When to plant in Murphys, CA
Planting dates worked out from Murphys's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 10
1 year in 10 by Oct 25
Frost-free days
205
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Esperanza California · 12.6 km away · station 780 m, town 663 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 16 – Mar 30 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 5 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | May 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jun 23 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 10 |
| Kale | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 7 |
| Broccoli | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | May 24 |
| Cucumber | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 30 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 25 |
| Winter squash | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 30 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 3 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 27 – Nov 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| Basil | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 7 |
Murphys'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 |
|---|---|
| 1992 | May 20 |
| 1993 | Apr 6 |
| 1994 | Apr 10 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1997 | Apr 9 |
| 1999 | Apr 28 |
| 2000 | May 11 |
| 2003 | May 9 |
| 2004 | Mar 4 |
| 2007 | May 3 |
| 2009 | Apr 29 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 14 |
| 2012 | Apr 14 |
| 2013 | Apr 17 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 172 |
| 1993 | 220 |
| 1994 | 205 |
| 1995 | 238 |
| 1997 | 236 |
| 1999 | 206 |
| 2000 | 182 |
| 2003 | 173 |
| 2004 | 236 |
| 2007 | 155 |
| 2009 | 181 |
| 2010 | 181 |
| 2011 | 203 |
| 2012 | 208 |
| 2013 | 229 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 20.4 °C |
| 1993 | 18.6 °C |
| 1994 | 19.3 °C |
| 1995 | 18.0 °C |
| 1997 | 20.6 °C |
| 1999 | 19.2 °C |
| 2000 | 20.3 °C |
| 2001 | 21.1 °C |
| 2003 | 20.5 °C |
| 2004 | 20.8 °C |
| 2005 | 20.1 °C |
| 2007 | 20.6 °C |
| 2008 | 21.0 °C |
| 2009 | 20.2 °C |
| 2010 | 18.1 °C |
| 2011 | 18.5 °C |
| 2012 | 20.1 °C |
| 2013 | 20.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Esperanza California (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.