When to plant in Dayton, ME
Planting dates worked out from Dayton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 27
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 29
1 year in 10 by Sep 18
Frost-free days
132
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Hollis · 13.5 km away · station 93 m, town 78 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 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 26 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | May 29 |
| Peas | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | Jun 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 9 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 27 – Jun 8 | Jun 26 |
| Beet | — | Apr 27 – Jun 8 | Jun 16 |
| Potato | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jul 6 |
| Kale | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Broccoli | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jun 18 |
| Cucumber | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 16 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 11 |
| Winter squash | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 19 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jul 18 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 15 – Oct 13 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | May 26 |
| Basil | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 |
Dayton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 11 |
| 1996 | May 26 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | May 15 |
| 1999 | May 18 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | Jun 4 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 9 |
| 2007 | May 23 |
| 2008 | May 13 |
| 2009 | May 27 |
| 2010 | May 14 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2012 | May 8 |
| 2013 | May 16 |
| 2014 | May 9 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 20 |
| 2019 | May 10 |
| 2020 | Jun 1 |
| 2021 | May 8 |
| 2022 | May 11 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | May 12 |
| 2025 | May 2 |
| 2026 | May 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 122 |
| 1996 | 123 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 131 |
| 1999 | 139 |
| 2000 | 131 |
| 2001 | 147 |
| 2002 | 125 |
| 2003 | 136 |
| 2004 | 148 |
| 2005 | 159 |
| 2006 | 140 |
| 2007 | 143 |
| 2008 | 128 |
| 2009 | 115 |
| 2010 | 148 |
| 2011 | 155 |
| 2012 | 131 |
| 2013 | 123 |
| 2014 | 132 |
| 2015 | 126 |
| 2016 | 138 |
| 2017 | 143 |
| 2018 | 146 |
| 2019 | 131 |
| 2020 | 109 |
| 2021 | 168 |
| 2022 | 141 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2024 | 155 |
| 2025 | 142 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 14.5 °C |
| 1996 | 14.9 °C |
| 1997 | 14.1 °C |
| 1998 | 15.3 °C |
| 1999 | 15.9 °C |
| 2000 | 14.0 °C |
| 2001 | 15.4 °C |
| 2002 | 15.4 °C |
| 2003 | 14.6 °C |
| 2004 | 14.5 °C |
| 2005 | 15.0 °C |
| 2006 | 15.2 °C |
| 2007 | 14.5 °C |
| 2008 | 14.6 °C |
| 2009 | 14.3 °C |
| 2010 | 16.1 °C |
| 2011 | 15.3 °C |
| 2012 | 15.3 °C |
| 2013 | 14.9 °C |
| 2014 | 14.5 °C |
| 2015 | 15.3 °C |
| 2016 | 15.0 °C |
| 2017 | 14.9 °C |
| 2018 | 15.2 °C |
| 2019 | 14.4 °C |
| 2020 | 14.9 °C |
| 2021 | 15.7 °C |
| 2022 | 15.5 °C |
| 2023 | 15.1 °C |
| 2024 | 15.7 °C |
| 2025 | 15.3 °C |
| 2026 | 15.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Dayton's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Hollis (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.