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When to plant bell pepper in Ottawa

How to grow Bell pepperOttawa climate
Where are you growing?

Comfortable

Comfortable in greenhouse

Comfortable in a cold frame

Bell pepper in Ottawa is a good fit outdoors. The suitable growing window of 91 days covers the 60–85 days this plant usually needs.

Start indoors
March 27 – April 10
Transplant outside
June 5 – June 19
Harvest
August 4 – September 3
Season vs crop
91 grow days vs 60–85 needed
Typical frost (last spring – first fall)
May 13 – October 30

Bell pepper in Ottawa is a good fit outdoors. The suitable growing window of 91 days covers the 60–85 days this plant usually needs.

Planting conditions

Bell pepper planting activities across the year: Start indoors, Grow indoors, Harden off, Transplant outside, Grow outdoors, HarvestJFMAMJJASOND~May 13~Oct 30
  • Start indoors
  • Grow indoors
  • Harden off
  • Transplant outside
  • Grow outdoors
  • Harvest
Local activity windows for this place and growing method. Blue fill is usually too cold for this plant. Dashed lines are typical last and first frost.
Suitable growing days in a row91
Days to harvest60–85 days from transplant
Mar 27 – Apr 10
Start indoors
Apr 11 – May 28
Grow indoors
May 29 – Jun 4
Harden off
June 5
Transplant outside
Jun 6 – Aug 3
Grow outdoors
Aug 4 – Sep 3
Harvest
ActivityWindowNotes
Start indoorsMar 27 – Apr 10Sow indoors before the outdoor window.
Grow indoorsApr 11 – May 28Seedlings grow indoors until harden or transplant.
Harden offMay 29 – Jun 4Acclimate seedlings outdoors before planting.
Transplant outsideJune 5Move plants outside on this day (start of the plant-out window).
Grow outdoorsJun 6 – Aug 3Plants grow outdoors until harvest.
HarvestAug 4 – Sep 3Expected harvest from typical days to harvest.
Blue fill is usually too cold for this plant. Dashed lines are typical last and first frost. Adjust a week or two for your conditions.

Planting and growing across the year

Planting is the sow / plant-out window. Growing is daytime air versus this plant’s ideal (21 – 29 °C) and tolerable (13 – 35 °C) ranges.

Bell pepper planting and growing weeks in OttawaJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECPlantingGrowing
Planting uses sow / plant-out rules (frost, soil germination, night, and last-sow): green when plantable, blue diagonal when nights or soil are too cold, amber cross-hatch when too hot, faint for other calendar limits. Growing shows daytime air against this plant’s ideal and tolerable ranges across the year.

Key dates

Typical last spring frostMay 13
Safer last spring frostMay 13
Typical first fall frostOctober 30
Safer first fall frostOctober 30
Frost-free days169
Earliest indoor seed startMarch 27
Latest indoor seed startApril 10
Transplant outdoorsJune 5 – June 19
Direct sow windownot recommended here
Suitable growing windowJune 5 – September 3 (91 days)
Expected harvestAugust 4 – September 3

How these dates are judged

Ideal conditions
Daytime air from 21 – 29 °C.
Suitable conditions
Daytime air from 13 – 35 °C.
Last frost and first frost
Typical spring and fall frost dates for Ottawa, shown in the key dates.
Days to harvest
60–85 days from transplant, from typical days to harvest.
Sowing window
Dated sow and harvest bars use frost dates, soil minima, night limits, and last-sow count-back from typical crop timing. The year strip and weekly chart use the same window: air ratings only colour weeks inside it.

Growing window for Bell pepper: Jun 5 – Sep 3 (91 days)

Planting window for Bell pepper: Jun 5 – Jun 19 (15 days)

Usually too cold: Sep 14 – Dec 31

Outdoors: weekly temperatures and windows

Temperatures across the year for Ottawa. Shaded bands are this plant’s ideal and tolerable daytime air ranges. Growing is daytime air suitability; Planting is sow / plant-out conditions (same colour language). Window brackets mark each stretch.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec−40 °C−40 °F−30 °C−22 °F−20 °C−4 °F−10 °C14 °F0 °C32 °F10 °C50 °F20 °C68 °F30 °C86 °F40 °C104 °FTolerable 13–35 °CTolerable 55–95 °FIdeal 21–29 °CIdeal 70–84 °FWindowGrowingJun 5 – Sep 3PlantingJun 5 – Jun 19Last frost ~May 13First frost ~Oct 30
  • Ideal range
  • Tolerable range
  • Possible min to max
  • Average min to max
  • Suitable
  • Tolerable
  • Too cold
  • Too hot

Selected week · tap a week or use the arrows

Week 23 · Jun 1 – Jun 7

Average 13 to 23 °C · Possible 5 to 32 °C

Growing: too cold

Planting: too cold

A week is in range when its average low and high sit inside the tolerance band 13 to 35 °C; it is suitable when that average range also overlaps the ideal 21 to 29 °C band and possible readings stay within 0 °C to 35 °C. Crossing a possible limit, or missing the ideal band, makes it tolerable; any chance of frost (possible low below 0 °C) makes it too cold. When a sowing window is calculated, weeks outside that window are uncoloured even if air is in range.

Based on average frost dates.

Show all 53 weeks
Cover method weekly charts

Outdoor weekly chart is above. Open a cover chart only if you grow under fleece, a cold frame, or an unheated greenhouse.

Other plants for Ottawa

Calculated by Plan & Plant · Method · Data 2019–2026

Frost and suitability dates are typical figures from climate statistics. Microclimates vary; they are not a guarantee.

How we calculated this
  • Data: ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo, cell 45.41, -75.70, years 2019–2026 (not a 30-year climate normal yet).
  • Typical and safer dates: Typical last frost is the date after which half of winters in this sample had no more frost; safer is later in the sample so fewer winters still frosted.
  • Crop rule: Local windows for Bell pepper from frost dates, temperature ratings, and crop timing rules.
  • Confidence: Provisional — short or thin sample for this place.
  • Full methodology (algorithm 2026-10-season-6).

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