When to plant in Orwigsburg, PA
Planting dates worked out from Orwigsburg's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 15
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 7
1 year in 10 by Sep 26
Frost-free days
162
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Rodale Rsch Ctr · 34.0 km away · station 168 m, town 190 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 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 10 |
| Peas | — | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | May 21 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | Jun 6 |
| Beet | — | Apr 5 – May 17 | May 25 |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 16 |
| Kale | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 16 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | May 30 |
| Cucumber | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 4 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jun 29 |
| Winter squash | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 29 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 23 – Oct 21 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | May 4 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Orwigsburg'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 |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1987 | May 1 |
| 1989 | May 5 |
| 1990 | May 12 |
| 1992 | Apr 26 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | Apr 16 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 150 |
| 1989 | 142 |
| 1990 | 130 |
| 1992 | 157 |
| 1995 | 182 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 146 |
| 1998 | 147 |
| 1999 | 162 |
| 2001 | 161 |
| 2002 | 152 |
| 2004 | 171 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 165 |
| 2008 | 158 |
| 2010 | 187 |
| 2011 | 181 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 17.8 °C |
| 1989 | 17.3 °C |
| 1990 | 16.6 °C |
| 1995 | 18.6 °C |
| 1996 | 17.8 °C |
| 1997 | 17.1 °C |
| 1998 | 18.2 °C |
| 1999 | 19.2 °C |
| 2001 | 17.6 °C |
| 2002 | 18.4 °C |
| 2003 | 17.2 °C |
| 2004 | 18.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.8 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2008 | 17.8 °C |
| 2009 | 17.3 °C |
| 2010 | 20.0 °C |
| 2011 | 19.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Rodale Rsch Ctr (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.