When to plant in Milton, VT
Planting dates worked out from Milton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 27
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 4
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
142
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Essex Junction 1 N · 14.7 km away · station 104 m, town 91 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 1 – Apr 15 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 26 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | Jun 6 |
| Bush beans | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 9 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 1 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Cucumber | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 16 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 11 |
| Winter squash | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 19 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | May 20 |
| Basil | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 |
Milton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 19 |
| 1988 | May 12 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | May 24 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 25 |
| 1993 | May 14 |
| 1994 | May 28 |
| 1995 | May 8 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | May 13 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | May 15 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 24 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 6 |
| 2008 | May 28 |
| 2009 | Jun 1 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | May 6 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 125 |
| 1987 | 130 |
| 1988 | 139 |
| 1989 | 151 |
| 1990 | 148 |
| 1991 | 125 |
| 1992 | 121 |
| 1993 | 128 |
| 1994 | 125 |
| 1995 | 133 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 136 |
| 1998 | 158 |
| 1999 | 145 |
| 2000 | 131 |
| 2001 | 146 |
| 2002 | 136 |
| 2003 | 131 |
| 2004 | 150 |
| 2005 | 160 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 159 |
| 2008 | 117 |
| 2009 | 132 |
| 2010 | 142 |
| 2011 | 166 |
| 2012 | 159 |
| 2013 | 162 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 15.2 °C |
| 1987 | 15.9 °C |
| 1988 | 15.9 °C |
| 1989 | 15.8 °C |
| 1990 | 15.4 °C |
| 1991 | 16.2 °C |
| 1992 | 15.0 °C |
| 1993 | 15.9 °C |
| 1994 | 15.4 °C |
| 1995 | 15.3 °C |
| 1996 | 15.3 °C |
| 1997 | 14.2 °C |
| 1998 | 16.6 °C |
| 1999 | 17.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.9 °C |
| 2001 | 16.4 °C |
| 2002 | 16.0 °C |
| 2003 | 15.9 °C |
| 2004 | 15.6 °C |
| 2005 | 16.9 °C |
| 2006 | 16.1 °C |
| 2007 | 15.8 °C |
| 2008 | 16.1 °C |
| 2009 | 15.8 °C |
| 2010 | 17.4 °C |
| 2011 | 17.3 °C |
| 2012 | 17.5 °C |
| 2013 | 16.7 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Essex Junction 1 N (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.