When to plant in Wheaton, MD

Planting dates worked out from Wheaton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 259 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 6about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 181 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 181 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalNov 5about half of years have had frost
LateNov 189 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 208 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Laurel 3 W · 14.3 km away · station 122 m, town 142 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 21 – Mar 7	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 12
Sweet pepper	Feb 7 – Feb 21	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 17
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 4 – Feb 11	Mar 11 – Mar 25	Apr 20
Peas	—	Mar 11 – Apr 8	May 5
Bush beans	—	Apr 11 – May 2	May 31
Carrot	—	Mar 21 – May 2	May 20
Beet	—	Mar 21 – May 2	May 10
Potato	—	Mar 21 – Apr 11	May 30
Kale	Feb 4 – Feb 18	Mar 18 – Apr 1	Apr 30
Broccoli	Jan 28 – Feb 11	Mar 11 – Apr 1	May 10
Cucumber	Mar 21 – Mar 28	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 7
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 21 – Mar 28	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 2
Winter squash	Mar 21 – Mar 28	Apr 18 – May 2	Jul 7
Sweet corn	—	Apr 11 – May 2	Jun 10
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 11 – Apr 1	Jun 9
Garlic	—	Oct 22 – Nov 19 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 11 – Apr 8	Apr 18
Basil	Mar 7 – Mar 21	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 14

Plan all 65 crops for Wheaton

Wheaton'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
1896	Apr 9
1897	Apr 21
1898	Apr 28
1899	Apr 11
1900	Apr 15
1901	Apr 12
1902	Apr 16
1903	Apr 22
1904	Apr 23
1905	Apr 19
1906	May 11
1907	May 5
1908	May 2
1909	May 3
1910	Apr 20
1911	May 6
1912	Apr 24
1913	May 12
1914	Apr 14
1915	Apr 16
1916	Apr 19
1917	May 11
1918	Apr 15
1922	Apr 29
1923	May 11
1924	Apr 21
1925	May 6
1926	Apr 27
1927	Apr 25
1928	Apr 18
1929	Mar 29
1930	Apr 25
1931	Apr 30
1932	Apr 17
1933	Apr 27
1934	Apr 29
1935	Apr 16
1937	Apr 11
1938	Apr 11
1939	Apr 23
1940	Apr 15
1941	Apr 3
1942	Apr 14
1943	May 2
1945	Apr 7
1950	Apr 16
1952	Mar 25
1953	Apr 21
1955	Mar 30
1956	Apr 21
1957	Apr 16
1958	Apr 9
1959	Apr 13
1960	Apr 11
1961	Apr 13
1962	Apr 17
1963	Mar 23
1964	Apr 5
1965	Apr 4
1966	May 10
1967	Apr 12
1968	Apr 6
1969	Apr 1
1970	Apr 11
1971	Mar 31
1972	Apr 9
1973	Apr 13
1974	Apr 11
1975	Apr 7
1976	Apr 13
1977	Apr 9
1978	Mar 18
1979	Apr 7
1980	Apr 17
1981	Mar 25
1982	Apr 10
1983	Apr 20
1984	Mar 24
1986	Mar 23
1988	Apr 14
1989	Apr 12
1991	Apr 3
1992	Apr 13
1993	Apr 28
1994	Mar 19
1995	Apr 5
1996	Apr 10
1997	Apr 18
1998	Mar 25
1999	Apr 13
2000	Apr 24
2001	Apr 18
2002	Apr 7
2003	Apr 1
2008	Mar 30
2009	Mar 25
2010	Mar 27
2011	Mar 29
2012	Mar 27
2013	Apr 4
2014	Apr 17
2015	Mar 29

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1896	182
1897	192
1898	200
1899	193
1900	184
1901	174
1902	188
1903	179
1904	183
1905	185
1906	153
1907	161
1908	163
1909	162
1910	185
1911	176
1912	174
1913	162
1914	196
1915	177
1916	164
1917	148
1918	176
1922	172
1923	149
1925	157
1926	182
1927	193
1928	191
1929	202
1930	176
1931	170
1932	198
1933	181
1934	167
1935	171
1937	186
1938	212
1939	174
1940	186
1941	205
1942	195
1943	168
1945	190
1950	203
1952	209
1953	198
1955	220
1956	203
1957	194
1958	227
1959	203
1960	193
1961	210
1962	191
1963	234
1964	188
1965	183
1966	177
1967	207
1968	217
1969	204
1970	219
1971	221
1972	184
1973	206
1974	175
1975	206
1976	188
1978	252
1979	185
1980	199
1981	232
1982	209
1983	192
1984	228
1989	205
1991	196
1993	165
1994	248
1996	206
1997	208
1998	224
1999	204
2000	205
2001	182
2002	207
2003	221
2008	225
2009	250
2011	213
2012	224
2013	213
2014	204

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1896	20.6 °C
1897	18.9 °C
1898	20.6 °C
1899	20.4 °C
1900	21.0 °C
1901	19.7 °C
1902	19.1 °C
1903	19.0 °C
1904	19.8 °C
1905	20.6 °C
1906	21.1 °C
1907	18.1 °C
1908	20.0 °C
1909	19.0 °C
1910	19.5 °C
1911	20.1 °C
1912	19.5 °C
1913	19.3 °C
1914	19.2 °C
1915	19.1 °C
1916	18.6 °C
1917	18.5 °C
1922	20.0 °C
1923	19.5 °C
1924	18.4 °C
1925	20.1 °C
1926	19.2 °C
1927	18.3 °C
1928	18.9 °C
1929	19.4 °C
1930	20.7 °C
1931	20.1 °C
1932	19.5 °C
1933	20.0 °C
1934	20.3 °C
1935	19.0 °C
1936	20.0 °C
1937	19.7 °C
1938	19.8 °C
1939	20.3 °C
1940	19.0 °C
1941	20.6 °C
1942	20.4 °C
1945	19.9 °C
1950	19.7 °C
1952	21.2 °C
1953	21.1 °C
1954	20.7 °C
1955	21.8 °C
1956	20.2 °C
1957	21.4 °C
1958	20.3 °C
1959	22.1 °C
1960	21.1 °C
1961	20.4 °C
1962	20.8 °C
1963	20.4 °C
1964	20.6 °C
1965	20.7 °C
1966	20.6 °C
1967	19.8 °C
1968	20.8 °C
1969	21.4 °C
1970	21.4 °C
1971	20.5 °C
1972	20.2 °C
1973	20.6 °C
1974	20.0 °C
1975	20.1 °C
1976	20.0 °C
1977	21.0 °C
1978	20.3 °C
1979	19.4 °C
1980	21.6 °C
1981	20.9 °C
1983	21.0 °C
1984	19.9 °C
1985	21.6 °C
1988	20.8 °C
1991	22.1 °C
1993	20.7 °C
1994	21.2 °C
1996	20.4 °C
1997	20.3 °C
1998	22.1 °C
1999	21.6 °C
2000	20.4 °C
2001	21.1 °C
2002	21.9 °C
2003	19.9 °C
2008	21.1 °C
2009	20.8 °C
2010	22.9 °C
2012	22.1 °C
2013	21.1 °C
2014	20.8 °C

What this means for you: Since 1896, Wheaton's last spring frost has come about 2 days 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 Laurel 3 W (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

North Kensington Glenmont Kensington Forest Glen Kemp Mill Garrett Park