When to plant in Halifax, VA
Planting dates worked out from Halifax's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 299 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 11about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 251 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 131 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 26about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 69 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 200 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: S Boston · 8.9 km away · station 100 m, town 141 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 19 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 24 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 7 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 23 |
| Peas | — | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | Apr 24 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 21 – May 2 | May 20 |
| Beet | — | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | May 3 |
| Potato | — | Mar 21 – Apr 11 | May 30 |
| Kale | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 26 |
| Broccoli | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | May 13 |
| Cucumber | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 14 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 9 |
| Winter squash | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Jun 12 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 12 – Nov 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | Apr 7 |
| Basil | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 21 |
Halifax's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Apr 23 |
| 1979 | Apr 19 |
| 1981 | May 9 |
| 1982 | May 1 |
| 1983 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 5 |
| 1987 | Apr 11 |
| 1988 | May 27 |
| 1989 | Apr 16 |
| 1992 | May 1 |
| 1993 | Apr 10 |
| 1994 | Apr 24 |
| 1995 | Apr 16 |
| 1996 | Apr 11 |
| 1997 | Apr 17 |
| 1998 | Mar 26 |
| 1999 | Apr 1 |
| 2000 | Mar 29 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | Apr 8 |
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | Apr 8 |
| 2005 | Apr 18 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | Apr 17 |
| 2009 | Apr 8 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 4 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 6 |
| 2016 | Apr 11 |
| 2017 | Mar 25 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 4 |
| 2020 | May 11 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 12 |
| 2024 | Apr 8 |
| 2025 | Apr 11 |
| 2026 | Apr 22 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 168 |
| 1979 | 177 |
| 1981 | 146 |
| 1982 | 168 |
| 1983 | 153 |
| 1985 | 212 |
| 1986 | 166 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 131 |
| 1992 | 169 |
| 1993 | 196 |
| 1995 | 202 |
| 1996 | 205 |
| 1997 | 188 |
| 1998 | 210 |
| 1999 | 206 |
| 2000 | 193 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 206 |
| 2003 | 185 |
| 2004 | 211 |
| 2005 | 191 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 201 |
| 2008 | 185 |
| 2009 | 193 |
| 2010 | 223 |
| 2011 | 205 |
| 2012 | 203 |
| 2013 | 204 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 194 |
| 2016 | 215 |
| 2017 | 230 |
| 2018 | 174 |
| 2019 | 211 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 180 |
| 2023 | 203 |
| 2024 | 222 |
| 2025 | 196 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 21.1 °C |
| 1980 | 22.1 °C |
| 1981 | 20.5 °C |
| 1982 | 19.3 °C |
| 1983 | 19.6 °C |
| 1985 | 21.1 °C |
| 1986 | 21.1 °C |
| 1987 | 20.8 °C |
| 1988 | 19.2 °C |
| 1990 | 20.9 °C |
| 1992 | 20.2 °C |
| 1993 | 21.5 °C |
| 1995 | 20.6 °C |
| 1996 | 20.5 °C |
| 1997 | 19.0 °C |
| 1998 | 21.5 °C |
| 1999 | 20.6 °C |
| 2000 | 20.4 °C |
| 2001 | 20.3 °C |
| 2002 | 21.3 °C |
| 2003 | 19.9 °C |
| 2004 | 20.8 °C |
| 2005 | 20.9 °C |
| 2006 | 20.5 °C |
| 2007 | 21.1 °C |
| 2008 | 20.4 °C |
| 2009 | 20.4 °C |
| 2010 | 22.2 °C |
| 2011 | 21.7 °C |
| 2012 | 21.5 °C |
| 2013 | 20.7 °C |
| 2014 | 20.9 °C |
| 2015 | 21.9 °C |
| 2016 | 22.2 °C |
| 2017 | 22.7 °C |
| 2018 | 22.4 °C |
| 2019 | 22.9 °C |
| 2020 | 21.3 °C |
| 2021 | 21.4 °C |
| 2022 | 21.5 °C |
| 2023 | 21.0 °C |
| 2024 | 22.4 °C |
| 2025 | 21.8 °C |
| 2026 | 22.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1978, Halifax's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 8 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from S Boston (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.