When to plant in Frederick, MD
Planting dates worked out from Frederick's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 149 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 27about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 141 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 91 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 21about half of years have had frost
- LateOct 319 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 175 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Sharpsburg 5 S · 26.7 km away · station 122 m, town 87 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 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 20 |
| 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 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 6 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 7 – Nov 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Frederick'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 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 7 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 17 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 25 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 15 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 1 |
| 2019 | Apr 4 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 181 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 147 |
| 2002 | 147 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 184 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 203 |
| 2012 | 170 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 191 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 178 |
| 2017 | 170 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 197 |
| 2020 | 173 |
| 2021 | 192 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.3 °C |
| 2001 | 18.6 °C |
| 2002 | 19.4 °C |
| 2003 | 18.5 °C |
| 2004 | 19.5 °C |
| 2005 | 19.4 °C |
| 2008 | 18.5 °C |
| 2010 | 20.3 °C |
| 2011 | 19.9 °C |
| 2012 | 19.4 °C |
| 2013 | 18.6 °C |
| 2014 | 18.2 °C |
| 2015 | 19.5 °C |
| 2016 | 19.5 °C |
| 2017 | 19.1 °C |
| 2018 | 19.6 °C |
| 2019 | 19.9 °C |
| 2020 | 18.7 °C |
| 2021 | 19.3 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Sharpsburg 5 S (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.