When to plant in Ava, MO
Planting dates worked out from Ava's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 199 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 7about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 301 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 141 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalNov 1about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 199 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 206 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Ava Missouri · 1.4 km away · station 400 m, town 391 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 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 24 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 29 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 3 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 19 |
| Peas | — | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | Apr 23 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 12 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | May 16 |
| Beet | — | Mar 10 – Apr 21 | Apr 29 |
| Potato | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | May 26 |
| Kale | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 22 |
| Broccoli | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | May 9 |
| Cucumber | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 19 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 14 |
| Winter squash | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jul 19 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 22 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Jun 8 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 18 – Nov 15 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | Apr 6 |
| Basil | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 26 |
Ava'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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Apr 5 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | Apr 1 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 9 |
| 2008 | Apr 29 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | Mar 26 |
| 2011 | Mar 28 |
| 2012 | Mar 8 |
| 2013 | May 4 |
| 2014 | Apr 15 |
| 2015 | Mar 29 |
| 2016 | Mar 20 |
| 2017 | Mar 15 |
| 2018 | Apr 16 |
| 2019 | Apr 1 |
| 2020 | Apr 18 |
| 2021 | Apr 21 |
| 2022 | Apr 1 |
| 2023 | Apr 23 |
| 2024 | Mar 27 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 191 |
| 2003 | 226 |
| 2004 | 217 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 206 |
| 2008 | 180 |
| 2009 | 184 |
| 2010 | 223 |
| 2011 | 233 |
| 2012 | 232 |
| 2013 | 191 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 236 |
| 2016 | 243 |
| 2017 | 226 |
| 2018 | 206 |
| 2019 | 193 |
| 2020 | 206 |
| 2021 | 205 |
| 2022 | 199 |
| 2023 | 189 |
| 2024 | 239 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 22.0 °C |
| 2002 | 21.5 °C |
| 2003 | 20.6 °C |
| 2004 | 21.0 °C |
| 2005 | 21.8 °C |
| 2006 | 21.8 °C |
| 2007 | 21.7 °C |
| 2008 | 20.6 °C |
| 2009 | 20.0 °C |
| 2010 | 23.3 °C |
| 2011 | 22.8 °C |
| 2012 | 23.6 °C |
| 2013 | 21.4 °C |
| 2014 | 21.7 °C |
| 2015 | 21.9 °C |
| 2016 | 22.5 °C |
| 2017 | 22.2 °C |
| 2018 | 22.5 °C |
| 2019 | 22.6 °C |
| 2020 | 21.6 °C |
| 2021 | 22.1 °C |
| 2022 | 22.8 °C |
| 2023 | 22.6 °C |
| 2024 | 23.0 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Ava Missouri (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.