When to plant in Bella Vista, CA
Planting dates worked out from Bella Vista's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyFeb 49 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalMar 14about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 161 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
- EarlyNov 21 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalNov 16about half of years have had frost
- LateDec 49 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 244 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Redding Airport California · 14.7 km away · station 152 m, town 171 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 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 10 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 26 |
| Peas | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | May 29 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 22 |
| Beet | — | Feb 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 5 |
| Potato | — | Feb 21 – Mar 14 | May 2 |
| Kale | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 29 |
| Broccoli | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | Apr 15 |
| Cucumber | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 31 |
| Winter squash | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jul 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | May 15 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 2 – Nov 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 10 |
| Basil | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 12 |
Bella Vista'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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Mar 15 |
| 2003 | Apr 5 |
| 2004 | Feb 12 |
| 2005 | Jan 14 |
| 2006 | Mar 10 |
| 2007 | Mar 27 |
| 2008 | Apr 20 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | May 22 |
| 2011 | Mar 1 |
| 2012 | Apr 6 |
| 2013 | Feb 27 |
| 2014 | Feb 5 |
| 2015 | Mar 5 |
| 2016 | Feb 1 |
| 2017 | Apr 14 |
| 2018 | Mar 5 |
| 2019 | Feb 23 |
| 2020 | Mar 27 |
| 2021 | Mar 3 |
| 2022 | Apr 12 |
| 2023 | Apr 4 |
| 2024 | Mar 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 231 |
| 2003 | 209 |
| 2004 | 289 |
| 2005 | 309 |
| 2006 | 244 |
| 2007 | 241 |
| 2008 | 227 |
| 2009 | 213 |
| 2010 | 185 |
| 2011 | 251 |
| 2012 | 217 |
| 2013 | 262 |
| 2014 | 283 |
| 2015 | 250 |
| 2016 | 306 |
| 2017 | 206 |
| 2018 | 249 |
| 2019 | 249 |
| 2020 | 227 |
| 2021 | 281 |
| 2022 | 215 |
| 2023 | 205 |
| 2024 | 259 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 24.0 °C |
| 2003 | 23.2 °C |
| 2004 | 24.3 °C |
| 2005 | 22.3 °C |
| 2006 | 23.7 °C |
| 2007 | 23.0 °C |
| 2008 | 23.5 °C |
| 2009 | 23.6 °C |
| 2010 | 21.7 °C |
| 2011 | 22.2 °C |
| 2012 | 23.0 °C |
| 2013 | 23.6 °C |
| 2014 | 23.7 °C |
| 2015 | 24.0 °C |
| 2016 | 23.7 °C |
| 2017 | 24.1 °C |
| 2018 | 23.3 °C |
| 2019 | 23.4 °C |
| 2020 | 24.0 °C |
| 2021 | 24.8 °C |
| 2022 | 23.8 °C |
| 2023 | 23.2 °C |
| 2024 | 24.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Redding Airport California (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.