When to plant in Baltimore, OH
Planting dates worked out from Baltimore's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
168
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lancaster Fairfield Co Ap · 11.2 km away · station 259 m, town 263 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 17 – Mar 31 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Mar 30 – May 11 | May 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 12 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 26 |
| Winter squash | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 31 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Baltimore'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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | May 7 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | Apr 27 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 27 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | Apr 16 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 26 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 28 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | May 13 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 147 |
| 1998 | 168 |
| 1999 | 148 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2002 | 144 |
| 2003 | 157 |
| 2004 | 151 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2006 | 170 |
| 2007 | 193 |
| 2008 | 185 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 198 |
| 2012 | 163 |
| 2013 | 181 |
| 2014 | 196 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 161 |
| 2017 | 199 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 193 |
| 2020 | 156 |
| 2021 | 172 |
| 2022 | 162 |
| 2023 | 178 |
| 2024 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 16.6 °C |
| 1998 | 19.0 °C |
| 1999 | 18.8 °C |
| 2000 | 17.8 °C |
| 2001 | 18.4 °C |
| 2002 | 19.3 °C |
| 2003 | 18.2 °C |
| 2004 | 18.6 °C |
| 2005 | 18.8 °C |
| 2006 | 18.9 °C |
| 2007 | 19.4 °C |
| 2008 | 19.2 °C |
| 2010 | 19.9 °C |
| 2011 | 19.6 °C |
| 2012 | 19.3 °C |
| 2013 | 18.6 °C |
| 2014 | 18.6 °C |
| 2015 | 19.2 °C |
| 2016 | 19.8 °C |
| 2017 | 19.2 °C |
| 2018 | 19.8 °C |
| 2019 | 19.8 °C |
| 2020 | 18.5 °C |
| 2021 | 19.2 °C |
| 2022 | 18.9 °C |
| 2023 | 18.6 °C |
| 2024 | 20.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Lancaster Fairfield Co Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.