When to plant in Stanford, KY
Planting dates worked out from Stanford's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 9
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 21
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
181
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Crab Orchard 6 N · 20.3 km away · station 312 m, town 287 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 14 – Mar 28 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 3 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 8 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 20 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 |
| Peas | — | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | May 7 |
| Bush beans | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jun 21 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | Jun 2 |
| Beet | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 16 |
| Potato | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 12 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 9 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | May 26 |
| Cucumber | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jun 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jun 23 |
| Winter squash | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 28 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 1 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 25 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 7 – Nov 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | Apr 20 |
| Basil | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 5 |
Stanford'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 |
|---|---|
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | Apr 7 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 29 |
| 1988 | Jun 10 |
| 1989 | May 12 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1993 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 29 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 22 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 26 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | Apr 6 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2008 | Apr 29 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 24 |
| 2013 | Apr 25 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 28 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 19 |
| 2023 | Apr 25 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 12 |
| 2026 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 148 |
| 1981 | 178 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1983 | 134 |
| 1985 | 179 |
| 1986 | 155 |
| 1987 | 154 |
| 1988 | 116 |
| 1989 | 134 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1995 | 170 |
| 1996 | 158 |
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1998 | 182 |
| 1999 | 185 |
| 2000 | 163 |
| 2004 | 216 |
| 2005 | 172 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2008 | 172 |
| 2012 | 190 |
| 2013 | 181 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 210 |
| 2017 | 204 |
| 2018 | 175 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 176 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 172 |
| 2023 | 188 |
| 2024 | 213 |
| 2025 | 211 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 20.2 °C |
| 1981 | 19.8 °C |
| 1983 | 19.3 °C |
| 1985 | 20.6 °C |
| 1986 | 20.9 °C |
| 1987 | 20.6 °C |
| 1988 | 20.4 °C |
| 1989 | 19.3 °C |
| 1990 | 20.2 °C |
| 1991 | 21.3 °C |
| 1993 | 20.3 °C |
| 1997 | 18.7 °C |
| 1998 | 20.9 °C |
| 1999 | 21.2 °C |
| 2000 | 20.2 °C |
| 2004 | 20.1 °C |
| 2006 | 20.4 °C |
| 2007 | 21.5 °C |
| 2011 | 21.2 °C |
| 2012 | 21.3 °C |
| 2013 | 20.1 °C |
| 2014 | 20.6 °C |
| 2015 | 20.7 °C |
| 2016 | 21.3 °C |
| 2017 | 20.7 °C |
| 2018 | 21.4 °C |
| 2019 | 21.9 °C |
| 2020 | 20.2 °C |
| 2021 | 20.2 °C |
| 2022 | 21.0 °C |
| 2023 | 20.4 °C |
| 2024 | 21.6 °C |
| 2025 | 21.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1980, Stanford's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 11 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Crab Orchard 6 N (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.