When to Plant Vegetables in Québec City, QC

Last Spring Frost

May 15

First Fall Frost

September 30

Seed Start Indoors

Mid-February to early March

Transplant Outdoors

Late May to early June

45-80 days · 1/2-1 lb per plant · easy

Companions: carrot, radish, onion, strawberry, chive

Harvest: Use the cut-and-come-again method: snip outer leaves at the base when they reach 4-6 inches, leaving the central growing point intact to produce new leaves. For head lettuce, harvest the entire plant when it feels firm. Always harvest in the cool morning hours for the crispest leaves, and watch for bolting — once the central stem elongates, leaves turn bitter.

37-50 days · 1/4-1/2 lb per plant · easy

Companions: pea, bean, strawberry, radish, lettuce

Harvest: Begin harvesting outer leaves when they reach 3-4 inches long, leaving the inner rosette to continue growing. Spinach bolts very quickly once temperatures exceed 75°F and day length increases, so plant early and plan for succession plantings every 2 weeks. For a final harvest, cut the entire rosette at the base just as the first flower stalk appears.

60-70 days · 1/4-1/2 lb per plant · easy

Companions: carrot, radish, lettuce, cucumber, corn

Harvest: Pick peas daily during peak production — shelling peas are ready when the pods are plump and round, snap peas when the pod is full but still crisp, and snow peas when the pods are flat and the seeds inside are barely visible. Pick with two hands, holding the vine with one and pulling the pod with the other, to avoid breaking the brittle stems. Eat or refrigerate immediately, as sugars begin converting to starch within hours of harvest.

22-30 days · 1 radish per plant · easy

Companions: lettuce, pea, bean, cucumber, carrot

Harvest: Radishes are the fastest vegetable in the garden — pull them as soon as the shoulder pushes above the soil line at the expected size for the variety, typically about 1 inch in diameter. Do not leave radishes in the ground too long, as they become pithy, woody, and overly pungent. Use them as row markers between slower-germinating crops like carrots and parsnips.

70-80 days · 1 lb per foot of row · moderate

Companions: tomato, lettuce, onion, pea, rosemary

Harvest: Harvest carrots when the top of the root reaches about 3/4 inch in diameter, which you can check by gently brushing soil away from the crown. Loosen soil alongside the row with a garden fork before pulling to prevent breaking the roots. Carrots left in the ground past maturity can crack or become woody, but a light frost actually converts starches to sugars and sweetens the flavor.

55-75 days · 1-2 lbs per plant per season · easy

Companions: beet, celery, onion, garlic, dill

Harvest: Harvest kale from the bottom of the plant upward, snapping or cutting the lower leaves and leaving the top rosette intact to keep producing. Kale is one of the few vegetables whose flavor actually improves after a light frost, which converts starches to sugars. In mild climates kale can produce leaves through winter and into the following spring before finally bolting.

50-65 days · 1/2 lb per plant per picking · easy

Companions: corn, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, radish

Harvest: Pick green beans when pods snap cleanly and before seeds visibly bulge through the pod walls. Harvest bush beans every 2-3 days to keep plants producing, and pole beans every day during peak season. Never harvest when foliage is wet, as this spreads bacterial diseases between plants.

60-85 days · 10-15 lbs per plant · moderate

Companions: basil, marigold, parsley, carrot

Harvest: Harvest tomatoes when color begins to change from green to their mature color — they will continue to ripen on the counter. For best flavor, never refrigerate tomatoes; instead, place them stem-side down on a countertop out of direct sunlight. If frost threatens, pick all remaining fruit including green tomatoes and ripen them indoors in a paper bag with a banana.

80-100 days · 1-2 lbs per plant · moderate

Companions: onion, garlic, beet, celery, dill

Harvest: Cut the main central head when the florets are still tight and dark green, before any yellow flowers appear — use a sharp knife and cut at a 45-degree angle about 6 inches below the head. After removing the main head, leave the plant in the ground because it will produce smaller side shoots for weeks. Side shoots are just as nutritious and delicious as the main head.

240-270 days (fall planted) · 1 bulb per clove planted · easy

Companions: tomato, pepper, lettuce, beet, carrot

Harvest: Harvest garlic when the lower 3-4 leaves have turned brown but 4-5 green leaves remain at the top — each green leaf represents one intact wrapper on the bulb. Dig rather than pull the bulbs to avoid breaking the stems. Cure bulbs in a warm, dry, shaded area with good air circulation for 3-4 weeks, then trim the roots and store in mesh bags or braids.