When to plant in New Gloucester, ME
Planting dates worked out from New Gloucester's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 19
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Gray · 8.1 km away · station 115 m, town 102 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 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 21 |
| Peas | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | Jun 5 |
| 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 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 31 |
| Broccoli | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 10 |
| 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 11 – May 2 | Jul 10 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | May 19 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
New Gloucester'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 24 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | Apr 29 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | Apr 25 |
| 2005 | Apr 17 |
| 2006 | Apr 28 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | Apr 23 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 30 |
| 2017 | Apr 19 |
| 2018 | Apr 18 |
| 2019 | Apr 11 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 10 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | Apr 12 |
| 2026 | Apr 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 170 |
| 1997 | 185 |
| 1998 | 161 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 2000 | 153 |
| 2001 | 172 |
| 2002 | 168 |
| 2003 | 177 |
| 2004 | 163 |
| 2005 | 194 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 196 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 181 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2011 | 187 |
| 2012 | 165 |
| 2013 | 185 |
| 2014 | 194 |
| 2015 | 176 |
| 2016 | 167 |
| 2017 | 202 |
| 2018 | 182 |
| 2019 | 204 |
| 2020 | 170 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 190 |
| 2023 | 203 |
| 2024 | 182 |
| 2025 | 204 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 15.3 °C |
| 1997 | 15.1 °C |
| 1998 | 16.2 °C |
| 1999 | 16.9 °C |
| 2000 | 14.8 °C |
| 2001 | 16.5 °C |
| 2002 | 16.2 °C |
| 2003 | 15.5 °C |
| 2004 | 15.4 °C |
| 2005 | 16.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.2 °C |
| 2007 | 15.7 °C |
| 2008 | 15.8 °C |
| 2009 | 15.5 °C |
| 2010 | 17.2 °C |
| 2011 | 16.2 °C |
| 2012 | 16.3 °C |
| 2013 | 16.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.5 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 16.5 °C |
| 2017 | 16.5 °C |
| 2018 | 16.1 °C |
| 2019 | 15.6 °C |
| 2020 | 15.9 °C |
| 2021 | 16.8 °C |
| 2022 | 16.6 °C |
| 2023 | 16.2 °C |
| 2024 | 16.5 °C |
| 2025 | 16.3 °C |
| 2026 | 16.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1996, New Gloucester's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 10 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Gray (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.