When to plant in Dover, VT
Planting dates worked out from Dover's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 23
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 3
1 year in 10 by Sep 20
Frost-free days
143
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Bennington Morse State Ap · 36.7 km away · station 241 m, town 584 m. How we match towns to stations
The station sits 343 m lower than the town, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 11 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 25 |
| Peas | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Jun 2 |
| Bush beans | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 5 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 22 – Jun 3 | Jun 21 |
| Beet | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jun 7 |
| Potato | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 1 |
| Kale | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 28 |
| Broccoli | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 14 |
| Cucumber | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 7 |
| Winter squash | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Aug 11 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jul 14 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 19 – Oct 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | May 16 |
| Basil | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 |
Dover'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | May 15 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 21 |
| 2009 | Jun 1 |
| 2010 | May 17 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 18 |
| 2015 | May 14 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | Jun 1 |
| 2021 | May 7 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2000 | 133 |
| 2001 | 122 |
| 2002 | 143 |
| 2003 | 151 |
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2005 | 160 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 143 |
| 2008 | 137 |
| 2009 | 110 |
| 2010 | 126 |
| 2011 | 152 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 124 |
| 2014 | 140 |
| 2015 | 143 |
| 2016 | 137 |
| 2017 | 165 |
| 2018 | 175 |
| 2019 | 158 |
| 2020 | 110 |
| 2021 | 169 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 150 |
| 2024 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 16.0 °C |
| 2000 | 14.8 °C |
| 2001 | 15.4 °C |
| 2002 | 15.7 °C |
| 2003 | 15.4 °C |
| 2004 | 15.8 °C |
| 2005 | 16.8 °C |
| 2006 | 16.1 °C |
| 2007 | 15.3 °C |
| 2008 | 15.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.3 °C |
| 2010 | 16.7 °C |
| 2011 | 16.7 °C |
| 2012 | 16.4 °C |
| 2013 | 15.9 °C |
| 2014 | 15.6 °C |
| 2015 | 16.5 °C |
| 2016 | 16.1 °C |
| 2017 | 16.2 °C |
| 2018 | 16.8 °C |
| 2019 | 15.9 °C |
| 2020 | 16.2 °C |
| 2021 | 16.7 °C |
| 2022 | 16.7 °C |
| 2023 | 16.4 °C |
| 2024 | 17.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Bennington Morse State Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.