GreenlyChristchurch: frost dates
New Zealand
In Christchurch the last spring frost usually comes around 10 August and the first autumn frost around 5 June, which leaves about 299 frost-free days (median of 2016–2025). Tomato seedlings can go into open ground around 30 October.
| Last spring frost | around 10 August |
|---|---|
| First autumn frost | around 5 June |
| Frost-free days | 299 days |
Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.
When to sow and plant
| Crop | Sow for seedlings | Plant out in a greenhouse | Open ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 28 August | 10 November | 1 December |
| Chili Pepper | 31 August | 13 November | 4 December |
| Corn | — | 6 September | sow 27 September |
| Cucumber | 29 September | 10 November | 1 December |
| Eggplant | 1 September | 10 November | 1 December |
| Green Beans | 31 July | 6 September | 27 September |
| Melon | 19 September | 10 November | 1 December |
| Peas | — | 29 June | sow 20 July |
| Physalis | 25 August | 9 October | 30 October |
| Pumpkin | 2 September | 9 October | 30 October |
| Sweet Corn | — | 6 September | sow 27 September |
| Tomato | 13 August | 9 October | 30 October |
| Watermelon | 9 October | 10 November | 1 December |
| Zucchini | 7 September | 9 October | 30 October |
Planting out: a week after the last frost once the soil is warm enough for the crop; frost-hardy crops three weeks before it; an unheated greenhouse three weeks earlier. Seedlings are sown so they are ready on that day.
Christchurch: weather for the next 7 days
Forecast by Open-Meteo. Nights at or below 0 °C are marked as frost.
Planted in autumn
A month before the first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter.