When to plant in Rumford, ME
Planting dates worked out from Rumford's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 26
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 3
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
142
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Hartford · 27.3 km away · station 215 m, town 147 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 31 – Apr 14 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | May 31 |
| Peas | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jun 15 |
| Bush beans | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 8 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 28 |
| Beet | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 18 |
| Potato | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jul 8 |
| Kale | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Cucumber | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 10 |
| Winter squash | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Aug 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 18 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jul 20 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 19 – Oct 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | May 29 |
| Basil | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 22 |
Rumford'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | May 17 |
| 2000 | May 21 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 17 |
| 2004 | May 31 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 24 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 9 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 13 |
| 2019 | May 9 |
| 2020 | Jun 1 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 28 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
| 2026 | May 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 141 |
| 2000 | 128 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 135 |
| 2003 | 138 |
| 2004 | 125 |
| 2006 | 150 |
| 2007 | 164 |
| 2008 | 138 |
| 2009 | 122 |
| 2010 | 149 |
| 2011 | 164 |
| 2012 | 142 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 150 |
| 2015 | 134 |
| 2016 | 158 |
| 2017 | 154 |
| 2018 | 153 |
| 2019 | 132 |
| 2020 | 110 |
| 2021 | 188 |
| 2022 | 146 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2024 | 171 |
| 2025 | 171 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 14.4 °C |
| 2000 | 12.3 °C |
| 2001 | 14.1 °C |
| 2002 | 13.6 °C |
| 2003 | 13.3 °C |
| 2004 | 13.0 °C |
| 2006 | 14.5 °C |
| 2007 | 13.7 °C |
| 2008 | 13.8 °C |
| 2009 | 13.5 °C |
| 2010 | 15.0 °C |
| 2011 | 14.2 °C |
| 2012 | 14.4 °C |
| 2013 | 14.2 °C |
| 2014 | 14.1 °C |
| 2015 | 14.8 °C |
| 2016 | 14.6 °C |
| 2017 | 14.5 °C |
| 2018 | 14.6 °C |
| 2019 | 13.8 °C |
| 2020 | 14.4 °C |
| 2021 | 15.1 °C |
| 2022 | 15.1 °C |
| 2023 | 15.0 °C |
| 2024 | 15.3 °C |
| 2025 | 15.0 °C |
| 2026 | 14.7 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Hartford (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.