When to plant in Christiana, PA
Planting dates worked out from Christiana'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 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 15
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
171
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Coatesville 2 W · 12.1 km away · station 195 m, town 145 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 20 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 |
| Peas | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 20 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 18 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | May 24 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | May 26 |
| 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 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 25 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 1 – Oct 29 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 3 |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 2 |
Christiana'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 |
|---|---|
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | Apr 11 |
| 1985 | Apr 12 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 27 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 13 |
| 1992 | Apr 29 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 13 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 26 |
| 2001 | Apr 26 |
| 2002 | May 4 |
| 2003 | Apr 14 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 163 |
| 1984 | 205 |
| 1985 | 199 |
| 1986 | 158 |
| 1987 | 164 |
| 1988 | 164 |
| 1989 | 168 |
| 1990 | 184 |
| 1991 | 183 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 165 |
| 1995 | 195 |
| 1996 | 143 |
| 1997 | 146 |
| 1998 | 192 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 2000 | 164 |
| 2001 | 164 |
| 2003 | 191 |
| 2004 | 205 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 195 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 18.2 °C |
| 1984 | 17.4 °C |
| 1985 | 18.3 °C |
| 1986 | 18.1 °C |
| 1987 | 18.6 °C |
| 1988 | 18.5 °C |
| 1989 | 18.0 °C |
| 1990 | 18.1 °C |
| 1991 | 19.6 °C |
| 1992 | 17.2 °C |
| 1993 | 18.7 °C |
| 1994 | 18.6 °C |
| 1995 | 18.6 °C |
| 1996 | 18.1 °C |
| 1997 | 17.4 °C |
| 1998 | 19.2 °C |
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.0 °C |
| 2001 | 18.6 °C |
| 2003 | 18.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.3 °C |
| 2006 | 19.1 °C |
| 2007 | 18.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Coatesville 2 W (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.