When to plant in Lebanon, OH
Planting dates worked out from Lebanon's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 6
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 19
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
178
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Franklin · 16.5 km away · station 207 m, town 234 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 11 – Mar 25 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 30 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 5 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | May 13 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 18 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 30 |
| Beet | — | Mar 30 – May 11 | May 19 |
| Potato | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 9 |
| Kale | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 8 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 25 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 20 |
| Winter squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 25 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 28 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 5 – Nov 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 26 |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 2 |
Lebanon'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 |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Apr 21 |
| 1954 | May 10 |
| 1955 | Apr 8 |
| 1956 | May 8 |
| 1957 | May 6 |
| 1958 | Apr 30 |
| 1959 | May 16 |
| 1960 | May 8 |
| 1961 | May 3 |
| 1962 | Apr 24 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 5 |
| 1965 | Apr 4 |
| 1967 | Apr 5 |
| 1968 | Mar 25 |
| 1969 | Apr 7 |
| 1970 | May 3 |
| 1971 | May 1 |
| 1972 | Apr 10 |
| 1973 | May 17 |
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 9 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1979 | Apr 29 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | Apr 26 |
| 1984 | May 2 |
| 1985 | Apr 11 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 11 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1992 | Apr 7 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1998 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 26 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | Apr 29 |
| 2011 | Apr 4 |
| 2013 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2025 | Apr 17 |
| 2026 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 169 |
| 1956 | 135 |
| 1957 | 157 |
| 1958 | 154 |
| 1959 | 151 |
| 1960 | 165 |
| 1961 | 148 |
| 1962 | 149 |
| 1963 | 124 |
| 1964 | 184 |
| 1965 | 183 |
| 1968 | 193 |
| 1969 | 190 |
| 1970 | 153 |
| 1971 | 186 |
| 1972 | 187 |
| 1973 | 152 |
| 1974 | 148 |
| 1975 | 164 |
| 1976 | 153 |
| 1977 | 156 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 167 |
| 1980 | 149 |
| 1981 | 163 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1983 | 150 |
| 1984 | 152 |
| 1986 | 164 |
| 1987 | 175 |
| 1988 | 162 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 2001 | 163 |
| 2004 | 162 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2010 | 174 |
| 2011 | 199 |
| 2013 | 180 |
| 2016 | 177 |
| 2017 | 199 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 211 |
| 2020 | 159 |
| 2021 | 186 |
| 2025 | 189 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 19.1 °C |
| 1954 | 19.8 °C |
| 1956 | 18.3 °C |
| 1957 | 19.2 °C |
| 1958 | 18.1 °C |
| 1959 | 20.0 °C |
| 1960 | 19.1 °C |
| 1961 | 17.8 °C |
| 1962 | 18.7 °C |
| 1963 | 17.7 °C |
| 1965 | 21.2 °C |
| 1967 | 18.4 °C |
| 1968 | 19.2 °C |
| 1969 | 19.4 °C |
| 1970 | 20.0 °C |
| 1971 | 19.1 °C |
| 1972 | 18.7 °C |
| 1973 | 18.8 °C |
| 1974 | 18.2 °C |
| 1975 | 18.7 °C |
| 1976 | 17.9 °C |
| 1977 | 19.9 °C |
| 1978 | 18.7 °C |
| 1979 | 17.9 °C |
| 1980 | 18.8 °C |
| 1981 | 18.1 °C |
| 1982 | 18.0 °C |
| 1983 | 18.7 °C |
| 1984 | 18.0 °C |
| 1985 | 18.8 °C |
| 1986 | 19.4 °C |
| 1987 | 19.2 °C |
| 1988 | 18.5 °C |
| 1994 | 18.4 °C |
| 1998 | 19.8 °C |
| 1999 | 19.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.3 °C |
| 2006 | 19.2 °C |
| 2010 | 20.5 °C |
| 2011 | 19.8 °C |
| 2013 | 19.0 °C |
| 2016 | 20.5 °C |
| 2017 | 19.4 °C |
| 2018 | 20.1 °C |
| 2019 | 20.3 °C |
| 2020 | 19.0 °C |
| 2021 | 20.1 °C |
| 2025 | 19.7 °C |
| 2026 | 20.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1953, Lebanon's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Franklin (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.