When to plant in Chesterfield, MA
Planting dates worked out from Chesterfield's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 22
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 12
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 3
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
143
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Worthington · 6.7 km away · station 392 m, town 433 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 27 – Apr 10 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 16 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 21 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 24 |
| Peas | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | Jun 8 |
| Bush beans | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 4 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 12 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 3 |
| Broccoli | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| Cucumber | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 11 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 6 |
| Winter squash | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Aug 10 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 14 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jul 13 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 19 – Oct 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | May 22 |
| Basil | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 |
Chesterfield'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 8 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | May 14 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | Jun 1 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | May 6 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 5 |
| 2009 | May 19 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 7 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | Apr 25 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 125 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 138 |
| 1998 | 132 |
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2001 | 128 |
| 2002 | 137 |
| 2003 | 136 |
| 2005 | 161 |
| 2006 | 152 |
| 2007 | 164 |
| 2008 | 137 |
| 2009 | 144 |
| 2010 | 149 |
| 2011 | 152 |
| 2012 | 163 |
| 2013 | 131 |
| 2014 | 151 |
| 2015 | 144 |
| 2016 | 138 |
| 2017 | 144 |
| 2018 | 172 |
| 2019 | 142 |
| 2020 | 120 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 14.4 °C |
| 1996 | 14.6 °C |
| 1997 | 13.9 °C |
| 1998 | 15.9 °C |
| 1999 | 15.7 °C |
| 2001 | 15.0 °C |
| 2002 | 15.3 °C |
| 2003 | 14.7 °C |
| 2004 | 15.0 °C |
| 2005 | 15.9 °C |
| 2006 | 15.4 °C |
| 2007 | 14.9 °C |
| 2008 | 15.1 °C |
| 2009 | 14.6 °C |
| 2010 | 16.5 °C |
| 2011 | 15.8 °C |
| 2012 | 15.8 °C |
| 2013 | 15.2 °C |
| 2014 | 14.8 °C |
| 2015 | 15.7 °C |
| 2016 | 15.4 °C |
| 2017 | 15.1 °C |
| 2018 | 15.6 °C |
| 2019 | 15.0 °C |
| 2020 | 15.1 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Worthington (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.