When to plant in Rockport, IN
Planting dates worked out from Rockport's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 279 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 10about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 251 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 131 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 23about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 39 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 192 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Boonville 1s · 25.6 km away · station 122 m, town 134 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 19 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 24 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 6 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 22 |
| Peas | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 28 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 20 – May 1 | May 19 |
| Beet | — | Mar 15 – Apr 26 | May 4 |
| Potato | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | May 29 |
| Kale | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 25 |
| Broccoli | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | May 12 |
| Cucumber | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 14 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 9 |
| Winter squash | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Jun 11 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 9 – Nov 6 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 11 |
| Basil | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 21 |
Rockport's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1898 | Apr 7 |
| 1900 | Apr 14 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | Apr 5 |
| 1996 | Apr 10 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 11 |
| 1999 | Mar 28 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 7 |
| 2003 | Mar 31 |
| 2004 | Apr 5 |
| 2005 | Mar 21 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 13 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 9 |
| 2010 | Mar 19 |
| 2011 | Apr 1 |
| 2012 | Apr 12 |
| 2013 | Apr 25 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 5 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 10 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 6 |
| 2025 | Apr 12 |
| 2026 | Mar 28 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 189 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 182 |
| 1994 | 175 |
| 1995 | 192 |
| 1996 | 191 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 1999 | 203 |
| 2000 | 178 |
| 2001 | 181 |
| 2002 | 208 |
| 2003 | 221 |
| 2004 | 217 |
| 2005 | 218 |
| 2006 | 187 |
| 2008 | 195 |
| 2009 | 191 |
| 2010 | 223 |
| 2011 | 210 |
| 2012 | 181 |
| 2013 | 182 |
| 2014 | 199 |
| 2015 | 194 |
| 2016 | 211 |
| 2017 | 220 |
| 2018 | 186 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 159 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 181 |
| 2023 | 189 |
| 2024 | 231 |
| 2025 | 204 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1898 | 22.2 °C |
| 1991 | 22.5 °C |
| 1992 | 20.0 °C |
| 1993 | 21.0 °C |
| 1994 | 20.6 °C |
| 1995 | 21.4 °C |
| 1996 | 20.7 °C |
| 1997 | 19.9 °C |
| 1998 | 22.1 °C |
| 1999 | 21.7 °C |
| 2000 | 21.0 °C |
| 2001 | 21.7 °C |
| 2002 | 22.4 °C |
| 2003 | 20.9 °C |
| 2004 | 21.4 °C |
| 2005 | 21.9 °C |
| 2006 | 21.4 °C |
| 2007 | 22.2 °C |
| 2008 | 21.2 °C |
| 2009 | 21.5 °C |
| 2010 | 23.4 °C |
| 2011 | 23.4 °C |
| 2012 | 22.8 °C |
| 2013 | 21.4 °C |
| 2014 | 21.3 °C |
| 2015 | 21.9 °C |
| 2016 | 22.3 °C |
| 2017 | 21.9 °C |
| 2018 | 22.6 °C |
| 2019 | 22.4 °C |
| 2020 | 21.2 °C |
| 2021 | 21.6 °C |
| 2022 | 21.9 °C |
| 2023 | 21.6 °C |
| 2024 | 22.4 °C |
| 2025 | 22.2 °C |
| 2026 | 23.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1898, Rockport's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. 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 Boonville 1s (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.