Can I Still Plant This?
Can I still plant this in Canada? Pick your city and this tool checks each crop's days-to-maturity against your first fall frost — telling you exactly what there's still time to sow, what to rush in this week, and what has to wait until spring.
Can I still plant this? It depends how many days are left before your first fall frost — which ranges from late August on the northern Prairies to late November on coastal BC (Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals, 1991–2020). Select your city below and the tool subtracts today's date from your local frost date, adds a grace window for frost-tolerant crops, then compares that against each crop's days-to-maturity to tell you, crop by crop, whether there's still time to sow.
We remember your pick for next time. Not listed? Choose the closest city — frost dates within ~50 km are usually 3–5 days apart.
Get your city's free planting calendar
A printable one-page PDF — seed-starting, transplant, direct-sow and harvest dates for 30+ crops, from your local frost dates.
How "is it too late" is calculated
Every vegetable needs a set number of days to maturity — 28 days for a radish, 55 for a bush bean, 70 for a carrot. The tool takes today's date, counts the days left until your first fall frost (Environment and Climate Change Canada normals), adds a grace window for frost-tolerant crops — spinach, kale, and carrots actually sweeten after a light frost — then compares that total against each crop's days-to-maturity. Enough time left, it's a yes; a little short, it's "hurry, with a fast variety"; far short, it's too late for this year.
In spring the tool works in reverse: tender crops like tomatoes and beans stay gated until your last spring frost has passed, so it also tells you "not yet" when it's too early. Because the answer changes week to week, bookmark this page. For the whole-season view, use the full planting calendar or What to Plant Now.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to plant this year?
It depends on your city and the crop. In July there's still time almost everywhere to sow fast crops — radishes (28 days), lettuce and arugula (35–45 days), bush beans (55 days) — plus a full fall crop of kale, spinach, and carrots that sweeten after the first light frosts. Pick your city above and the tool works out, crop by crop, whether enough days remain before your first frost.
How many days before frost do I need to plant vegetables?
Count the crop's days-to-maturity, then add a margin in fall because growth slows as daylight shortens. A simple rule: sow at least the days-to-maturity plus two weeks before your first frost date. Frost-tolerant crops (kale, spinach, carrots, lettuce) can run a little past that date; tender crops (beans, zucchini) must finish before frost hits.
What vegetables can I still plant in August?
The fast, cold-tolerant ones: arugula, radishes, leaf lettuce, spinach, baby greens, and turnips can be sown into August across much of Canada, and kale and Swiss chard in longer-season regions. Pick your city — the tool confirms which will actually reach maturity before your frost.
What is the difference between this and What to Plant Now?
What to Plant Now lists every job for the week — what to start indoors, transplant, sow, and harvest. This tool answers one sharper question: for each crop, are there enough days left before frost for it to mature? It gives a verdict and a margin in days.
Why not just follow US planting charts?
US charts use USDA zones and frost dates that don't map onto Canada. This tool uses ECCC frost dates for cities in every province, so the deadline actually matches your ground.