When to plant in Topsham, ME
Planting dates worked out from Topsham's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 14
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 5
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 7
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
154
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Brunswick Nas · 4.6 km away · station 21 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 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 9 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 23 |
| Peas | — | Apr 13 – May 11 | Jun 7 |
| 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 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 2 |
| Broccoli | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 12 |
| 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 13 – May 4 | Jul 12 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 23 – Oct 21 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 13 – May 11 | May 21 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Topsham'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 |
|---|---|
| 1945 | May 11 |
| 1946 | May 26 |
| 1952 | May 6 |
| 1953 | Apr 18 |
| 1954 | Apr 13 |
| 1955 | Apr 17 |
| 1956 | May 11 |
| 1957 | May 17 |
| 1958 | May 3 |
| 1959 | Apr 28 |
| 1960 | May 3 |
| 1961 | Apr 21 |
| 1962 | May 13 |
| 1963 | May 24 |
| 1964 | Apr 21 |
| 1965 | May 3 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 7 |
| 1968 | May 8 |
| 1969 | Apr 26 |
| 1970 | Apr 16 |
| 1971 | Apr 24 |
| 1972 | May 26 |
| 1973 | May 8 |
| 1974 | May 5 |
| 1975 | Apr 30 |
| 1976 | May 1 |
| 1977 | Apr 20 |
| 1978 | May 1 |
| 1979 | Apr 21 |
| 1980 | Apr 22 |
| 1981 | May 18 |
| 1982 | Apr 30 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 3 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 28 |
| 1988 | May 9 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 24 |
| 1992 | May 8 |
| 1993 | Apr 29 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | May 7 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 9 |
| 1998 | May 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 30 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | Apr 30 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 145 |
| 1952 | 155 |
| 1953 | 173 |
| 1954 | 177 |
| 1955 | 188 |
| 1956 | 147 |
| 1957 | 156 |
| 1958 | 155 |
| 1959 | 168 |
| 1960 | 162 |
| 1961 | 176 |
| 1962 | 163 |
| 1963 | 122 |
| 1964 | 169 |
| 1965 | 147 |
| 1966 | 163 |
| 1967 | 165 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 178 |
| 1970 | 185 |
| 1971 | 194 |
| 1972 | 136 |
| 1973 | 136 |
| 1974 | 142 |
| 1975 | 155 |
| 1976 | 163 |
| 1977 | 169 |
| 1978 | 166 |
| 1979 | 172 |
| 1980 | 159 |
| 1981 | 146 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1983 | 145 |
| 1984 | 154 |
| 1985 | 155 |
| 1986 | 156 |
| 1987 | 166 |
| 1988 | 149 |
| 1989 | 148 |
| 1990 | 184 |
| 1991 | 166 |
| 1992 | 145 |
| 1993 | 154 |
| 1994 | 171 |
| 1995 | 163 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 145 |
| 1998 | 142 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2003 | 163 |
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2007 | 155 |
| 2008 | 157 |
| 2009 | 148 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 14.8 °C |
| 1952 | 15.8 °C |
| 1953 | 15.8 °C |
| 1954 | 14.4 °C |
| 1955 | 15.8 °C |
| 1956 | 13.5 °C |
| 1957 | 14.8 °C |
| 1958 | 14.3 °C |
| 1959 | 15.4 °C |
| 1960 | 15.2 °C |
| 1961 | 15.4 °C |
| 1962 | 14.2 °C |
| 1963 | 14.7 °C |
| 1964 | 14.6 °C |
| 1965 | 14.4 °C |
| 1966 | 14.7 °C |
| 1967 | 14.4 °C |
| 1968 | 14.6 °C |
| 1969 | 15.2 °C |
| 1970 | 15.6 °C |
| 1971 | 15.3 °C |
| 1972 | 14.7 °C |
| 1973 | 15.5 °C |
| 1974 | 14.6 °C |
| 1975 | 15.0 °C |
| 1976 | 15.3 °C |
| 1977 | 14.8 °C |
| 1978 | 14.5 °C |
| 1979 | 15.5 °C |
| 1980 | 15.6 °C |
| 1981 | 16.0 °C |
| 1982 | 14.8 °C |
| 1983 | 15.9 °C |
| 1984 | 15.5 °C |
| 1985 | 14.9 °C |
| 1986 | 15.3 °C |
| 1987 | 15.7 °C |
| 1988 | 15.7 °C |
| 1989 | 15.7 °C |
| 1990 | 16.1 °C |
| 1991 | 16.3 °C |
| 1992 | 15.0 °C |
| 1993 | 16.3 °C |
| 1994 | 16.6 °C |
| 1995 | 16.2 °C |
| 1996 | 15.8 °C |
| 1997 | 14.5 °C |
| 1998 | 15.5 °C |
| 2001 | 15.4 °C |
| 2003 | 15.4 °C |
| 2004 | 16.1 °C |
| 2007 | 15.1 °C |
| 2008 | 15.4 °C |
| 2009 | 14.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1945, Topsham's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has shrunk by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Brunswick Nas (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.