When to plant in Dover, PA
Planting dates worked out from Dover'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 28
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
171
median, 1991–2020
Station used: York Ap · 9.4 km away · station 141 m, town 136 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 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 10 |
| Peas | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | May 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | Jun 6 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 16 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | May 30 |
| 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 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 29 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | Apr 29 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Dover'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 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 14 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | May 7 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 21 |
| 2008 | Apr 16 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 27 |
| 2016 | Apr 24 |
| 2017 | May 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 21 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 26 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | Apr 25 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 176 |
| 1999 | 162 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 171 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 165 |
| 2007 | 190 |
| 2008 | 185 |
| 2009 | 172 |
| 2010 | 164 |
| 2011 | 203 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 165 |
| 2014 | 181 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 169 |
| 2017 | 170 |
| 2018 | 180 |
| 2019 | 172 |
| 2020 | 133 |
| 2021 | 189 |
| 2022 | 173 |
| 2023 | 181 |
| 2024 | 176 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 18.7 °C |
| 1999 | 18.6 °C |
| 2000 | 17.6 °C |
| 2001 | 17.8 °C |
| 2002 | 18.9 °C |
| 2003 | 18.1 °C |
| 2004 | 19.1 °C |
| 2005 | 19.4 °C |
| 2006 | 18.6 °C |
| 2007 | 18.5 °C |
| 2008 | 18.7 °C |
| 2009 | 18.3 °C |
| 2010 | 19.8 °C |
| 2011 | 19.9 °C |
| 2012 | 19.3 °C |
| 2013 | 18.7 °C |
| 2014 | 18.1 °C |
| 2015 | 19.3 °C |
| 2016 | 19.2 °C |
| 2017 | 19.1 °C |
| 2018 | 19.6 °C |
| 2019 | 20.0 °C |
| 2020 | 18.7 °C |
| 2021 | 19.5 °C |
| 2022 | 19.4 °C |
| 2023 | 19.1 °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 York Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.