When it comes to determining the best time to plant vegetables and flowers in your garden, knowing the average first and last frost dates is essential. You can find this information by using our USDA planting zone map tool.
The first frost date in your region is important because it tells you the right time to plant seeds or transplants so they have the best chance of success. Combined with the hardiness zone for your plants, these dates help you plan your garden season and get the most out of it!
Planting in the fall gives your plants a jump start on their growing season. This gives them plenty of time to establish their roots before the ground freezes.
Fall planting is best done about two months and a minimum of six weeks before the first average frost date. This allows trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials to establish a strong root system before the ground freezes in spring.
Use our interactive frost map to determine when the first and last frost date is for your area. It will also show you the lowest expected temperature in your region!
When it comes to the last freeze of the year, it is highly variable across the United States. While much of the South typically sees its last freeze before the end of March, parts of the Mountain West and near the Canadian border can experience their final freeze as early as late May or even June. This is because weather patterns change from year to year.
