When to plant in Rutherfordton, NC
Planting dates worked out from Rutherfordton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 12
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 29
1 year in 10 by Oct 19
Frost-free days
198
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Rutherford County North Caroli · 6.8 km away · station 322 m, town 295 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 6 – Mar 20 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 25 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 30 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 24 |
| Peas | — | Mar 1 – Mar 29 | Apr 25 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 22 – May 3 | May 21 |
| Beet | — | Mar 15 – Apr 26 | May 4 |
| Potato | — | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | May 31 |
| Kale | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 27 |
| Broccoli | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | May 14 |
| Cucumber | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 20 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 15 |
| Winter squash | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Jun 13 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 15 – Nov 12 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 1 – Mar 29 | Apr 8 |
| Basil | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 27 |
Rutherfordton'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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | Apr 17 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 13 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 8 |
| 2010 | Mar 31 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 6 |
| 2014 | Apr 17 |
| 2015 | Apr 5 |
| 2016 | Apr 10 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 10 |
| 2023 | Mar 30 |
| 2024 | Mar 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 222 |
| 2004 | 185 |
| 2005 | 190 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 172 |
| 2009 | 192 |
| 2010 | 218 |
| 2011 | 197 |
| 2012 | 209 |
| 2013 | 200 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 196 |
| 2017 | 219 |
| 2018 | 206 |
| 2019 | 211 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2021 | 204 |
| 2022 | 190 |
| 2023 | 215 |
| 2024 | 201 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 21.8 °C |
| 2004 | 22.3 °C |
| 2005 | 22.2 °C |
| 2006 | 22.6 °C |
| 2007 | 22.8 °C |
| 2008 | 22.4 °C |
| 2009 | 22.3 °C |
| 2010 | 24.5 °C |
| 2011 | 23.5 °C |
| 2012 | 22.8 °C |
| 2013 | 22.4 °C |
| 2014 | 22.2 °C |
| 2015 | 23.2 °C |
| 2017 | 22.3 °C |
| 2018 | 23.0 °C |
| 2019 | 23.1 °C |
| 2020 | 21.5 °C |
| 2021 | 21.9 °C |
| 2022 | 22.6 °C |
| 2023 | 21.8 °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 Rutherford County North Caroli (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.