When to plant in Thayer, MO

Planting dates worked out from Thayer's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 299 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 13about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 261 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 121 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 22about half of years have had frost
LateOct 309 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 186 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Mammoth Spring · 3.3 km away · station 153 m, town 161 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 1 – Mar 15	Apr 26 – May 10	Jun 20
Sweet pepper	Feb 15 – Mar 1	Apr 26 – May 10	Jun 25
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 9 – Feb 16	Mar 16 – Mar 30	Apr 25
Peas	—	Mar 2 – Mar 30	Apr 26
Bush beans	—	Apr 19 – May 10	Jun 8
Carrot	—	Mar 23 – May 4	May 22
Beet	—	Mar 16 – Apr 27	May 5
Potato	—	Mar 23 – Apr 13	Jun 1
Kale	Feb 2 – Feb 16	Mar 16 – Mar 30	Apr 28
Broccoli	Feb 2 – Feb 16	Mar 16 – Apr 6	May 15
Cucumber	Mar 29 – Apr 5	Apr 26 – May 10	Jun 15
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 29 – Apr 5	Apr 26 – May 10	Jun 10
Winter squash	Mar 29 – Apr 5	Apr 26 – May 10	Jul 15
Sweet corn	—	Apr 19 – May 10	Jun 18
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 16 – Apr 6	Jun 14
Garlic	—	Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 2 – Mar 30	Apr 9
Basil	Mar 15 – Mar 29	Apr 26 – May 10	Jun 22

Plan all 65 crops for Thayer

Thayer'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
1907	Apr 21
1908	Apr 30
1909	May 2
1910	Apr 25
1911	Apr 9
1912	Apr 8
1913	Apr 14
1914	Apr 13
1915	Apr 4
1916	Apr 9
1917	Apr 14
1918	Mar 25
1919	Apr 26
1920	Apr 14
1921	Apr 18
1922	Apr 29
1923	Mar 31
1924	Apr 2
1925	Mar 28
1926	Apr 20
1927	Apr 22
1928	Apr 28
1929	Mar 31
1931	Apr 22
1932	Mar 28
1933	Apr 7
1934	Mar 29
1935	Apr 16
1936	Apr 18
1937	Apr 11
1938	Apr 10
1939	Apr 20
1940	Apr 13
1941	Mar 29
1942	Apr 1
1943	Apr 21
1944	Apr 6
1945	Apr 6
1946	Apr 16
1947	Apr 17
1948	Apr 3
1949	Apr 19
1950	Apr 20
1952	Apr 17
1953	Apr 20
1955	Apr 8
1957	Apr 15
1958	Apr 12
1959	Apr 23
1960	May 12
1961	May 2
1962	Apr 16
1963	May 1
1966	Apr 10
1967	May 3
1969	May 11
1970	Apr 7
1971	Apr 15
1972	Apr 9
1973	Apr 28
1974	Apr 17
1975	Apr 13
1976	May 4
1977	Apr 7
1978	May 2
1979	Apr 28
1980	May 9
1981	Apr 6
1982	Apr 23
1983	Apr 25
1984	Apr 24
1985	Apr 8
1986	Apr 23
1987	Apr 11
1989	May 7
1991	Mar 31
1992	May 7
1993	Apr 23
1994	Apr 8
1995	Apr 2
1996	Apr 16
1997	Apr 18
1998	Mar 22
1999	Apr 19
2000	Apr 10
2002	Apr 7
2003	Apr 11
2004	Apr 14
2005	Apr 25
2006	Apr 9
2007	Apr 10
2008	May 2
2009	Apr 15
2010	Mar 29
2011	Apr 17
2012	Apr 12
2013	Apr 25
2014	May 17
2015	Apr 5
2016	Mar 29
2017	Mar 16
2018	Apr 20
2019	Apr 15
2020	Apr 18
2021	Apr 22
2022	Apr 19
2023	Apr 24
2024	Apr 23
2025	Apr 8
2026	Mar 29

