When to plant in Darien, CT
Planting dates worked out from Darien's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 14
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Stamford 5 N · 8.3 km away · station 58 m, town 14 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 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 20 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | May 24 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 6 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 3 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Darien'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 |
|---|---|
| 1956 | May 25 |
| 1957 | May 3 |
| 1958 | Apr 17 |
| 1959 | Apr 24 |
| 1960 | May 4 |
| 1961 | May 1 |
| 1962 | May 10 |
| 1963 | Apr 29 |
| 1964 | May 4 |
| 1965 | Apr 26 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 13 |
| 1968 | May 8 |
| 1969 | Apr 21 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 15 |
| 1972 | Apr 28 |
| 1973 | Apr 16 |
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 30 |
| 1976 | May 5 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 1 |
| 1979 | Apr 21 |
| 1980 | Apr 19 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 29 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | May 14 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 25 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 22 |
| 1992 | Apr 30 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 13 |
| 1999 | May 2 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2004 | Apr 10 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1956 | 118 |
| 1957 | 147 |
| 1958 | 171 |
| 1959 | 174 |
| 1960 | 169 |
| 1961 | 156 |
| 1962 | 164 |
| 1963 | 147 |
| 1964 | 154 |
| 1965 | 161 |
| 1966 | 148 |
| 1967 | 162 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 184 |
| 1970 | 162 |
| 1971 | 173 |
| 1972 | 164 |
| 1973 | 188 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 155 |
| 1976 | 158 |
| 1977 | 167 |
| 1978 | 160 |
| 1979 | 176 |
| 1980 | 173 |
| 1981 | 171 |
| 1982 | 164 |
| 1983 | 155 |
| 1984 | 166 |
| 1985 | 160 |
| 1986 | 155 |
| 1987 | 147 |
| 1988 | 165 |
| 1989 | 167 |
| 1990 | 191 |
| 1991 | 174 |
| 1992 | 153 |
| 1993 | 165 |
| 1994 | 162 |
| 1995 | 183 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 168 |
| 1998 | 191 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 146 |
| 2004 | 207 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 170 |
| 2015 | 174 |
| 2016 | 192 |
| 2017 | 213 |
| 2019 | 172 |
| 2020 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1956 | 16.0 °C |
| 1957 | 17.8 °C |
| 1958 | 16.7 °C |
| 1959 | 18.5 °C |
| 1960 | 17.5 °C |
| 1961 | 17.4 °C |
| 1962 | 16.8 °C |
| 1963 | 16.6 °C |
| 1964 | 17.2 °C |
| 1965 | 17.2 °C |
| 1966 | 16.9 °C |
| 1967 | 16.8 °C |
| 1968 | 17.6 °C |
| 1969 | 17.9 °C |
| 1970 | 18.0 °C |
| 1971 | 17.4 °C |
| 1972 | 17.2 °C |
| 1973 | 18.2 °C |
| 1974 | 17.5 °C |
| 1975 | 17.2 °C |
| 1976 | 17.8 °C |
| 1977 | 18.1 °C |
| 1978 | 18.0 °C |
| 1979 | 18.2 °C |
| 1980 | 19.1 °C |
| 1981 | 18.5 °C |
| 1982 | 17.5 °C |
| 1983 | 18.3 °C |
| 1984 | 17.9 °C |
| 1985 | 18.1 °C |
| 1986 | 18.1 °C |
| 1987 | 18.5 °C |
| 1988 | 18.7 °C |
| 1989 | 18.3 °C |
| 1990 | 18.0 °C |
| 1991 | 19.3 °C |
| 1992 | 17.4 °C |
| 1993 | 18.9 °C |
| 1994 | 18.8 °C |
| 1995 | 18.5 °C |
| 1996 | 18.3 °C |
| 1997 | 17.7 °C |
| 1998 | 19.0 °C |
| 1999 | 19.2 °C |
| 2000 | 18.1 °C |
| 2001 | 19.0 °C |
| 2002 | 19.3 °C |
| 2003 | 18.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.1 °C |
| 2013 | 18.6 °C |
| 2014 | 18.4 °C |
| 2015 | 19.4 °C |
| 2016 | 19.4 °C |
| 2017 | 19.0 °C |
| 2019 | 18.9 °C |
| 2021 | 18.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1956, Darien's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Stamford 5 N (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.