GreenlyOttawa: frost dates
Canada
In Ottawa the last spring frost usually comes around 30 April and the first autumn frost around 1 November, which leaves about 185 frost-free days (median of 2016–2025). Tomato seedlings can go into open ground around 27 May.
| Last spring frost | around 30 April |
|---|---|
| First autumn frost | around 1 November |
| Frost-free days | 185 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 | 8 March | 21 May | 11 June |
| Chili Pepper | 21 March | 3 June | 24 June |
| Corn | — | 27 April | sow 18 May |
| Cucumber | 9 April | 21 May | 11 June |
| Eggplant | 12 March | 21 May | 11 June |
| Green Beans | 21 March | 27 April | 18 May |
| Melon | 30 March | 21 May | 11 June |
| Peas | — | 19 March | sow 9 April |
| Physalis | 22 March | 6 May | 27 May |
| Pumpkin | 30 March | 6 May | 27 May |
| Sweet Corn | — | 27 April | sow 18 May |
| Tomato | 10 March | 6 May | 27 May |
| Watermelon | 19 April | 21 May | 11 June |
| Zucchini | 4 April | 6 May | 27 May |
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.
Ottawa: weather for the next 7 days
Forecast by Open-Meteo. Nights at or below 0 °C are marked as frost.
Planted in autumn
| Crop | Plant around |
|---|---|
| Crocus | 2 October |
| Daffodil | 2 October |
| Garlic | 2 October |
| Hyacinth | 2 October |
| Lily | 2 October |
| Tulip | 2 October |
A month before the first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter.