When to plant in Bassett, VA
Planting dates worked out from Bassett's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 21
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
173
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Martinsville Fltr Plt · 12.7 km away · station 238 m, town 234 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 16 – Mar 30 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 5 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | May 10 |
| Bush beans | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jun 23 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Mar 30 – May 11 | May 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 12 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 30 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 25 |
| Winter squash | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 30 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 3 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 7 – Nov 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | Apr 23 |
| Basil | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 7 |
Bassett'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 |
|---|---|
| 1938 | Apr 11 |
| 1939 | Apr 13 |
| 1940 | Apr 14 |
| 1941 | Mar 30 |
| 1942 | Apr 2 |
| 1943 | Apr 16 |
| 1944 | Apr 27 |
| 1945 | Apr 7 |
| 1946 | Apr 13 |
| 1947 | May 11 |
| 1948 | Apr 19 |
| 1949 | Apr 25 |
| 1950 | Apr 22 |
| 1951 | Apr 24 |
| 1952 | May 4 |
| 1953 | Apr 22 |
| 1954 | May 11 |
| 1955 | Apr 9 |
| 1956 | May 17 |
| 1957 | May 5 |
| 1958 | Apr 14 |
| 1959 | May 15 |
| 1960 | May 13 |
| 1961 | May 28 |
| 1962 | Apr 24 |
| 1963 | May 3 |
| 1964 | Apr 16 |
| 1965 | Apr 30 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | Apr 29 |
| 1968 | May 7 |
| 1969 | Apr 25 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1973 | May 18 |
| 1974 | Apr 26 |
| 1976 | May 10 |
| 1977 | May 11 |
| 1979 | Apr 30 |
| 1981 | May 9 |
| 1988 | Apr 20 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 23 |
| 1992 | Apr 29 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1996 | May 1 |
| 1997 | May 11 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 5 |
| 2001 | Apr 27 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | May 3 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 26 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 24 |
| 2015 | Apr 29 |
| 2016 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | May 1 |
| 2019 | Apr 4 |
| 2020 | May 11 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 19 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
| 2025 | Apr 17 |
| 2026 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1938 | 211 |
| 1939 | 184 |
| 1940 | 189 |
| 1941 | 222 |
| 1942 | 207 |
| 1943 | 184 |
| 1944 | 171 |
| 1945 | 211 |
| 1946 | 206 |
| 1947 | 139 |
| 1948 | 178 |
| 1949 | 191 |
| 1950 | 197 |
| 1951 | 158 |
| 1952 | 152 |
| 1953 | 168 |
| 1954 | 149 |
| 1955 | 188 |
| 1956 | 146 |
| 1957 | 160 |
| 1958 | 175 |
| 1960 | 160 |
| 1961 | 129 |
| 1962 | 178 |
| 1963 | 143 |
| 1964 | 172 |
| 1965 | 157 |
| 1966 | 148 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 175 |
| 1970 | 150 |
| 1973 | 151 |
| 1976 | 154 |
| 1977 | 159 |
| 1981 | 156 |
| 1989 | 153 |
| 1991 | 167 |
| 1992 | 160 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1995 | 173 |
| 1996 | 156 |
| 1997 | 163 |
| 1998 | 177 |
| 1999 | 187 |
| 2000 | 185 |
| 2001 | 162 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 184 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2006 | 162 |
| 2007 | 174 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2009 | 183 |
| 2010 | 165 |
| 2011 | 197 |
| 2012 | 178 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 188 |
| 2015 | 170 |
| 2016 | 202 |
| 2017 | 213 |
| 2018 | 173 |
| 2019 | 211 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 180 |
| 2023 | 187 |
| 2024 | 176 |
| 2025 | 189 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1938 | 21.0 °C |
| 1939 | 21.5 °C |
| 1940 | 20.4 °C |
| 1941 | 22.1 °C |
| 1942 | 21.9 °C |
| 1943 | 21.3 °C |
| 1944 | 22.0 °C |
| 1945 | 21.8 °C |
| 1946 | 20.7 °C |
| 1947 | 19.6 °C |
| 1948 | 20.3 °C |
| 1949 | 19.8 °C |
| 1950 | 19.6 °C |
| 1951 | 20.1 °C |
| 1952 | 20.6 °C |
| 1953 | 20.9 °C |
| 1954 | 20.5 °C |
| 1955 | 20.7 °C |
| 1956 | 19.9 °C |
| 1957 | 20.8 °C |
| 1958 | 20.2 °C |
| 1959 | 20.9 °C |
| 1960 | 20.2 °C |
| 1961 | 19.1 °C |
| 1962 | 19.6 °C |
| 1963 | 19.4 °C |
| 1964 | 20.0 °C |
| 1965 | 20.4 °C |
| 1966 | 19.5 °C |
| 1967 | 19.2 °C |
| 1968 | 20.1 °C |
| 1969 | 20.7 °C |
| 1970 | 20.8 °C |
| 1972 | 19.6 °C |
| 1973 | 20.3 °C |
| 1974 | 19.3 °C |
| 1976 | 19.1 °C |
| 1977 | 20.5 °C |
| 1978 | 19.9 °C |
| 1981 | 20.0 °C |
| 1989 | 20.1 °C |
| 1990 | 20.0 °C |
| 1991 | 20.6 °C |
| 1992 | 18.8 °C |
| 1993 | 20.1 °C |
| 1995 | 20.2 °C |
| 1996 | 19.6 °C |
| 1997 | 18.6 °C |
| 1998 | 20.8 °C |
| 1999 | 20.2 °C |
| 2000 | 19.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.8 °C |
| 2002 | 20.6 °C |
| 2003 | 19.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.8 °C |
| 2005 | 19.5 °C |
| 2006 | 19.6 °C |
| 2007 | 20.1 °C |
| 2008 | 20.0 °C |
| 2009 | 19.9 °C |
| 2010 | 21.4 °C |
| 2011 | 21.0 °C |
| 2012 | 20.6 °C |
| 2013 | 19.7 °C |
| 2014 | 19.9 °C |
| 2015 | 20.6 °C |
| 2016 | 20.9 °C |
| 2017 | 20.4 °C |
| 2018 | 21.2 °C |
| 2019 | 21.3 °C |
| 2020 | 19.7 °C |
| 2021 | 20.2 °C |
| 2022 | 20.4 °C |
| 2023 | 19.6 °C |
| 2024 | 21.0 °C |
| 2025 | 20.6 °C |
| 2026 | 21.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1938, Bassett's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Martinsville Fltr Plt (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.