When to plant in Orrington, ME
Planting dates worked out from Orrington's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 10
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 4
1 year in 10 by Sep 23
Frost-free days
148
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Bangor Intl Ap · 7.4 km away · station 45 m, town 40 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 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | Jun 10 |
| Bush beans | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 2 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 23 |
| Beet | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 13 |
| Potato | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 3 |
| Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 4 |
| Winter squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Aug 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | May 24 |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 |
Orrington'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 |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Apr 22 |
| 1954 | Apr 16 |
| 1955 | Apr 21 |
| 1956 | May 25 |
| 1957 | Apr 16 |
| 1958 | May 3 |
| 1959 | Apr 28 |
| 1960 | May 3 |
| 1961 | Apr 20 |
| 1962 | Apr 26 |
| 1963 | May 11 |
| 1964 | Apr 30 |
| 1965 | May 3 |
| 1966 | May 8 |
| 1967 | May 7 |
| 1968 | May 8 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | Apr 30 |
| 1971 | Apr 28 |
| 1972 | May 11 |
| 1973 | May 8 |
| 1974 | May 6 |
| 1975 | Apr 30 |
| 1976 | May 5 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 7 |
| 1979 | Apr 21 |
| 1980 | Apr 22 |
| 1981 | Apr 23 |
| 1982 | May 5 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | Apr 23 |
| 1985 | May 15 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | May 2 |
| 1988 | Apr 21 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | Apr 24 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 12 |
| 1993 | Apr 29 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 16 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 15 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | May 16 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 25 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 9 |
| 2015 | May 2 |
| 2016 | May 1 |
| 2017 | Apr 24 |
| 2018 | May 12 |
| 2019 | May 9 |
| 2020 | May 6 |
| 2021 | May 7 |
| 2022 | May 8 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | May 10 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 154 |
| 1954 | 174 |
| 1955 | 145 |
| 1956 | 125 |
| 1957 | 187 |
| 1958 | 155 |
| 1959 | 168 |
| 1960 | 151 |
| 1961 | 178 |
| 1962 | 171 |
| 1963 | 125 |
| 1965 | 146 |
| 1966 | 135 |
| 1967 | 152 |
| 1968 | 177 |
| 1969 | 130 |
| 1970 | 169 |
| 1971 | 167 |
| 1972 | 152 |
| 1973 | 136 |
| 1974 | 141 |
| 1975 | 157 |
| 1976 | 146 |
| 1977 | 151 |
| 1978 | 156 |
| 1979 | 172 |
| 1980 | 158 |
| 1981 | 172 |
| 1982 | 157 |
| 1983 | 144 |
| 1984 | 165 |
| 1985 | 158 |
| 1986 | 158 |
| 1987 | 148 |
| 1988 | 168 |
| 1989 | 188 |
| 1990 | 178 |
| 1991 | 141 |
| 1992 | 134 |
| 1993 | 154 |
| 1994 | 160 |
| 1995 | 137 |
| 1996 | 140 |
| 1997 | 128 |
| 1998 | 147 |
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2000 | 129 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 136 |
| 2003 | 142 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 159 |
| 2006 | 150 |
| 2007 | 153 |
| 2008 | 138 |
| 2009 | 122 |
| 2010 | 151 |
| 2011 | 164 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 160 |
| 2014 | 132 |
| 2015 | 154 |
| 2016 | 165 |
| 2017 | 161 |
| 2018 | 155 |
| 2019 | 149 |
| 2020 | 135 |
| 2021 | 179 |
| 2022 | 146 |
| 2023 | 164 |
| 2024 | 159 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 15.4 °C |
| 1954 | 13.8 °C |
| 1955 | 15.3 °C |
| 1956 | 13.5 °C |
| 1957 | 15.3 °C |
| 1958 | 14.5 °C |
| 1959 | 15.8 °C |
| 1960 | 15.7 °C |
| 1961 | 15.3 °C |
| 1962 | 13.5 °C |
| 1963 | 14.4 °C |
| 1964 | 14.1 °C |
| 1965 | 14.3 °C |
| 1966 | 14.3 °C |
| 1967 | 14.1 °C |
| 1968 | 15.2 °C |
| 1969 | 13.6 °C |
| 1970 | 14.6 °C |
| 1971 | 14.9 °C |
| 1972 | 14.4 °C |
| 1973 | 14.8 °C |
| 1974 | 14.3 °C |
| 1975 | 15.3 °C |
| 1976 | 15.2 °C |
| 1977 | 13.9 °C |
| 1978 | 14.3 °C |
| 1979 | 15.1 °C |
| 1980 | 14.7 °C |
| 1981 | 15.3 °C |
| 1982 | 14.5 °C |
| 1983 | 16.0 °C |
| 1984 | 15.0 °C |
| 1985 | 15.0 °C |
| 1986 | 15.4 °C |
| 1987 | 15.1 °C |
| 1988 | 15.5 °C |
| 1989 | 15.2 °C |
| 1990 | 15.1 °C |
| 1991 | 16.0 °C |
| 1992 | 14.4 °C |
| 1993 | 15.7 °C |
| 1994 | 15.6 °C |
| 1995 | 15.5 °C |
| 1996 | 15.6 °C |
| 1997 | 14.4 °C |
| 1998 | 15.5 °C |
| 1999 | 16.2 °C |
| 2000 | 13.9 °C |
| 2001 | 15.6 °C |
| 2002 | 15.2 °C |
| 2003 | 15.1 °C |
| 2004 | 14.7 °C |
| 2005 | 15.6 °C |
| 2006 | 15.7 °C |
| 2007 | 14.8 °C |
| 2008 | 15.2 °C |
| 2009 | 14.7 °C |
| 2010 | 16.9 °C |
| 2011 | 15.6 °C |
| 2012 | 15.8 °C |
| 2013 | 15.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.3 °C |
| 2015 | 15.5 °C |
| 2016 | 15.6 °C |
| 2017 | 15.8 °C |
| 2018 | 15.8 °C |
| 2019 | 15.0 °C |
| 2020 | 15.6 °C |
| 2021 | 16.4 °C |
| 2022 | 16.2 °C |
| 2023 | 16.1 °C |
| 2024 | 16.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1953, Orrington's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Bangor Intl Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.