When to plant in Matoaca, VA

Planting dates worked out from Matoaca's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Safe to plant out

Apr 13

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Mar 30

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Nov 4

1 year in 10 by Oct 25

Frost-free days

215

median, 1991–2020

Station used: Petersburg · 7.6 km away · station 6 m, town 43 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 16 – Mar 2	Apr 13 – Apr 27	Jun 7
Sweet pepper	Feb 2 – Feb 16	Apr 13 – Apr 27	Jun 12
Lettuce (leaf)	Jan 26 – Feb 2	Mar 2 – Mar 16	Apr 11
Peas	—	Feb 25 – Mar 25	Apr 21
Bush beans	—	Apr 6 – Apr 27	May 26
Carrot	—	Mar 9 – Apr 20	May 8
Beet	—	Mar 9 – Apr 20	Apr 28
Potato	—	Mar 9 – Mar 30	May 18
Kale	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Mar 4 – Mar 18	Apr 16
Broccoli	Jan 19 – Feb 2	Mar 2 – Mar 23	May 1
Cucumber	Mar 16 – Mar 23	Apr 13 – Apr 27	Jun 2
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 16 – Mar 23	Apr 13 – Apr 27	May 28
Winter squash	Mar 16 – Mar 23	Apr 13 – Apr 27	Jul 2
Sweet corn	—	Apr 6 – Apr 27	Jun 5
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 2 – Mar 23	May 31
Garlic	—	Oct 21 – Nov 18 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Feb 25 – Mar 25	Apr 4
Basil	Mar 2 – Mar 16	Apr 13 – Apr 27	Jun 9

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

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.

Source: daily records from Petersburg (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.