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When to plant in Lebanon, ME

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

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyApr 249 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalMay 7about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outMay 151 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

  1. EarlySep 231 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalOct 5about half of years have had frost
  3. LateOct 179 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 148 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Sanford 2 Nnw · 9.0 km away · station 88 m, town 85 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Mar 20 – Apr 3 May 15 – May 29 Jul 9
Sweet pepper Mar 6 – Mar 20 May 15 – May 29 Jul 14
Lettuce (leaf) Mar 5 – Mar 12 Apr 9 – Apr 23 May 19
Peas — Apr 8 – May 6 Jun 2
Bush beans — May 8 – May 29 Jun 27
Carrot — Apr 18 – May 30 Jun 17
Beet — Apr 18 – May 30 Jun 7
Potato — Apr 18 – May 9 Jun 27
Kale Mar 4 – Mar 18 Apr 15 – Apr 29 May 28
Broccoli Feb 26 – Mar 12 Apr 9 – Apr 30 Jun 8
Cucumber Apr 17 – Apr 24 May 15 – May 29 Jul 4
Summer squash and zucchini Apr 17 – Apr 24 May 15 – May 29 Jun 29
Winter squash Apr 17 – Apr 24 May 15 – May 29 Aug 3
Sweet corn — May 8 – May 29 Jul 7
Onion (from sets) — Apr 9 – Apr 30 Jul 8
Garlic — Sep 21 – Oct 19 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Apr 8 – May 6 May 16
Basil Apr 3 – Apr 17 May 15 – May 29 Jul 11

Plan all 65 crops for Lebanon

Lebanon's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

May 1May 15Jun 1 1960197019801990200020102020
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1954May 27
1955May 20
1956May 29
1957May 19
1958Jun 7
1959May 19
1960May 3
1961Jun 7
1962May 13
1963May 24
1964May 30
1965May 24
1966May 16
1967May 24
1968May 27
1969May 27
1970Apr 26
1971Apr 28
1972May 26
1973May 8
1974May 8
1975Apr 30
1976May 13
1977May 8
1978May 6
1979May 7
1980May 5
1981May 19
1983May 10
1984May 6
1985May 24
1986Jun 3
1988May 9
1989Apr 29
1990May 3
1991Apr 20
1992May 26
1993Apr 29
1994May 3
1995May 9
1996May 14
1997May 12
1998May 14
1999May 14
2000May 3
2001May 7
2002May 20
2003May 4
2004May 6
2005May 13
2006Apr 30
2008May 1
2009Apr 20
2010May 11
2011Apr 22
2012Apr 30
2013May 6
2014Apr 25
2015May 3
2016May 17
2018May 13
2019May 9
2020May 14
2021May 9
2022May 9
2023May 18
2024Apr 27
2025Apr 21

What this means for you: Since 1954, Lebanon's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Sanford 2 Nnw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

SanfordSouth SanfordSpringvaleNorth BerwickAlfredRochester, NH