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What Can Grow in Canadian Zone 3?

Growing Zone Zone 3
Frost-Free Days 127
Last Frost mid-May
First Frost late September

Cold climate with a productive 4-5 month growing season. Most common vegetables succeed with indoor starting. Excellent for root vegetables.

Find your exact zone:

📅 Planting Calendar for Canadian Zone 3

When to start seeds indoors and transplant outdoors, based on your frost dates.

Plant Start Indoors Transplant Out Direct Sow Harvest
🥬 Arugula — — May 15 Jun 5 – Jun 24
❤️ Beets — — May 15 Jul 4 – Jul 24
🥦 Broccoli Apr 3 May 15 — Jul 14 – Aug 3
🫛 Brussels Sprouts Mar 20 May 15 — Aug 13 – Nov 11
🥬 Cabbage Apr 3 May 15 — Jul 24 – Sep 12
🥕 Carrot — — May 15 Jul 24 – Aug 3
🥔 Celeriac Mar 6 May 15 — Sep 2 – Sep 12
🫘 Fava Beans — — May 15 Aug 3 – Aug 23
🧄 Garlic — — Oct 1 – Oct 31 Jun – Jul (following year)
🍬 Ground Cherry Apr 3 May 15 — Jul 24 – Aug 8
🥬 Kale Apr 17 May 15 — Jul 9 – Jul 29
🥬 Kohlrabi Apr 17 May 15 — Jun 29 – Jul 14
🧅 Leek Feb 20 May 15 — Aug 23 – Oct 12
🥬 Lettuce — — May 15 Jun 14 – Jul 14
🌱 Microgreens — — May 15 May 22 – Jun 5
🧅 Onion Mar 20 May 15 — Aug 13 – Sep 12
🥕 Parsnip — — May 15 Aug 23 – Sep 22
🫛 Peas — — May 15 Jul 9 – Jul 24
🥔 Potato — — May 15 Jul 24 – Sep 12
🔴 Radish — — May 15 Jun 6 – Jun 14
🥔 Rutabaga — — May 15 Aug 13 – Aug 28
🫛 Snap Peas — — May 15 Jul 14 – Jul 24
🥬 Spinach — — May 15 Jun 24 – Jul 4
🥬 Swiss Chard — — May 15 Jul 4 – Jul 14
🫛 Turnip — — May 15 Jun 29 – Jul 14
💙 Borage — — May 15 Jul 4 – Jul 14
🌿 Cilantro — — May 15 Jun 5 – Jun 29
🌿 Dill — — May 15 Jun 24 – Jul 14
🌿 French Tarragon — — May 15 Jul 14 – Aug 13
🌼 German Chamomile — — May 15 Jul 14 – Aug 13
🍃 Lemon Balm Apr 3 May 15 — Jul 14 – Jul 24
🌿 Parsley — — May 15 Jul 24 – Aug 13
🌻 Sunflower — — May 15 Jul 14 – Aug 3

Dates are averages based on Zone 3 frost dates (last frost: mid-May, first frost: late September). Adjust for your specific microclimate.

🥦 Vegetables

🍓 Fruits

🌿 Herbs

⚠️ Worth Trying (Marginal)

These plants are outside the ideal zone range but possible with the right approach.

🗺️ Canadian Plant Hardiness Zones

Zone 3 is shown in this colour on the map below
Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone Map — zones 0 to 9

Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2014) — Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada / Canadian Forest Service

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Canadian zones run 0–9 (coldest to warmest) — a separate system from USDA zones. Browse all Canadian zones →

Browse Related Zones

Canadian Zone 0 Canadian Zone 1 Canadian Zone 2 Canadian Zone 3 Canadian Zone 4 Canadian Zone 5 Canadian Zone 6 Canadian Zone 7 Canadian Zone 8

Frequently Asked Questions

Cold climate with a productive 4-5 month growing season. Most common vegetables succeed with indoor starting. Excellent for root vegetables. Vegetables like Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts all grow well here.
The growing season is short — roughly 127 days. Focus on fast-maturing varieties and start seeds indoors as early as possible.
Top vegetables for Canadian Zone 3: Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts. For beginners, Arugula and Beets are the easiest to start with.
Apple, Blueberry, Elderberry, Gooseberry all grow well in Canadian Zone 3. Zone 3 is suitable for most temperate fruits.