When to plant in Sherborn, MA
Planting dates worked out from Sherborn'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
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
167
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Walpole 2 · 13.4 km away · station 52 m, town 63 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) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 26 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | May 29 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| 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 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 9 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Sherborn'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 |
|---|---|
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 30 |
| 1976 | Apr 13 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | Apr 21 |
| 1980 | Apr 22 |
| 1981 | May 9 |
| 1982 | Apr 30 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 3 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | May 10 |
| 1987 | May 14 |
| 1988 | May 9 |
| 1989 | Apr 26 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 19 |
| 1992 | May 26 |
| 1993 | Apr 29 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | May 2 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 27 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 1 |
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 20 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 5 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 28 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
| 2026 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 148 |
| 1975 | 162 |
| 1976 | 180 |
| 1977 | 166 |
| 1978 | 159 |
| 1979 | 151 |
| 1980 | 170 |
| 1981 | 154 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1983 | 151 |
| 1984 | 155 |
| 1985 | 160 |
| 1986 | 149 |
| 1987 | 151 |
| 1988 | 150 |
| 1989 | 154 |
| 1990 | 184 |
| 1991 | 162 |
| 1992 | 127 |
| 1993 | 143 |
| 1994 | 170 |
| 1995 | 177 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 167 |
| 1998 | 160 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 150 |
| 2001 | 154 |
| 2003 | 137 |
| 2004 | 171 |
| 2005 | 161 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2007 | 171 |
| 2008 | 172 |
| 2009 | 174 |
| 2010 | 177 |
| 2011 | 188 |
| 2012 | 165 |
| 2013 | 172 |
| 2014 | 181 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 165 |
| 2017 | 205 |
| 2018 | 178 |
| 2019 | 173 |
| 2020 | 133 |
| 2021 | 189 |
| 2022 | 181 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 169 |
| 2025 | 171 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 16.9 °C |
| 1975 | 16.9 °C |
| 1976 | 17.6 °C |
| 1977 | 17.5 °C |
| 1978 | 16.6 °C |
| 1979 | 17.3 °C |
| 1980 | 17.7 °C |
| 1981 | 17.4 °C |
| 1982 | 16.4 °C |
| 1983 | 17.7 °C |
| 1984 | 17.0 °C |
| 1985 | 17.1 °C |
| 1986 | 16.5 °C |
| 1987 | 17.2 °C |
| 1988 | 17.6 °C |
| 1989 | 17.2 °C |
| 1990 | 16.8 °C |
| 1991 | 18.1 °C |
| 1992 | 16.3 °C |
| 1993 | 17.9 °C |
| 1994 | 17.9 °C |
| 1995 | 17.2 °C |
| 1996 | 17.2 °C |
| 1997 | 16.8 °C |
| 1998 | 18.0 °C |
| 1999 | 18.6 °C |
| 2000 | 16.8 °C |
| 2001 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 17.2 °C |
| 2004 | 17.7 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.6 °C |
| 2007 | 17.7 °C |
| 2008 | 17.7 °C |
| 2009 | 17.3 °C |
| 2010 | 19.4 °C |
| 2011 | 18.4 °C |
| 2012 | 18.6 °C |
| 2013 | 18.2 °C |
| 2014 | 17.8 °C |
| 2015 | 18.7 °C |
| 2016 | 18.6 °C |
| 2017 | 18.0 °C |
| 2018 | 18.7 °C |
| 2019 | 18.0 °C |
| 2020 | 18.1 °C |
| 2021 | 18.5 °C |
| 2022 | 18.8 °C |
| 2023 | 18.2 °C |
| 2024 | 18.6 °C |
| 2025 | 18.6 °C |
| 2026 | 18.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1974, Sherborn's last spring frost has come about 1 day 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 Walpole 2 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.