When to plant in Horse Cave, KY
Planting dates worked out from Horse Cave's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 309 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 14about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 281 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 161 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 26about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 69 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 195 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Mammoth Cave · 22.0 km away · station 232 m, town 193 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 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 26 |
| Peas | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | May 23 |
| Beet | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | May 6 |
| Potato | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 2 |
| Kale | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 29 |
| Broccoli | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | May 16 |
| Cucumber | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 12 |
| Winter squash | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Jun 15 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 12 – Nov 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 10 |
| Basil | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 24 |
Horse Cave'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 |
|---|---|
| 1935 | Apr 17 |
| 1936 | Apr 23 |
| 1937 | Apr 12 |
| 1938 | Apr 10 |
| 1939 | May 4 |
| 1940 | May 4 |
| 1941 | Mar 30 |
| 1942 | Apr 20 |
| 1944 | May 7 |
| 1945 | May 11 |
| 1946 | Apr 27 |
| 1947 | May 10 |
| 1948 | Apr 18 |
| 1949 | Apr 20 |
| 1950 | Jun 5 |
| 1951 | Apr 24 |
| 1952 | Apr 17 |
| 1953 | Apr 21 |
| 1954 | May 21 |
| 1955 | Apr 8 |
| 1956 | Apr 25 |
| 1957 | May 6 |
| 1958 | Apr 30 |
| 1959 | May 16 |
| 1960 | May 2 |
| 1961 | May 27 |
| 1962 | Apr 20 |
| 1963 | May 2 |
| 1964 | Apr 10 |
| 1965 | Apr 3 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | May 3 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | May 4 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 26 |
| 1973 | Apr 28 |
| 1974 | Apr 25 |
| 1975 | Apr 16 |
| 1976 | May 9 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1980 | Apr 16 |
| 1981 | Apr 6 |
| 1983 | May 9 |
| 1984 | Apr 2 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 6 |
| 1988 | Apr 20 |
| 1989 | May 12 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1995 | Apr 28 |
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | May 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 20 |
| 1999 | Apr 19 |
| 2000 | Apr 9 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 5 |
| 2004 | Apr 5 |
| 2009 | Mar 30 |
| 2010 | Mar 30 |
| 2011 | Apr 1 |
| 2012 | Apr 12 |
| 2013 | Apr 25 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 5 |
| 2016 | Apr 9 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 20 |
| 2019 | Apr 1 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 21 |
| 2022 | Apr 19 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 12 |
| 2026 | Mar 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1935 | 167 |
| 1936 | 187 |
| 1938 | 193 |
| 1939 | 161 |
| 1942 | 160 |
| 1944 | 160 |
| 1945 | 150 |
| 1946 | 157 |
| 1947 | 143 |
| 1948 | 179 |
| 1949 | 162 |
| 1950 | 142 |
| 1951 | 167 |
| 1952 | 172 |
| 1953 | 169 |
| 1954 | 151 |
| 1955 | 199 |
| 1956 | 165 |
| 1957 | 158 |
| 1958 | 163 |
| 1959 | 148 |
| 1960 | 171 |
| 1961 | 140 |
| 1962 | 186 |
| 1963 | 180 |
| 1964 | 178 |
| 1965 | 174 |
| 1966 | 163 |
| 1967 | 160 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 170 |
| 1970 | 165 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1972 | 176 |
| 1973 | 171 |
| 1974 | 160 |
| 1975 | 169 |
| 1976 | 161 |
| 1977 | 154 |
| 1978 | 165 |
| 1980 | 171 |
| 1981 | 179 |
| 1983 | 169 |
| 1984 | 182 |
| 1985 | 211 |
| 1986 | 163 |
| 1987 | 180 |
| 1988 | 167 |
| 1989 | 134 |
| 1995 | 169 |
| 1996 | 174 |
| 1997 | 156 |
| 1998 | 184 |
| 1999 | 187 |
| 2000 | 181 |
| 2001 | 181 |
| 2002 | 210 |
| 2004 | 234 |
| 2009 | 201 |
| 2010 | 212 |
| 2011 | 210 |
| 2012 | 202 |
| 2013 | 182 |
| 2014 | 199 |
| 2015 | 195 |
| 2016 | 217 |
| 2017 | 220 |
| 2018 | 183 |
| 2019 | 213 |
| 2020 | 176 |
| 2021 | 195 |
| 2022 | 181 |
| 2023 | 189 |
| 2024 | 220 |
| 2025 | 211 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1935 | 20.3 °C |
| 1936 | 22.4 °C |
| 1938 | 20.7 °C |
| 1939 | 20.7 °C |
| 1940 | 19.4 °C |
| 1941 | 21.2 °C |
| 1942 | 20.8 °C |
| 1943 | 21.0 °C |
| 1944 | 21.2 °C |
| 1945 | 20.1 °C |
| 1946 | 20.0 °C |
| 1947 | 20.1 °C |
| 1949 | 20.0 °C |
| 1950 | 18.3 °C |
| 1951 | 19.9 °C |
| 1952 | 22.2 °C |
| 1953 | 21.5 °C |
| 1954 | 21.9 °C |
| 1955 | 21.8 °C |
| 1956 | 20.4 °C |
| 1957 | 21.5 °C |
| 1958 | 20.1 °C |
| 1959 | 20.7 °C |
| 1960 | 20.8 °C |
| 1961 | 19.5 °C |
| 1962 | 21.0 °C |
| 1963 | 20.8 °C |
| 1964 | 21.4 °C |
| 1965 | 20.9 °C |
| 1966 | 20.1 °C |
| 1967 | 19.6 °C |
| 1968 | 20.5 °C |
| 1969 | 20.9 °C |
| 1970 | 21.4 °C |
| 1971 | 20.3 °C |
| 1972 | 20.5 °C |
| 1973 | 20.4 °C |
| 1974 | 19.8 °C |
| 1975 | 20.6 °C |
| 1976 | 19.4 °C |
| 1977 | 21.9 °C |
| 1978 | 21.2 °C |
| 1980 | 21.8 °C |
| 1981 | 21.2 °C |
| 1983 | 20.8 °C |
| 1984 | 20.3 °C |
| 1985 | 21.1 °C |
| 1986 | 21.9 °C |
| 1987 | 21.7 °C |
| 1988 | 21.2 °C |
| 1989 | 19.7 °C |
| 1991 | 22.3 °C |
| 1995 | 21.0 °C |
| 1996 | 20.5 °C |
| 1997 | 19.4 °C |
| 1998 | 21.6 °C |
| 1999 | 22.2 °C |
| 2000 | 21.6 °C |
| 2001 | 22.0 °C |
| 2002 | 23.0 °C |
| 2004 | 22.4 °C |
| 2009 | 21.9 °C |
| 2010 | 23.8 °C |
| 2011 | 22.7 °C |
| 2012 | 22.9 °C |
| 2013 | 21.8 °C |
| 2014 | 22.5 °C |
| 2015 | 22.8 °C |
| 2016 | 23.2 °C |
| 2017 | 22.8 °C |
| 2018 | 23.2 °C |
| 2019 | 23.5 °C |
| 2020 | 21.9 °C |
| 2021 | 22.1 °C |
| 2022 | 22.9 °C |
| 2023 | 22.0 °C |
| 2024 | 23.3 °C |
| 2025 | 23.2 °C |
| 2026 | 23.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1935, Horse Cave's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Mammoth Cave (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.