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1907	173
1908	162
1909	162
1910	179
1911	195
1912	197
1913	189
1914	196
1915	186
1916	194
1917	177
1918	220
1919	189
1920	169
1921	172
1924	203
1925	203
1926	187
1927	179
1928	176
1931	192
1932	191
1933	214
1934	212
1935	173
1936	191
1937	186
1938	195
1939	177
1940	187
1941	222
1942	207
1943	177
1944	189
1945	186
1946	178
1947	201
1948	197
1949	163
1950	197
1952	168
1955	189
1957	186
1958	172
1959	177
1960	160
1963	180
1966	188
1967	148
1969	156
1970	185
1971	202
1972	192
1973	184
1974	181
1975	172
1976	158
1977	187
1978	156
1979	159
1980	148
1981	164
1982	176
1983	170
1984	158
1985	175
1986	173
1987	173
1989	165
1991	189
1992	164
1993	181
1994	200
1995	202
1996	185
1997	183
1998	214
1999	187
2000	180
2002	189
2003	198
2004	204
2005	183
2006	186
2007	201
2008	178
2009	185
2010	213
2011	186
2012	197
2013	177
2014	167
2015	207
2016	225
2017	222
2018	183
2019	179
2020	180
2021	195
2022	181
2023	189
2024	175
2025	207

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1907	20.6 °C
1908	21.3 °C
1909	21.5 °C
1910	20.5 °C
1911	22.3 °C
1912	21.6 °C
1913	22.8 °C
1914	22.6 °C
1915	21.4 °C
1916	22.1 °C
1917	20.1 °C
1918	21.9 °C
1919	22.0 °C
1920	21.3 °C
1921	23.0 °C
1922	22.2 °C
1923	23.2 °C
1924	20.1 °C
1925	22.9 °C
1926	21.8 °C
1927	21.7 °C
1928	21.0 °C
1929	21.6 °C
1930	22.8 °C
1931	21.7 °C
1932	22.7 °C
1933	22.4 °C
1934	23.2 °C
1935	21.0 °C
1936	23.9 °C
1937	22.6 °C
1938	22.5 °C
1939	22.9 °C
1940	21.4 °C
1941	23.6 °C
1942	22.4 °C
1943	23.1 °C
1944	22.7 °C
1945	21.1 °C
1946	21.5 °C
1947	21.8 °C
1948	21.1 °C
1949	21.8 °C
1950	20.0 °C
1955	22.8 °C
1957	21.7 °C
1958	21.5 °C
1959	21.9 °C
1960	22.0 °C
1961	21.1 °C
1962	22.2 °C
1963	22.0 °C
1966	20.7 °C
1967	20.3 °C
1969	22.0 °C
1970	22.2 °C
1971	21.6 °C
1972	22.1 °C
1973	21.7 °C
1974	21.2 °C
1975	21.5 °C
1976	20.3 °C
1977	22.9 °C
1978	22.1 °C
1979	20.9 °C
1980	23.1 °C
1981	22.1 °C
1982	21.2 °C
1983	21.4 °C
1984	21.3 °C
1985	21.8 °C
1986	23.0 °C
1987	22.5 °C
1989	21.0 °C
1991	21.8 °C
1992	19.9 °C
1993	20.6 °C
1994	20.4 °C
1995	20.6 °C
1996	20.4 °C
1997	19.9 °C
1998	22.5 °C
1999	21.7 °C
2000	21.6 °C
2002	21.9 °C
2003	21.0 °C
2004	21.0 °C
2005	22.1 °C
2006	22.0 °C
2007	22.1 °C
2008	20.7 °C
2009	20.6 °C
2010	22.6 °C
2011	21.3 °C
2012	21.8 °C
2013	20.1 °C
2014	19.8 °C
2015	21.7 °C
2016	22.1 °C
2017	21.5 °C
2018	21.9 °C
2019	21.8 °C
2020	20.9 °C
2021	21.1 °C
2022	21.6 °C
2023	21.5 °C
2024	21.9 °C
2025	21.9 °C
2026	23.0 °C

What this means for you: Since 1907, Thayer's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Mammoth Spring (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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