frost-free days
126
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Arthabaska · 12.8 km away · station 140 m, town 97 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 1 – Apr 15 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 26 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | May 31 |
| Peas | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jun 15 |
| Bush beans | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 9 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 27 |
| Beet | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 7 |
| Kale | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Cucumber | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 16 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 11 |
| Winter squash | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 19 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jul 20 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 10 – Oct 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | May 29 |
| Basil | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 |
Saint-Valère'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 |
|---|---|
| 1970 | May 14 |
| 1971 | May 24 |
| 1972 | May 8 |
| 1973 | May 7 |
| 1974 | May 6 |
| 1985 | May 15 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 19 |
| 1988 | Jun 9 |
| 1989 | May 10 |
| 1990 | Jun 6 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 25 |
| 1993 | May 2 |
| 1994 | May 27 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 26 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1999 | May 15 |
| 2000 | May 19 |
| 2002 | Jun 4 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 16 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | May 12 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | May 21 |
| 2018 | May 18 |
| 2020 | Jun 2 |
| 2021 | May 29 |
| 2022 | May 7 |
| 2023 | May 23 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 155 |
| 1971 | 159 |
| 1972 | 137 |
| 1973 | 136 |
| 1985 | 108 |
| 1986 | 103 |
| 1987 | 107 |
| 1988 | 98 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 93 |
| 1991 | 112 |
| 1992 | 109 |
| 1993 | 140 |
| 1994 | 126 |
| 1995 | 121 |
| 1996 | 119 |
| 1999 | 133 |
| 2000 | 108 |
| 2002 | 116 |
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2005 | 159 |
| 2006 | 126 |
| 2007 | 147 |
| 2008 | 125 |
| 2009 | 137 |
| 2010 | 142 |
| 2011 | 166 |
| 2012 | 138 |
| 2013 | 125 |
| 2015 | 125 |
| 2016 | 132 |
| 2017 | 132 |
| 2018 | 113 |
| 2020 | 107 |
| 2021 | 148 |
| 2022 | 148 |
| 2023 | 159 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 14.6 °C |
| 1971 | 14.4 °C |
| 1972 | 14.0 °C |
| 1973 | 15.2 °C |
| 1974 | 14.1 °C |
| 1985 | 13.8 °C |
| 1986 | 13.8 °C |
| 1987 | 14.6 °C |
| 1988 | 14.7 °C |
| 1989 | 14.6 °C |
| 1990 | 14.2 °C |
| 1991 | 14.4 °C |
| 1992 | 13.2 °C |
| 1993 | 14.3 °C |
| 1994 | 13.9 °C |
| 1995 | 14.0 °C |
| 1996 | 14.2 °C |
| 1999 | 15.2 °C |
| 2000 | 13.6 °C |
| 2002 | 14.8 °C |
| 2004 | 13.7 °C |
| 2005 | 14.7 °C |
| 2006 | 14.3 °C |
| 2007 | 13.6 °C |
| 2008 | 14.4 °C |
| 2009 | 14.0 °C |
| 2013 | 14.7 °C |
| 2015 | 15.4 °C |
| 2016 | 14.8 °C |
| 2017 | 14.7 °C |
| 2018 | 15.1 °C |
| 2020 | 14.5 °C |
| 2021 | 15.7 °C |
| 2022 | 15.3 °C |
| 2023 | 15.5 °C |
| 2024 | 16.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1970, Saint-Valère's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Arthabaska (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.