When to plant winter squash in Canada

Outdoors, winter squash go in from around May 17 in Victoria to June 19 in Calgary.

Type: Tender
First harvest: About 110 days
Spacing: 35 in
In pots: Not really

Tender. Winter squash goes outdoors only once the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
Start under cover. In a greenhouse or polytunnel it can go in about four weeks earlier than outdoors.
Two goes in warm places. Where summers are long, there’s a second window later in the year as well as the spring one.

Town by town

24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.

Sow outdoorsSow under cover (indoors, a greenhouse or a cold frame)

When to sow winter squash outdoors and under cover in 24 towns across Canada, from north to south.
TownTown, north to south	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
EdmontonFrom Jun 13Outdoors Jun 13 to Jul 4	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
SaskatoonFrom Jun 15Outdoors Jun 15 to Jul 16	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow outdoors and under cover	August: Sow under cover	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
CalgaryFrom Jun 19Outdoors Jun 19 to Jun 29	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
WinnipegFrom Jun 16Outdoors Jun 16 to Jul 17	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow outdoors and under cover	August: Sow under cover	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
BurnabyFrom May 20Outdoors May 20 to Jun 20	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
VancouverFrom May 19Outdoors May 19 to Jun 19	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
SurreyFrom May 18Outdoors May 18 to Jun 18	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
VictoriaFrom May 17Outdoors May 17 to Jun 17	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
St. John'sFrom Jun 16Outdoors Jun 16 to Jul 7	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow outdoors and under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
QuébecFrom Jun 6Outdoors Jun 6 to Jul 7	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow outdoors and under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
MonctonFrom Jun 2Outdoors Jun 2 to Jul 3	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
LavalFrom May 29Outdoors May 29 to Jun 29	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
MontréalFrom Jun 3Outdoors Jun 3 to Jul 4	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
OttawaFrom May 31Outdoors May 31 to Jul 1	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
HalifaxFrom Jun 1Outdoors Jun 1 to Jul 2	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
MarkhamFrom May 29Outdoors May 29 to Jun 29	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
VaughanFrom May 30Outdoors May 30 to Jun 30	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
BramptonFrom May 28Outdoors May 28 to Jun 28	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
TorontoFrom May 27Outdoors May 27 to Jun 27	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
MississaugaFrom May 27Outdoors May 27 to Jun 27	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
KitchenerFrom Jun 2Outdoors Jun 2 to Jul 3	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
HamiltonFrom May 21 and Jul 26Outdoors May 21 to Jun 21, and Jul 26 to Aug 4	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Sow under cover	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
LondonFrom May 30Outdoors May 30 to Jun 30	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Not this month	May: Sow under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Not this month	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month
WindsorFrom May 17 and Jul 26Outdoors May 17 to Jun 17, and Jul 26 to Aug 5	January: Not this month	February: Not this month	March: Not this month	April: Sow under cover	May: Sow outdoors and under cover	June: Sow outdoors and under cover	July: Sow under cover	August: Sow under cover	September: Not this month	October: Not this month	November: Not this month	December: Not this month

Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.

Winter squash in other countries

When to plant other crops in Canada

Fruiting

Roots

Leaves

Beans and peas

Onion family

Brassicas

Herbs

Fruit

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How these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work