When to plant in Lebanon, KY
Planting dates worked out from Lebanon's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 79 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 22about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 151 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 51 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 16about half of years have had frost
- LateOct 279 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 171 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Bradfordsville · 12.2 km away · station 201 m, town 241 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 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | May 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 10 |
| Kale | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 7 |
| Broccoli | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | May 24 |
| Cucumber | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 4 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jun 29 |
| Winter squash | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Lebanon'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 |
|---|---|
| 1963 | May 2 |
| 1965 | Apr 14 |
| 1966 | Jun 1 |
| 1967 | May 3 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | May 1 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1973 | Apr 28 |
| 1974 | Apr 16 |
| 1977 | Apr 10 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1979 | Apr 30 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | Apr 7 |
| 1982 | Apr 25 |
| 1983 | May 9 |
| 1984 | Apr 20 |
| 1985 | Apr 11 |
| 1986 | May 5 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | May 1 |
| 1989 | May 9 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 2 |
| 1992 | Apr 30 |
| 1993 | Apr 23 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 7 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 12 |
| 1999 | Apr 13 |
| 2000 | Apr 10 |
| 2001 | Apr 27 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 10 |
| 2010 | Apr 29 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 173 |
| 1966 | 126 |
| 1967 | 160 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 166 |
| 1970 | 149 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1972 | 163 |
| 1973 | 171 |
| 1974 | 168 |
| 1977 | 184 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1979 | 166 |
| 1980 | 148 |
| 1981 | 178 |
| 1982 | 174 |
| 1983 | 137 |
| 1984 | 164 |
| 1985 | 210 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 157 |
| 1989 | 152 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 187 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 159 |
| 1994 | 200 |
| 1995 | 192 |
| 1996 | 156 |
| 1997 | 154 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 1999 | 190 |
| 2000 | 180 |
| 2001 | 162 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 171 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2010 | 159 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 20.2 °C |
| 1963 | 19.7 °C |
| 1965 | 20.6 °C |
| 1966 | 19.3 °C |
| 1967 | 19.0 °C |
| 1968 | 20.3 °C |
| 1969 | 20.4 °C |
| 1970 | 21.1 °C |
| 1971 | 20.0 °C |
| 1972 | 20.5 °C |
| 1973 | 20.5 °C |
| 1974 | 19.9 °C |
| 1977 | 21.0 °C |
| 1978 | 20.2 °C |
| 1979 | 19.3 °C |
| 1980 | 20.4 °C |
| 1981 | 19.9 °C |
| 1982 | 19.2 °C |
| 1983 | 19.9 °C |
| 1984 | 19.3 °C |
| 1985 | 20.2 °C |
| 1986 | 21.0 °C |
| 1987 | 21.1 °C |
| 1988 | 20.3 °C |
| 1989 | 19.6 °C |
| 1990 | 19.7 °C |
| 1991 | 21.5 °C |
| 1992 | 19.3 °C |
| 1993 | 20.4 °C |
| 1994 | 19.5 °C |
| 1995 | 20.4 °C |
| 1996 | 19.6 °C |
| 1997 | 18.6 °C |
| 1998 | 21.0 °C |
| 1999 | 21.0 °C |
| 2000 | 20.2 °C |
| 2001 | 20.8 °C |
| 2002 | 20.7 °C |
| 2003 | 19.5 °C |
| 2004 | 19.9 °C |
| 2005 | 20.7 °C |
| 2006 | 20.0 °C |
| 2007 | 20.9 °C |
| 2008 | 19.7 °C |
| 2009 | 19.6 °C |
| 2010 | 21.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1963, Lebanon's last spring frost has come about 3 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 Bradfordsville (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.