When to plant in Fort Payne, AL
Planting dates worked out from Fort Payne's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 49 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 14about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 281 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 171 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 26about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 59 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 188 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Liri Alabama · 10.2 km away · station 366 m, town 275 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 26 |
| Peas | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | May 23 |
| Beet | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | May 6 |
| Potato | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 2 |
| Kale | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 29 |
| Broccoli | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | May 16 |
| Cucumber | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 12 |
| Winter squash | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Jun 15 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 12 – Nov 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 10 |
| Basil | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 24 |
Fort Payne's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 9 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | Apr 6 |
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 10 |
| 2010 | Apr 10 |
| 2016 | Apr 10 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 10 |
| 2023 | Apr 11 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1999 | 188 |
| 2001 | 180 |
| 2002 | 209 |
| 2003 | 209 |
| 2004 | 185 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 207 |
| 2016 | 195 |
| 2017 | 200 |
| 2018 | 187 |
| 2019 | 203 |
| 2020 | 159 |
| 2021 | 197 |
| 2022 | 190 |
| 2023 | 189 |
| 2024 | 176 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 20.5 °C |
| 1999 | 22.2 °C |
| 2001 | 21.1 °C |
| 2002 | 22.0 °C |
| 2003 | 20.9 °C |
| 2004 | 21.0 °C |
| 2005 | 20.9 °C |
| 2006 | 22.2 °C |
| 2007 | 22.0 °C |
| 2009 | 21.4 °C |
| 2010 | 23.5 °C |
| 2016 | 22.3 °C |
| 2017 | 21.3 °C |
| 2018 | 22.0 °C |
| 2019 | 22.4 °C |
| 2020 | 20.7 °C |
| 2021 | 20.8 °C |
| 2022 | 21.8 °C |
| 2023 | 21.2 °C |
| 2024 | 22.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Liri Alabama (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.