When to plant in Cave Junction, OR
Planting dates worked out from Cave Junction'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 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 11
1 year in 10 by Sep 16
Frost-free days
161
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Cave Junction 1 Wnw · 0.6 km away · station 420 m, town 405 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 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | May 13 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | May 22 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| 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) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 27 – Oct 25 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 26 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Cave Junction'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 |
|---|---|
| 1962 | Jun 5 |
| 1963 | May 13 |
| 1964 | May 16 |
| 1965 | May 8 |
| 1966 | Jun 4 |
| 1967 | May 13 |
| 1968 | May 15 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | May 12 |
| 1971 | May 17 |
| 1972 | Apr 30 |
| 1973 | May 1 |
| 1974 | May 17 |
| 1975 | May 4 |
| 1976 | Jun 2 |
| 1977 | May 28 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1979 | Apr 20 |
| 1980 | Apr 3 |
| 1981 | May 7 |
| 1982 | Jun 2 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1984 | May 16 |
| 1985 | May 12 |
| 1986 | May 22 |
| 1987 | Apr 21 |
| 1988 | May 5 |
| 1989 | Apr 28 |
| 1990 | Apr 9 |
| 1991 | May 10 |
| 1992 | Apr 23 |
| 1993 | Apr 12 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 23 |
| 1996 | May 10 |
| 1997 | May 1 |
| 1998 | Apr 26 |
| 1999 | Jun 8 |
| 2000 | May 12 |
| 2001 | May 1 |
| 2002 | May 11 |
| 2003 | May 16 |
| 2004 | Apr 13 |
| 2005 | Apr 20 |
| 2006 | Apr 18 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 30 |
| 2010 | May 12 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | May 5 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 12 |
| 2016 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 121 |
| 1963 | 165 |
| 1964 | 115 |
| 1965 | 132 |
| 1966 | 129 |
| 1967 | 154 |
| 1968 | 128 |
| 1969 | 156 |
| 1970 | 124 |
| 1971 | 124 |
| 1973 | 154 |
| 1974 | 141 |
| 1975 | 171 |
| 1976 | 133 |
| 1977 | 158 |
| 1978 | 174 |
| 1979 | 205 |
| 1980 | 222 |
| 1981 | 140 |
| 1982 | 137 |
| 1983 | 156 |
| 1984 | 131 |
| 1985 | 148 |
| 1986 | 142 |
| 1987 | 169 |
| 1988 | 175 |
| 1989 | 158 |
| 1990 | 179 |
| 1991 | 160 |
| 1992 | 143 |
| 1993 | 162 |
| 1994 | 157 |
| 1995 | 181 |
| 1996 | 158 |
| 1997 | 175 |
| 1998 | 173 |
| 1999 | 131 |
| 2000 | 148 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 116 |
| 2003 | 146 |
| 2004 | 200 |
| 2005 | 145 |
| 2006 | 175 |
| 2010 | 159 |
| 2011 | 177 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 164 |
| 2014 | 204 |
| 2015 | 193 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 16.2 °C |
| 1963 | 15.8 °C |
| 1964 | 15.6 °C |
| 1965 | 16.3 °C |
| 1966 | 16.9 °C |
| 1967 | 17.3 °C |
| 1968 | 16.7 °C |
| 1969 | 17.0 °C |
| 1970 | 16.5 °C |
| 1971 | 15.9 °C |
| 1973 | 16.9 °C |
| 1974 | 17.0 °C |
| 1975 | 16.2 °C |
| 1976 | 15.7 °C |
| 1977 | 16.7 °C |
| 1978 | 15.8 °C |
| 1979 | 16.5 °C |
| 1980 | 16.1 °C |
| 1981 | 16.9 °C |
| 1982 | 15.9 °C |
| 1983 | 15.8 °C |
| 1984 | 16.3 °C |
| 1985 | 16.9 °C |
| 1986 | 17.0 °C |
| 1987 | 17.5 °C |
| 1988 | 17.1 °C |
| 1989 | 17.0 °C |
| 1990 | 17.6 °C |
| 1991 | 17.1 °C |
| 1992 | 18.5 °C |
| 1993 | 16.3 °C |
| 1994 | 17.6 °C |
| 1995 | 16.8 °C |
| 1996 | 17.5 °C |
| 1997 | 17.6 °C |
| 1998 | 17.7 °C |
| 1999 | 17.0 °C |
| 2000 | 17.9 °C |
| 2001 | 17.8 °C |
| 2002 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.3 °C |
| 2004 | 18.3 °C |
| 2005 | 17.7 °C |
| 2006 | 18.6 °C |
| 2007 | 18.6 °C |
| 2009 | 18.6 °C |
| 2010 | 17.7 °C |
| 2011 | 17.5 °C |
| 2012 | 18.0 °C |
| 2013 | 18.8 °C |
| 2014 | 19.9 °C |
| 2015 | 19.2 °C |
| 2016 | 19.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1962, Cave Junction's last spring frost has come about 4 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 7 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Cave Junction 1 Wnw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.