When to plant in Natalia, TX
Planting dates worked out from Natalia's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Mar 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Feb 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 24
1 year in 10 by Nov 7
Frost-free days
282
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lytle 3w · 5.5 km away · station 220 m, town 209 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 | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Dec 20 – Dec 27 | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Mar 5 |
| Peas | — | Jan 10 – Feb 7 | Mar 6 |
| Bush beans | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Apr 29 |
| Carrot | — | Jan 31 – Mar 14 | Apr 1 |
| Beet | — | Jan 24 – Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| Potato | — | Jan 31 – Feb 21 | Apr 11 |
| Kale | Dec 13 – Dec 27 | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Mar 8 |
| Broccoli | Dec 13 – Dec 27 | Jan 24 – Feb 14 | Mar 25 |
| Cucumber | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 1 |
| Winter squash | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Jun 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | May 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Jan 24 – Feb 14 | Apr 24 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 10 – Dec 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 10 – Feb 7 | Feb 17 |
| Basil | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 13 |
Natalia'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 |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Feb 27 |
| 1978 | Mar 5 |
| 1979 | Feb 26 |
| 1980 | Mar 3 |
| 1981 | Feb 12 |
| 1982 | Mar 8 |
| 1983 | Jan 27 |
| 1984 | Mar 7 |
| 1985 | Feb 16 |
| 1986 | Mar 1 |
| 1987 | Apr 3 |
| 1988 | Mar 19 |
| 1989 | Mar 9 |
| 1990 | Jan 29 |
| 1991 | Feb 1 |
| 1992 | Jan 20 |
| 1993 | Mar 14 |
| 1994 | Mar 10 |
| 1995 | Mar 9 |
| 1996 | Mar 20 |
| 1997 | Jan 30 |
| 1998 | Mar 9 |
| 1999 | Feb 14 |
| 2000 | Feb 5 |
| 2001 | Feb 3 |
| 2002 | Mar 5 |
| 2003 | Mar 30 |
| 2004 | Feb 27 |
| 2005 | Jan 24 |
| 2006 | Feb 19 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1977 | 255 |
| 1978 | 278 |
| 1979 | 260 |
| 1980 | 240 |
| 1981 | 281 |
| 1982 | 279 |
| 1983 | 304 |
| 1984 | 265 |
| 1985 | 288 |
| 1986 | 285 |
| 1987 | 221 |
| 1988 | 248 |
| 1989 | 274 |
| 1990 | 308 |
| 1991 | 280 |
| 1992 | 288 |
| 1993 | 230 |
| 1994 | 275 |
| 1995 | 247 |
| 1996 | 249 |
| 1997 | 289 |
| 1998 | 288 |
| 1999 | 284 |
| 2000 | 304 |
| 2001 | 298 |
| 2002 | 275 |
| 2003 | 238 |
| 2004 | 276 |
| 2005 | 296 |
| 2006 | 284 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1977 | 26.4 °C |
| 1978 | 26.7 °C |
| 1979 | 25.5 °C |
| 1980 | 26.8 °C |
| 1981 | 26.1 °C |
| 1982 | 26.7 °C |
| 1983 | 25.6 °C |
| 1984 | 26.8 °C |
| 1985 | 26.4 °C |
| 1986 | 26.7 °C |
| 1987 | 25.5 °C |
| 1988 | 26.5 °C |
| 1989 | 27.2 °C |
| 1990 | 27.0 °C |
| 1991 | 26.6 °C |
| 1992 | 25.7 °C |
| 1993 | 25.8 °C |
| 1994 | 25.9 °C |
| 1995 | 25.4 °C |
| 1996 | 27.4 °C |
| 1997 | 25.8 °C |
| 1998 | 27.7 °C |
| 2000 | 27.2 °C |
| 2001 | 26.7 °C |
| 2002 | 26.5 °C |
| 2003 | 26.1 °C |
| 2004 | 25.5 °C |
| 2005 | 26.7 °C |
| 2006 | 27.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1977, Natalia's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Lytle 3w (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.