When to plant in Lancaster, OH
Planting dates worked out from Lancaster's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 19
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
177
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lancaster · 0.7 km away · station 252 m, town 268 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 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | May 13 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 10 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 5 – Nov 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 26 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Lancaster'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 | Apr 26 |
| 1998 | Apr 12 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 7 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 13 |
| 2009 | Apr 13 |
| 2010 | Apr 30 |
| 2012 | Apr 12 |
| 2013 | Apr 28 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 28 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 20 |
| 2023 | Apr 25 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 17 |
| 2026 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 177 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 1999 | 178 |
| 2000 | 168 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 163 |
| 2003 | 178 |
| 2004 | 154 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2009 | 188 |
| 2010 | 175 |
| 2012 | 179 |
| 2013 | 179 |
| 2014 | 189 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 177 |
| 2017 | 200 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 157 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 202 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 17.5 °C |
| 1998 | 19.9 °C |
| 1999 | 20.3 °C |
| 2000 | 18.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.7 °C |
| 2002 | 20.1 °C |
| 2003 | 19.1 °C |
| 2004 | 19.7 °C |
| 2005 | 19.7 °C |
| 2006 | 18.8 °C |
| 2009 | 18.9 °C |
| 2010 | 20.7 °C |
| 2012 | 20.4 °C |
| 2013 | 19.6 °C |
| 2014 | 19.3 °C |
| 2015 | 19.8 °C |
| 2016 | 20.3 °C |
| 2017 | 19.8 °C |
| 2018 | 20.7 °C |
| 2019 | 20.6 °C |
| 2020 | 19.1 °C |
| 2021 | 19.9 °C |
| 2022 | 19.5 °C |
| 2024 | 20.2 °C |
| 2025 | 20.0 °C |
| 2026 | 20.0 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Lancaster (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.