When to plant in Lincoln, VT
Planting dates worked out from Lincoln's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 25
1 year in 10 by Sep 13
Frost-free days
122
median, 1991–2020
Station used: S Lincoln · 4.2 km away · station 409 m, town 294 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 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 31 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 1 |
| Peas | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 14 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 |
| Cucumber | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 16 |
| Winter squash | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Aug 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 21 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 11 – Oct 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | May 30 |
| Basil | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 |
Lincoln'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 |
|---|---|
| 1981 | May 20 |
| 1982 | May 22 |
| 1983 | Jun 9 |
| 1984 | Jun 1 |
| 1985 | May 19 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 16 |
| 1988 | Jun 10 |
| 1989 | May 4 |
| 1990 | Jun 5 |
| 1991 | May 9 |
| 1992 | May 26 |
| 1993 | May 30 |
| 1994 | May 29 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1997 | May 14 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | May 15 |
| 2002 | Jun 4 |
| 2003 | Jun 2 |
| 2008 | May 29 |
| 2009 | Jun 1 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 27 |
| 2014 | May 19 |
| 2015 | May 24 |
| 2016 | May 18 |
| 2017 | May 9 |
| 2018 | May 16 |
| 2019 | May 22 |
| 2020 | Jun 1 |
| 2021 | May 11 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 28 |
| 2025 | May 12 |
| 2026 | May 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 112 |
| 1982 | 98 |
| 1983 | 96 |
| 1984 | 106 |
| 1985 | 141 |
| 1986 | 86 |
| 1987 | 131 |
| 1988 | 87 |
| 1991 | 135 |
| 1992 | 120 |
| 1993 | 104 |
| 1994 | 124 |
| 1997 | 130 |
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2000 | 107 |
| 2001 | 137 |
| 2002 | 112 |
| 2008 | 112 |
| 2009 | 110 |
| 2010 | 142 |
| 2011 | 152 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 149 |
| 2014 | 118 |
| 2015 | 119 |
| 2016 | 129 |
| 2017 | 107 |
| 2018 | 129 |
| 2019 | 119 |
| 2020 | 105 |
| 2021 | 164 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 139 |
| 2024 | 162 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 13.8 °C |
| 1982 | 13.0 °C |
| 1983 | 13.9 °C |
| 1984 | 13.2 °C |
| 1985 | 13.3 °C |
| 1986 | 13.7 °C |
| 1987 | 14.2 °C |
| 1988 | 13.3 °C |
| 1989 | 13.9 °C |
| 1990 | 13.8 °C |
| 1991 | 14.2 °C |
| 1992 | 12.3 °C |
| 1993 | 12.8 °C |
| 1994 | 12.2 °C |
| 1995 | 13.2 °C |
| 1997 | 11.2 °C |
| 1999 | 14.9 °C |
| 2002 | 13.8 °C |
| 2008 | 14.5 °C |
| 2009 | 13.7 °C |
| 2010 | 15.1 °C |
| 2011 | 15.0 °C |
| 2012 | 15.1 °C |
| 2013 | 14.2 °C |
| 2014 | 13.2 °C |
| 2015 | 14.1 °C |
| 2016 | 13.7 °C |
| 2017 | 13.8 °C |
| 2018 | 13.7 °C |
| 2019 | 12.8 °C |
| 2020 | 13.9 °C |
| 2021 | 14.2 °C |
| 2022 | 14.2 °C |
| 2023 | 14.4 °C |
| 2024 | 15.2 °C |
| 2025 | 14.2 °C |
| 2026 | 13.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1981, Lincoln's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 7 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from S Lincoln (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.