Frost and Planting Calendar
Your last and first frost from the 30-year record at your nearest station, then sow, transplant, and harvest windows for 32 crops, fitted to the season you actually get.
Planning a vegetable bed? Lay it out square by square and get every plant's sow, transplant, and harvest dates for your place in the free Garden Planner.
Frost risk this week: Check the live forecast, radar, and frost watch for your place on the Weather page.
Your crop windows
Generic offsets shown. Set your place for dated windows.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Days to maturity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading crop library... | |||||
Offsets follow standard horticultural practice; sources on the methodology page. Frost dates are 30-year means: half of years frost later. Harden off transplants and watch the forecast.
Frost dates for major cities
| City | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | NY | March 26 | November 25 | 244 |
| Los Angeles | CA | January 9 | January 5 | 365 |
| Chicago | IL | April 11 | October 31 | 201 |
| Houston | TX | January 30 | December 28 | 330 |
| Phoenix | AZ | January 8 | December 25 | 354 |
| Philadelphia | PA | April 2 | November 10 | 224 |
| San Antonio | TX | February 26 | November 28 | 277 |
| San Diego | CA | January 6 | December 31 | 365 |
| Dallas | TX | March 8 | November 24 | 262 |
| Austin | TX | February 20 | December 3 | 291 |
| Miami | FL | January 20 | January 17 | 365 |
| Tampa | FL | January 20 | January 12 | 365 |
| Atlanta | GA | March 25 | November 9 | 228 |
| Seattle | WA | March 13 | November 17 | 247 |
| Denver | CO | May 3 | October 14 | 161 |
| Boston | MA | April 4 | November 9 | 218 |
| Las Vegas | NV | January 24 | December 10 | 323 |
| Portland | OR | March 29 | November 9 | 223 |
| Minneapolis | MN | April 30 | October 8 | 159 |
| Detroit | MI | April 30 | October 24 | 174 |
| Nashville | TN | March 31 | November 3 | 217 |
| Charlotte | NC | March 30 | November 3 | 221 |
| Honolulu | HI | April 12 | December 1 | 235 |
| Anchorage | AK | May 1 | September 29 | 150 |
Questions, answered plainly
What is a frost date?
The mean date of the last spring frost and first fall frost at a weather station, averaged over a 30-year climate normal period. It is a planning average, not a guarantee: roughly half of years see frost after the mean spring date, so tender crops usually go out a week or more later.
When can I plant tomatoes?
Start seeds indoors about six weeks before your last frost date and transplant a week or two after it, once nights hold above 50F. In Atlanta that means indoor starts in February and transplanting in April; in Minneapolis or Denver, indoor starts in late March and transplanting in late May. Set your place above for your exact dates.
Should I use USDA hardiness zones or frost dates?
Both, for different jobs. USDA hardiness zones tell you which perennials, shrubs, and trees survive your winters. Frost dates tell you when to sow and transplant annual vegetables and flowers. A planting calendar runs on frost dates and season length, which is what this tool computes.
My frost-free season is short. What still works?
Plenty. Peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, beets, and carrots tolerate frost on one or both ends of the season. For warm crops in an 80 to 110 day season, choose short-maturity varieties, start indoors, and use transplants. The table flags crops whose typical maturity exceeds your frost-free window.
Frost and planting dates by city
Every page computed from that city's own nearest-station record. All cities.