When to plant in Melfort, SK
Planting dates worked out from Melfort's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 16
1 year in 10 by Sep 1
Frost-free days
118
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Melfort · 5.7 km away · station 490 m, town 457 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 6 – Apr 20 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 31 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 9 |
| Peas | — | Apr 30 – May 28 | Jun 24 |
| Bush beans | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 14 |
| Carrot | — | May 8 – Jun 19 | Jul 7 |
| Beet | — | May 8 – Jun 19 | Jun 27 |
| Potato | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 17 |
| Kale | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 19 |
| Broccoli | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jun 29 |
| Cucumber | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 16 |
| Winter squash | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Aug 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 29 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 30 – May 28 | Jun 7 |
| Basil | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 |
Melfort'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 |
|---|---|
| 1993 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 13 |
| 1997 | May 18 |
| 1998 | Jun 3 |
| 1999 | May 9 |
| 2000 | May 30 |
| 2001 | May 23 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 23 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 20 |
| 2007 | May 25 |
| 2008 | May 26 |
| 2009 | Jun 10 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 24 |
| 2012 | May 29 |
| 2013 | May 11 |
| 2014 | Jun 7 |
| 2015 | May 30 |
| 2016 | May 13 |
| 2017 | May 18 |
| 2018 | May 10 |
| 2019 | May 19 |
| 2020 | May 16 |
| 2021 | May 26 |
| 2022 | May 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 30 |
| 2024 | May 25 |
| 2025 | May 18 |
| 2026 | May 19 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 134 |
| 1998 | 114 |
| 1999 | 127 |
| 2000 | 92 |
| 2001 | 121 |
| 2002 | 72 |
| 2003 | 125 |
| 2004 | 88 |
| 2005 | 136 |
| 2006 | 121 |
| 2007 | 108 |
| 2008 | 116 |
| 2009 | 109 |
| 2010 | 130 |
| 2011 | 111 |
| 2012 | 110 |
| 2013 | 131 |
| 2014 | 93 |
| 2015 | 120 |
| 2016 | 143 |
| 2017 | 119 |
| 2018 | 117 |
| 2019 | 129 |
| 2020 | 114 |
| 2021 | 136 |
| 2022 | 136 |
| 2024 | 130 |
| 2025 | 110 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 12.4 °C |
| 1998 | 13.7 °C |
| 1999 | 12.1 °C |
| 2000 | 11.8 °C |
| 2001 | 13.4 °C |
| 2002 | 11.5 °C |
| 2003 | 13.3 °C |
| 2004 | 10.5 °C |
| 2005 | 11.9 °C |
| 2006 | 13.7 °C |
| 2007 | 12.1 °C |
| 2008 | 11.5 °C |
| 2009 | 11.6 °C |
| 2010 | 12.2 °C |
| 2011 | 12.5 °C |
| 2012 | 12.7 °C |
| 2013 | 12.0 °C |
| 2014 | 11.7 °C |
| 2015 | 12.8 °C |
| 2016 | 13.5 °C |
| 2017 | 13.0 °C |
| 2018 | 11.4 °C |
| 2019 | 11.7 °C |
| 2020 | 11.4 °C |
| 2021 | 13.8 °C |
| 2022 | 12.4 °C |
| 2023 | 13.6 °C |
| 2024 | 13.5 °C |
| 2025 | 13.6 °C |
| 2026 | 12.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1993, Melfort'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 Melfort (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.