When to plant in Holt, AL
Planting dates worked out from Holt's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Mar 30
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Mar 15
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 16
1 year in 10 by Nov 3
Frost-free days
244
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Tuscaloosa Acfd · 11.7 km away · station 50 m, town 116 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 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 24 |
| Sweet pepper | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 29 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 27 |
| Peas | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Mar 28 |
| Bush beans | — | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | May 12 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 22 – Apr 5 | Apr 23 |
| Beet | — | Feb 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 6 |
| Potato | — | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | May 3 |
| Kale | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 30 |
| Broccoli | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | Apr 16 |
| Cucumber | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 19 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 14 |
| Winter squash | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 18 |
| Sweet corn | — | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | May 22 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | May 16 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 2 – Nov 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Mar 11 |
| Basil | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 26 |
Holt'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Mar 10 |
| 1996 | Mar 22 |
| 1997 | Feb 16 |
| 1998 | Mar 22 |
| 1999 | Mar 16 |
| 2000 | Apr 9 |
| 2001 | Mar 10 |
| 2002 | Mar 23 |
| 2003 | Mar 31 |
| 2004 | Mar 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 8 |
| 2008 | Mar 25 |
| 2009 | Mar 3 |
| 2010 | Mar 7 |
| 2011 | Mar 11 |
| 2012 | Feb 25 |
| 2013 | Mar 27 |
| 2014 | Mar 26 |
| 2015 | Mar 8 |
| 2016 | Feb 27 |
| 2017 | Mar 16 |
| 2018 | Mar 15 |
| 2019 | Mar 7 |
| 2020 | Mar 1 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Mar 14 |
| 2023 | Mar 21 |
| 2024 | Mar 20 |
| 2025 | Mar 21 |
| 2026 | Mar 17 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 238 |
| 1996 | 225 |
| 1997 | 272 |
| 1998 | 268 |
| 1999 | 231 |
| 2000 | 219 |
| 2001 | 255 |
| 2002 | 244 |
| 2003 | 227 |
| 2004 | 265 |
| 2007 | 213 |
| 2008 | 216 |
| 2009 | 268 |
| 2010 | 243 |
| 2011 | 244 |
| 2012 | 272 |
| 2013 | 230 |
| 2014 | 232 |
| 2015 | 258 |
| 2016 | 265 |
| 2017 | 248 |
| 2018 | 240 |
| 2019 | 238 |
| 2020 | 273 |
| 2021 | 205 |
| 2022 | 218 |
| 2023 | 225 |
| 2025 | 233 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 25.0 °C |
| 1996 | 24.3 °C |
| 1997 | 23.7 °C |
| 1998 | 25.7 °C |
| 1999 | 25.5 °C |
| 2000 | 25.5 °C |
| 2001 | 24.5 °C |
| 2002 | 25.5 °C |
| 2003 | 24.5 °C |
| 2004 | 24.1 °C |
| 2005 | 24.5 °C |
| 2007 | 25.5 °C |
| 2008 | 24.6 °C |
| 2009 | 24.6 °C |
| 2010 | 26.3 °C |
| 2011 | 25.7 °C |
| 2012 | 25.3 °C |
| 2013 | 24.3 °C |
| 2014 | 25.1 °C |
| 2015 | 25.5 °C |
| 2016 | 26.1 °C |
| 2017 | 25.1 °C |
| 2018 | 25.9 °C |
| 2019 | 25.6 °C |
| 2020 | 23.9 °C |
| 2021 | 23.5 °C |
| 2022 | 25.3 °C |
| 2023 | 25.0 °C |
| 2024 | 25.6 °C |
| 2025 | 25.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Holt's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Tuscaloosa Acfd (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.