When to plant in Ipswich, MA
Planting dates worked out from Ipswich's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
165
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Beverly · 10.1 km away · station 20 m, town 8 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 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 15 |
| Peas | — | Apr 5 – May 3 | May 30 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 16 |
| Beet | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 6 |
| Potato | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 26 |
| Kale | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 25 |
| Broccoli | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 4 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jul 4 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 5 – May 3 | May 13 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Ipswich'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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Apr 27 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 3 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | Apr 28 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | May 8 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | Apr 21 |
| 2010 | May 12 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2014 | Apr 22 |
| 2015 | Apr 5 |
| 2020 | Apr 25 |
| 2022 | Apr 18 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 167 |
| 1998 | 159 |
| 1999 | 146 |
| 2000 | 172 |
| 2001 | 153 |
| 2002 | 169 |
| 2003 | 153 |
| 2005 | 161 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2007 | 162 |
| 2008 | 169 |
| 2009 | 174 |
| 2010 | 160 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2014 | 201 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2022 | 193 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 15.6 °C |
| 1998 | 16.6 °C |
| 1999 | 17.0 °C |
| 2000 | 15.8 °C |
| 2001 | 16.8 °C |
| 2002 | 17.3 °C |
| 2003 | 16.2 °C |
| 2005 | 16.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.6 °C |
| 2007 | 16.1 °C |
| 2008 | 15.8 °C |
| 2009 | 15.6 °C |
| 2010 | 17.5 °C |
| 2012 | 16.3 °C |
| 2013 | 16.3 °C |
| 2014 | 16.4 °C |
| 2015 | 16.8 °C |
| 2020 | 16.4 °C |
| 2022 | 17.1 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Beverly (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.