When to plant in Cape Neddick, ME
Planting dates worked out from Cape Neddick's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 1
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 21
1 year in 10 by Oct 12
Frost-free days
173
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Rachel Carson Maine · 18.1 km away · station 6 m, town 12 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 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 19 |
| Peas | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | Jun 3 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 29 |
| Broccoli | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| 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 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 8 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | May 17 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Cape Neddick'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 |
|---|---|
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 20 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 28 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 6 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 19 |
| 2016 | Apr 30 |
| 2017 | May 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | Apr 26 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 161 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2007 | 191 |
| 2008 | 173 |
| 2009 | 136 |
| 2010 | 172 |
| 2011 | 188 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 171 |
| 2015 | 181 |
| 2016 | 167 |
| 2017 | 182 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2019 | 186 |
| 2020 | 174 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 189 |
| 2023 | 165 |
| 2024 | 172 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 15.9 °C |
| 2006 | 16.2 °C |
| 2007 | 15.7 °C |
| 2008 | 16.0 °C |
| 2009 | 15.5 °C |
| 2010 | 17.4 °C |
| 2011 | 16.5 °C |
| 2012 | 16.8 °C |
| 2013 | 16.4 °C |
| 2014 | 15.8 °C |
| 2015 | 16.6 °C |
| 2016 | 16.5 °C |
| 2017 | 16.4 °C |
| 2018 | 16.8 °C |
| 2019 | 16.2 °C |
| 2020 | 16.3 °C |
| 2021 | 17.2 °C |
| 2022 | 16.9 °C |
| 2023 | 16.6 °C |
| 2024 | 16.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Rachel Carson Maine (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.