When to plant in Bel Air South, MD
Planting dates worked out from Bel Air South's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Station used: Octoraro Lake · 40.0 km away · station 79 m, town 99 m. How we match towns to stations
The nearest reliable station is 40 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | May 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 12 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | Apr 29 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Bel Air South's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Mar 21 |
| 1979 | Apr 18 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 29 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1984 | May 17 |
| 1985 | May 4 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 14 |
| 1988 | Apr 27 |
| 1989 | Apr 21 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 23 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 30 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 16 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | May 15 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 14 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 16 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | May 1 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 18 |
| 2026 | Apr 21 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 249 |
| 1979 | 178 |
| 1981 | 169 |
| 1983 | 163 |
| 1984 | 169 |
| 1985 | 174 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 169 |
| 1989 | 169 |
| 1990 | 151 |
| 1991 | 167 |
| 1992 | 146 |
| 1993 | 165 |
| 1995 | 160 |
| 1996 | 126 |
| 1997 | 146 |
| 1998 | 155 |
| 1999 | 142 |
| 2000 | 144 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 153 |
| 2004 | 184 |
| 2005 | 178 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2008 | 186 |
| 2009 | 178 |
| 2010 | 208 |
| 2011 | 206 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 177 |
| 2015 | 176 |
| 2016 | 191 |
| 2017 | 214 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 198 |
| 2020 | 171 |
| 2022 | 172 |
| 2023 | 180 |
| 2024 | 186 |
| 2025 | 189 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 19.4 °C |
| 1981 | 19.0 °C |
| 1983 | 19.1 °C |
| 1984 | 18.6 °C |
| 1985 | 19.2 °C |
| 1986 | 19.8 °C |
| 1987 | 20.0 °C |
| 1988 | 19.8 °C |
| 1989 | 19.0 °C |
| 1990 | 18.5 °C |
| 1991 | 19.5 °C |
| 1992 | 17.3 °C |
| 1993 | 19.2 °C |
| 1996 | 18.7 °C |
| 1997 | 17.4 °C |
| 1998 | 19.2 °C |
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 17.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.7 °C |
| 2002 | 20.4 °C |
| 2004 | 19.4 °C |
| 2005 | 19.3 °C |
| 2006 | 19.0 °C |
| 2007 | 18.9 °C |
| 2008 | 18.8 °C |
| 2009 | 18.7 °C |
| 2010 | 20.3 °C |
| 2011 | 20.2 °C |
| 2012 | 19.8 °C |
| 2013 | 18.8 °C |
| 2014 | 18.2 °C |
| 2015 | 19.5 °C |
| 2016 | 19.3 °C |
| 2017 | 19.2 °C |
| 2018 | 19.3 °C |
| 2019 | 19.8 °C |
| 2020 | 18.7 °C |
| 2022 | 19.4 °C |
| 2023 | 19.2 °C |
| 2024 | 20.1 °C |
| 2025 | 19.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1978, Bel Air South's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Octoraro Lake (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.