When to plant in Sidney, ME
Planting dates worked out from Sidney's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 15
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 6
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 24
Frost-free days
156
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Waterville Trtmt Plt · 14.0 km away · station 19 m, town 52 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 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | Jun 10 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| 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 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 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | May 24 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Sidney'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 |
|---|---|
| 1959 | May 18 |
| 1960 | May 3 |
| 1961 | May 11 |
| 1962 | May 13 |
| 1963 | May 13 |
| 1964 | May 4 |
| 1965 | May 15 |
| 1966 | May 14 |
| 1967 | May 7 |
| 1968 | May 27 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | Apr 26 |
| 1971 | May 6 |
| 1972 | May 26 |
| 1973 | May 8 |
| 1974 | May 9 |
| 1975 | Apr 29 |
| 1976 | May 5 |
| 1977 | May 12 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1979 | May 8 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | May 21 |
| 1982 | May 22 |
| 1983 | May 19 |
| 1984 | May 19 |
| 1985 | May 24 |
| 1986 | May 10 |
| 1987 | May 20 |
| 1988 | May 9 |
| 1989 | May 5 |
| 1990 | Jun 12 |
| 1991 | May 22 |
| 1992 | May 19 |
| 1993 | May 3 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 10 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 9 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | May 3 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | May 5 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 6 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | Apr 21 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 8 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | May 1 |
| 2017 | Apr 19 |
| 2018 | May 12 |
| 2019 | May 1 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | May 8 |
| 2023 | May 19 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | Apr 24 |
| 2026 | May 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 120 |
| 1960 | 151 |
| 1961 | 157 |
| 1962 | 130 |
| 1963 | 123 |
| 1964 | 134 |
| 1965 | 135 |
| 1966 | 129 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1968 | 125 |
| 1969 | 130 |
| 1970 | 162 |
| 1971 | 159 |
| 1972 | 128 |
| 1973 | 135 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 156 |
| 1976 | 142 |
| 1977 | 148 |
| 1978 | 130 |
| 1979 | 134 |
| 1980 | 137 |
| 1981 | 132 |
| 1982 | 118 |
| 1983 | 132 |
| 1984 | 139 |
| 1985 | 140 |
| 1986 | 140 |
| 1987 | 127 |
| 1988 | 150 |
| 1989 | 142 |
| 1990 | 114 |
| 1991 | 121 |
| 1992 | 127 |
| 1993 | 150 |
| 1994 | 161 |
| 1995 | 136 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 161 |
| 1998 | 160 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 2000 | 148 |
| 2001 | 154 |
| 2002 | 141 |
| 2003 | 154 |
| 2004 | 150 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 159 |
| 2007 | 162 |
| 2008 | 157 |
| 2009 | 157 |
| 2010 | 153 |
| 2011 | 165 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 156 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 166 |
| 2017 | 181 |
| 2018 | 154 |
| 2019 | 156 |
| 2020 | 128 |
| 2021 | 183 |
| 2022 | 147 |
| 2023 | 164 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 147 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 16.5 °C |
| 1960 | 16.1 °C |
| 1961 | 16.1 °C |
| 1962 | 14.8 °C |
| 1963 | 15.3 °C |
| 1964 | 15.3 °C |
| 1965 | 15.6 °C |
| 1966 | 15.2 °C |
| 1967 | 15.3 °C |
| 1968 | 15.6 °C |
| 1969 | 15.6 °C |
| 1970 | 16.2 °C |
| 1971 | 15.8 °C |
| 1972 | 15.3 °C |
| 1973 | 16.2 °C |
| 1974 | 15.3 °C |
| 1975 | 16.1 °C |
| 1976 | 16.0 °C |
| 1977 | 15.9 °C |
| 1978 | 15.7 °C |
| 1979 | 15.9 °C |
| 1980 | 15.3 °C |
| 1981 | 15.4 °C |
| 1982 | 14.8 °C |
| 1983 | 16.3 °C |
| 1984 | 15.6 °C |
| 1985 | 15.4 °C |
| 1986 | 15.0 °C |
| 1987 | 15.8 °C |
| 1988 | 16.4 °C |
| 1989 | 15.9 °C |
| 1990 | 15.9 °C |
| 1991 | 16.2 °C |
| 1992 | 15.1 °C |
| 1993 | 15.4 °C |
| 1994 | 15.4 °C |
| 1995 | 15.1 °C |
| 1996 | 14.9 °C |
| 1997 | 14.4 °C |
| 1998 | 16.1 °C |
| 1999 | 16.9 °C |
| 2000 | 14.3 °C |
| 2001 | 15.9 °C |
| 2002 | 15.5 °C |
| 2003 | 15.0 °C |
| 2004 | 14.9 °C |
| 2005 | 15.6 °C |
| 2006 | 15.8 °C |
| 2007 | 15.2 °C |
| 2008 | 15.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.2 °C |
| 2010 | 16.8 °C |
| 2011 | 16.0 °C |
| 2012 | 16.2 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.3 °C |
| 2015 | 15.9 °C |
| 2016 | 15.9 °C |
| 2017 | 15.8 °C |
| 2018 | 15.9 °C |
| 2019 | 15.2 °C |
| 2020 | 16.1 °C |
| 2021 | 16.6 °C |
| 2022 | 16.3 °C |
| 2023 | 16.5 °C |
| 2024 | 17.1 °C |
| 2025 | 16.5 °C |
| 2026 | 16.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1959, Sidney'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 Waterville Trtmt Plt (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.