When to plant in Lawrenceville, VA
Planting dates worked out from Lawrenceville's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 149 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalMar 29about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 111 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 261 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalNov 4about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 139 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 219 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Emporia 1 Wnw · 26.4 km away · station 30 m, town 76 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 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | Jun 5 |
| Sweet pepper | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | Jun 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 25 – Feb 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 10 |
| Peas | — | Feb 21 – Mar 21 | Apr 17 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | May 24 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 8 – Apr 19 | May 7 |
| Beet | — | Mar 6 – Apr 17 | Apr 25 |
| Potato | — | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | May 17 |
| Kale | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 13 |
| Broccoli | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 22 | Apr 30 |
| Cucumber | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 31 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 26 |
| Winter squash | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | Jun 30 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 3 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 1 – Mar 22 | May 30 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 21 – Nov 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 21 – Mar 21 | Mar 31 |
| Basil | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | Jun 7 |
Lawrenceville'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 |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Apr 21 |
| 1984 | Apr 12 |
| 1985 | Apr 11 |
| 1986 | Apr 24 |
| 1987 | Apr 6 |
| 1988 | Apr 20 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 4 |
| 1994 | Mar 20 |
| 1995 | Mar 19 |
| 1996 | Apr 11 |
| 1997 | Apr 11 |
| 1998 | Mar 24 |
| 1999 | Mar 17 |
| 2000 | Mar 18 |
| 2001 | Mar 30 |
| 2002 | Apr 7 |
| 2003 | Mar 15 |
| 2004 | Apr 7 |
| 2005 | Mar 19 |
| 2006 | Mar 28 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | Apr 17 |
| 2009 | Mar 25 |
| 2010 | Mar 10 |
| 2011 | Mar 30 |
| 2012 | Mar 12 |
| 2013 | Mar 30 |
| 2014 | Apr 17 |
| 2015 | Mar 30 |
| 2016 | Apr 11 |
| 2018 | Mar 28 |
| 2019 | Apr 4 |
| 2020 | Mar 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 4 |
| 2023 | Mar 23 |
| 2026 | May 15 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 189 |
| 1984 | 204 |
| 1985 | 210 |
| 1986 | 179 |
| 1987 | 185 |
| 1988 | 171 |
| 1989 | 154 |
| 1990 | 190 |
| 1991 | 185 |
| 1994 | 236 |
| 1995 | 230 |
| 1996 | 205 |
| 1997 | 219 |
| 1998 | 227 |
| 1999 | 231 |
| 2000 | 233 |
| 2001 | 212 |
| 2002 | 208 |
| 2003 | 243 |
| 2004 | 216 |
| 2005 | 236 |
| 2006 | 210 |
| 2007 | 210 |
| 2008 | 195 |
| 2009 | 226 |
| 2010 | 242 |
| 2011 | 213 |
| 2012 | 235 |
| 2013 | 209 |
| 2014 | 199 |
| 2018 | 227 |
| 2019 | 218 |
| 2020 | 254 |
| 2023 | 223 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 20.9 °C |
| 1984 | 20.3 °C |
| 1985 | 21.3 °C |
| 1986 | 21.5 °C |
| 1987 | 21.7 °C |
| 1988 | 20.5 °C |
| 1989 | 20.5 °C |
| 1990 | 20.4 °C |
| 1991 | 21.8 °C |
| 1993 | 22.5 °C |
| 1994 | 21.4 °C |
| 1995 | 21.5 °C |
| 1996 | 20.9 °C |
| 1997 | 20.2 °C |
| 1998 | 22.1 °C |
| 1999 | 21.6 °C |
| 2000 | 21.2 °C |
| 2001 | 21.2 °C |
| 2002 | 22.3 °C |
| 2003 | 21.3 °C |
| 2004 | 22.1 °C |
| 2005 | 22.2 °C |
| 2006 | 21.6 °C |
| 2007 | 22.0 °C |
| 2008 | 21.7 °C |
| 2009 | 21.8 °C |
| 2010 | 23.4 °C |
| 2011 | 22.8 °C |
| 2012 | 22.0 °C |
| 2013 | 21.4 °C |
| 2014 | 21.5 °C |
| 2018 | 23.2 °C |
| 2019 | 23.3 °C |
| 2020 | 21.9 °C |
| 2022 | 22.6 °C |
| 2023 | 22.0 °C |
| 2026 | 22.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1983, Lawrenceville's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 11 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Emporia 1 Wnw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.