When to Start Your Produce Plants - A Canadian Greenhouse Gardening Guide for 2025

What the best time to start your seedlings? Whether you're a novice gardener just starting out or an experienced green thumb, we put together this easy-to-read guide to serve as a convenient reminder for when to start these top produce plants grown in Canada. We hope this comprehensive planting schedule will help you maximize your harvest and take the guesswork out of your gardening journey. From starting seeds indoors to moving your plants to the greenhouse, we've got you covered. 

For Outdoor Planting sure to check out our 2025 Canadian Spring produce planting schedule below⬇️

 

Benefits of Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouse gardening allows you to extend your growing season, giving you a head start in the spring and extending your harvest into the fall. The controlled environment of a greenhouse helps protect your plants from unpredictable weather, pests, and diseases, which leads to healthier and more productive plants.

Larger Yields with Greenhouse Gardening

The stable environment in a greenhouse promotes faster growth and increased yields. With consistent watering, proper lighting, and temperature control, your plants will thrive and produce abundant harvests. A greenhouse allows you to grow a wider variety of plants, including those that might not do well in your local climate, ensuring a more diverse and fruitful garden.

 

When should you start your plants for outdoor growing? 

Canada has its own system for defining plant hardiness zones, which helps gardeners and farmers determine which plants are most likely to thrive in their region based on climate conditions. The Canadian Plant Hardiness Zones range from 0 to 9, with 0 being the coldest and 9 being the warmest. Here's a brief overview:

Canadian Plant Hardiness Zones:

  • Zone 0: Very cold regions with short growing seasons (e.g., parts of Yukon, Northwest Territories)

  • Zone 1: Cold regions with short growing seasons (e.g., parts of Northern Quebec, Labrador)

  • Zone 2: Cold regions with somewhat longer growing seasons (e.g., parts of Alberta, Manitoba)

  • Zone 3: Cold to cool regions with moderate growing seasons (e.g., parts of British Columbia, Ontario)

  • Zone 4: Cool regions with longer growing seasons (e.g., parts of Southern Quebec, Southern Ontario)

  • Zone 5: Mild regions with moderate growing seasons (e.g., parts of Nova Scotia, Southern British Columbia)

  • Zone 6: Mild to warm regions with long growing seasons (e.g., parts of Southern British Columbia, Southern Ontario)

  • Zone 7: Warm regions with long growing seasons (e.g., parts of Vancouver Island, Southern Ontario)

  • Zone 8: Very warm regions with long growing seasons (e.g., parts of Vancouver Island, Southern British Columbia)

  • Zone 9: The warmest regions with very long growing seasons (rare in Canada, only in very specific areas)

These zones are determined based on factors such as minimum winter temperatures, length of the frost-free period, and other climate data.

If you're planning to garden in a specific part of Canada, it's important to know your local hardiness zone to choose plants that will thrive in your climate. 🌱❄️