When to plant in Sainte-Marie, QC
Planting dates worked out from Sainte-Marie'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 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 27
1 year in 10 by Sep 11
Frost-free days
120
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Vallee Jonction · 8.2 km away · station 152 m, town 159 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 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 2 |
| Peas | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 23 – Jun 13 | Jul 12 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 22 |
| 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 23 – May 14 | Jul 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 13 – Oct 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | May 30 |
| Basil | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 30 – Jun 13 | Jul 26 |
Sainte-Marie'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 |
|---|---|
| 1967 | Jun 1 |
| 1968 | May 27 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | May 29 |
| 1971 | Jun 6 |
| 1972 | Jun 11 |
| 1973 | May 8 |
| 1974 | May 21 |
| 1975 | May 10 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | May 28 |
| 1978 | May 23 |
| 1979 | May 8 |
| 1980 | May 28 |
| 1981 | May 20 |
| 1982 | May 22 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 19 |
| 1985 | May 29 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 20 |
| 1988 | Jun 9 |
| 1989 | May 10 |
| 1990 | Jun 6 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 26 |
| 1993 | May 19 |
| 1994 | May 20 |
| 1995 | May 10 |
| 1996 | May 27 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | May 27 |
| 1999 | May 12 |
| 2000 | Jun 5 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | Jun 4 |
| 2003 | May 17 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2012 | May 18 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 101 |
| 1968 | 131 |
| 1969 | 114 |
| 1970 | 107 |
| 1971 | 112 |
| 1972 | 108 |
| 1973 | 135 |
| 1974 | 120 |
| 1975 | 127 |
| 1976 | 140 |
| 1977 | 116 |
| 1978 | 113 |
| 1979 | 134 |
| 1980 | 119 |
| 1981 | 138 |
| 1982 | 135 |
| 1983 | 118 |
| 1984 | 120 |
| 1985 | 135 |
| 1986 | 105 |
| 1987 | 106 |
| 1988 | 98 |
| 1989 | 116 |
| 1990 | 135 |
| 1991 | 116 |
| 1992 | 120 |
| 1993 | 124 |
| 1994 | 134 |
| 1995 | 120 |
| 1996 | 118 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 119 |
| 1999 | 145 |
| 2000 | 92 |
| 2001 | 138 |
| 2002 | 116 |
| 2003 | 154 |
| 2005 | 151 |
| 2006 | 150 |
| 2007 | 117 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 12.7 °C |
| 1968 | 13.2 °C |
| 1969 | 12.9 °C |
| 1970 | 13.6 °C |
| 1971 | 13.1 °C |
| 1972 | 12.7 °C |
| 1973 | 14.3 °C |
| 1974 | 12.7 °C |
| 1975 | 13.9 °C |
| 1976 | 13.6 °C |
| 1977 | 12.7 °C |
| 1978 | 12.9 °C |
| 1979 | 13.8 °C |
| 1980 | 13.4 °C |
| 1981 | 13.9 °C |
| 1982 | 13.2 °C |
| 1983 | 14.0 °C |
| 1984 | 13.5 °C |
| 1985 | 13.2 °C |
| 1986 | 13.1 °C |
| 1987 | 14.2 °C |
| 1988 | 14.1 °C |
| 1989 | 13.8 °C |
| 1990 | 13.8 °C |
| 1991 | 14.3 °C |
| 1992 | 13.4 °C |
| 1993 | 14.1 °C |
| 1994 | 13.6 °C |
| 1995 | 13.7 °C |
| 1996 | 13.7 °C |
| 1997 | 12.8 °C |
| 1998 | 14.8 °C |
| 1999 | 15.3 °C |
| 2000 | 13.1 °C |
| 2001 | 14.6 °C |
| 2002 | 14.3 °C |
| 2003 | 14.0 °C |
| 2005 | 14.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1967, Sainte-Marie'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 Vallee Jonction (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.