What to plant in October in Canada

Worked out for 29 cities from their own weather and frost dates, by zone.

What to sow and plant in October in Canada, by zone: frost-free, highs of 16–22 °C (Hamilton and Windsor): garlic, peas, spinach, lettuce, radish and 4 more; frost-free, highs of 10–16 °C (Vancouver, Montreal and 8 more): garlic, peas, spinach, lettuce, radish and 4 more; frost possible, highs of 10–16 °C (Toronto, Calgary and 10 more): garlic, peas, spinach, lettuce, radish and 3 more; frost possible, highs below 10 °C (Edmonton, Saskatoon and 3 more): garlic and flower bulbs.

In Canada, October is autumn.

Frost-free, highs of 16–22 °C: Hamilton and Windsor

In October, on average, these cities have highs of 17 °C and lows of 9 °C, 85 to 90 mm of rain on 11 to 12 days; the day lasts 11 h 05 min to 11 h 07 min (on the 15th).

No frost in October in 10 years of data: frost-tender crops can go in too, if it is warm enough for them.

How	What	Where
plant cloves	Garlic	all
sow direct	Peas, spinach, lettuce, radish, arugula, kohlrabi, turnip	all
plant bulbs	Crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, tulip	all

Compared with September: new — garlic, radish, turnip, crocus, daffodil, hyacinth and tulip; no longer sown — broad bean, onion, cabbage, broccoli, Swiss chard, beet, parsley, cilantro and 3 more.

Not starting in October: tomato (March, started indoors), bell pepper (March, started indoors), zucchini (April, started indoors) and green beans (June, sown direct) — dates for Hamilton.

Ready to harvest in October in Hamilton, if sown in the right month: peas (August), beet (August), zucchini (August), green beans (August), watermelon (July), pumpkin (June), sweet corn (July) and parsley (August).

Frost-free, highs of 10–16 °C: Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax and 6 more

In October, on average, these cities have highs of 12 to 16 °C and lows of 6 to 9 °C, 97 to 249 mm of rain on 10 to 17 days; the day lasts 10 h 51 min to 11 h 06 min (on the 15th).

No frost in October in 10 years of data: frost-tender crops can go in too, if it is warm enough for them.

How	What	Where
plant cloves	Garlic	Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and 6 more
sow direct	Broad bean, cabbage, broccoli	Vancouver and Victoria
sow direct	Peas, spinach, radish, arugula, turnip	all
plant sets	Onion	Vancouver and Victoria
sow direct	Lettuce, kohlrabi	Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and 6 more
plant bulbs	Crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, tulip	Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and 6 more

Compared with September: new — garlic, crocus, daffodil, hyacinth and tulip; no longer sown — Swiss chard, beet, parsley, cilantro, chamomile, daikon, dill and mustard greens.

Not starting in October: tomato (March, started indoors), bell pepper (March, started indoors), zucchini (April, started indoors) and green beans (June, sown direct) — dates for Gatineau.

Ready to harvest in October in Gatineau, if sown in the right month: broad bean (July), peas (August), cabbage (June), beet (August), zucchini (August), green beans (August), watermelon (July) and pumpkin (June).

Frost possible, highs of 10–16 °C: Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec City and 8 more

In October, on average, these cities have highs of 10 to 16 °C and lows of 0 to 7 °C, 30 to 128 mm of rain on 6 to 14 days; the day lasts 10 h 47 min to 11 h 05 min (on the 15th).

October falls in the frost season: frost-tender crops wait. Average first frost: Toronto (30 October), Calgary (1 October), Winnipeg (12 October), Quebec City (28 October), Sherbrooke (27 October), Trois-Rivières (29 October), Saguenay (22 October), Kitchener (26 October), Regina (6 October), Kelowna (31 October), Thunder Bay (23 October) and Fredericton (28 October).

How	What	Where
plant cloves	Garlic	all
sow direct	Peas, spinach, lettuce, turnip	Toronto, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and 3 more
sow direct	Radish, arugula	all
sow direct	Kohlrabi	Toronto, Trois-Rivières, Kitchener and 1 more
plant bulbs	Crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, tulip	all

Compared with September: new — turnip; no longer sown — broad bean, onion, cabbage, broccoli, Swiss chard, beet, parsley, cilantro and 4 more.

Not starting in October: tomato (April, started indoors), bell pepper (April, started indoors), zucchini (May, started indoors) and green beans (June, sown direct) — dates for Quebec City.

Ready to harvest in October in Quebec City, if sown in the right month: broad bean (July), peas (August), radish (September), cabbage (June), beet (August), watermelon (July), sweet corn (July) and parsley (August).

Frost possible, highs below 10 °C: Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and 1 more

In October, on average, these cities have highs of -1 to 10 °C and lows of -5 to 0 °C, 25 to 55 mm of rain on 5 to 12 days; the day lasts 9 h 56 min to 10 h 44 min (on the 15th).

October falls in the frost season: frost-tender crops wait. Average first frost: Edmonton (6 October), Saskatoon (6 October) and Yellowknife (4 October).

How	What	Where
plant cloves	Garlic	Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whitehorse and 1 more
sow direct	Radish	Edmonton and Saskatoon
plant bulbs	Crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, tulip	Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whitehorse and 1 more

Compared with September: no longer sown — peas, spinach, lettuce, arugula, kohlrabi and turnip.

Not starting in October: tomato (no month outdoors by these rules), bell pepper (no month outdoors by these rules), zucchini (no month outdoors by these rules), green beans (no month outdoors by these rules), lettuce (March, started indoors), peas (May, sown direct) and spinach (March, started indoors) — dates for Whitehorse.

Ready to harvest in October in Whitehorse, if sown in the right month: broad bean (July), peas (August), spinach (August), lettuce (August), radish (September), cabbage (June), broccoli (July) and Swiss chard (August).

How we work it out

For each city we use its average weather in October and the months after (highs, lows and rain for 2016–2025, ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo) and its average frost dates. A crop starts in October if the month's mean temperature reaches the minimum soil temperature for germination on its card (we use the mean air temperature as a stand-in for the soil's) and if, over its first months (up to three), the average highs stay within its group's range, with no frost for crops that cannot take it. Crops started indoors count from the month they are planted out.

Temperature groups from Colorado State University Extension: cool-season crops prefer 16–27 °C and lose quality in heat; hardy ones grow in days as cool as 4 °C, semi-hardy ones from 4–10 °C (we use 10 °C); warm-season crops need days above 13 °C, and the most tender (tomato, pepper, aubergine, melon, watermelon, squash) above 16 °C, up to 35 °C. Crops the guide does not name go into the stricter group by their frost hardiness. Broad beans, which the guide does not name, count as hardy: hardy varieties are sown in autumn and overwinter (RHS). Garlic and bulbs: a month before the first frost, and later only while the ground is not frozen (as on each city's page).

This is a general rule from averages: your garden can be a week or two earlier or later, and a greenhouse or a cold frame brings the season forward. Greenly works out the dates for your location.