When to plant in Dedham, MA
Planting dates worked out from Dedham's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 18
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 6
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
145
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Norwood Mem Ap · 5.7 km away · station 13 m, town 33 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 23 – Apr 6 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 18 |
| Peas | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 27 |
| Bush beans | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jun 30 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 15 – May 27 | Jun 14 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 24 |
| Kale | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 7 |
| Cucumber | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 7 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 2 |
| Winter squash | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Aug 6 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 10 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 7 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 10 |
| Basil | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 14 |
Dedham'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | May 16 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 1 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 20 |
| 2011 | May 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 29 |
| 2015 | May 2 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | Apr 3 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 11 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 4 |
| 2022 | May 1 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 142 |
| 2000 | 135 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 140 |
| 2003 | 137 |
| 2004 | 170 |
| 2005 | 134 |
| 2006 | 133 |
| 2007 | 126 |
| 2008 | 145 |
| 2009 | 152 |
| 2011 | 178 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 150 |
| 2014 | 112 |
| 2015 | 147 |
| 2016 | 138 |
| 2017 | 192 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2019 | 176 |
| 2020 | 128 |
| 2021 | 202 |
| 2022 | 160 |
| 2024 | 168 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 15.8 °C |
| 2001 | 16.9 °C |
| 2002 | 17.1 °C |
| 2003 | 16.2 °C |
| 2004 | 16.7 °C |
| 2005 | 17.2 °C |
| 2006 | 16.9 °C |
| 2007 | 16.8 °C |
| 2008 | 16.4 °C |
| 2009 | 16.3 °C |
| 2010 | 19.0 °C |
| 2011 | 18.0 °C |
| 2012 | 18.1 °C |
| 2013 | 17.4 °C |
| 2014 | 16.6 °C |
| 2015 | 17.4 °C |
| 2016 | 17.4 °C |
| 2017 | 17.6 °C |
| 2018 | 18.9 °C |
| 2019 | 18.5 °C |
| 2020 | 17.9 °C |
| 2021 | 18.6 °C |
| 2022 | 18.4 °C |
| 2023 | 18.4 °C |
| 2024 | 18.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Norwood Mem Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.