When to plant in Lookout Mountain, GA
Planting dates worked out from Lookout Mountain's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 159 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 1about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 181 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
- EarlyOct 251 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalNov 5about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 219 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 222 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Lookout Mtn-Point Park · 3.8 km away · station 644 m, town 549 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 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 12 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 17 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 28 – Feb 4 | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 13 |
| Peas | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | May 31 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 11 – Apr 22 | May 10 |
| Beet | — | Mar 8 – Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| Potato | — | Mar 11 – Apr 1 | May 20 |
| Kale | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 17 |
| Broccoli | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Mar 4 – Mar 25 | May 3 |
| Cucumber | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 7 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 2 |
| Winter squash | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 10 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 4 – Mar 25 | Jun 2 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 22 – Nov 19 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 5 |
| Basil | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 14 |
Lookout Mountain'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Apr 10 |
| 1997 | Apr 19 |
| 1998 | Mar 23 |
| 1999 | Mar 27 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2003 | Mar 31 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2011 | Mar 12 |
| 2012 | Mar 5 |
| 2013 | Mar 29 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Mar 30 |
| 2016 | Mar 21 |
| 2017 | Mar 17 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2021 | Apr 3 |
| 2022 | Mar 14 |
| 2023 | Mar 21 |
| 2024 | Mar 20 |
| 2025 | Mar 22 |
| 2026 | Mar 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 205 |
| 1997 | 191 |
| 1998 | 227 |
| 1999 | 220 |
| 2011 | 243 |
| 2012 | 252 |
| 2014 | 199 |
| 2015 | 236 |
| 2016 | 243 |
| 2017 | 225 |
| 2018 | 186 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2021 | 224 |
| 2022 | 217 |
| 2023 | 224 |
| 2024 | 253 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 18.5 °C |
| 1997 | 17.7 °C |
| 1999 | 20.7 °C |
| 2001 | 19.9 °C |
| 2003 | 20.2 °C |
| 2009 | 21.0 °C |
| 2010 | 22.8 °C |
| 2011 | 21.6 °C |
| 2012 | 21.5 °C |
| 2013 | 20.0 °C |
| 2014 | 20.7 °C |
| 2015 | 21.4 °C |
| 2016 | 22.7 °C |
| 2017 | 21.3 °C |
| 2018 | 21.5 °C |
| 2019 | 22.2 °C |
| 2021 | 20.1 °C |
| 2022 | 20.9 °C |
| 2023 | 20.5 °C |
| 2024 | 21.5 °C |
| 2025 | 21.2 °C |
| 2026 | 22.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Lookout Mtn-Point Park (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.