When to plant in Middletown, CT
Planting dates worked out from Middletown'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 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Meriden Markham Muni Ap · 15.9 km away · station 30 m, town 12 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 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 24 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | May 28 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 19 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| 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 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 7 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Middletown'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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | Apr 10 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 21 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 24 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 153 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 178 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 190 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 151 |
| 2011 | 174 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 181 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 191 |
| 2017 | 190 |
| 2018 | 176 |
| 2019 | 172 |
| 2020 | 168 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 161 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 171 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.1 °C |
| 2001 | 17.9 °C |
| 2002 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 17.3 °C |
| 2004 | 17.6 °C |
| 2006 | 18.2 °C |
| 2007 | 18.1 °C |
| 2008 | 18.1 °C |
| 2009 | 17.3 °C |
| 2010 | 19.2 °C |
| 2011 | 18.8 °C |
| 2012 | 18.5 °C |
| 2013 | 17.9 °C |
| 2014 | 17.6 °C |
| 2015 | 19.0 °C |
| 2016 | 19.1 °C |
| 2017 | 18.1 °C |
| 2018 | 18.5 °C |
| 2019 | 18.4 °C |
| 2020 | 18.1 °C |
| 2021 | 18.5 °C |
| 2022 | 18.7 °C |
| 2023 | 18.3 °C |
| 2024 | 19.0 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Meriden Markham Muni Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.