When to plant in Montpelier, VT
Planting dates worked out from Montpelier's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 22
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 10
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 9
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
148
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Montpelier 2 · 2.1 km away · station 162 m, town 160 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 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 16 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 21 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 11 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 25 |
| Peas | — | Apr 15 – May 13 | Jun 9 |
| Bush beans | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 4 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 12 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 4 |
| Broccoli | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 14 |
| Cucumber | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 11 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 6 |
| Winter squash | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Aug 10 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 14 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jul 14 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 15 – May 13 | May 23 |
| Basil | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 |
Montpelier'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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 16 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2010 | May 14 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | May 12 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | Apr 24 |
| 2019 | May 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 139 |
| 2003 | 138 |
| 2004 | 148 |
| 2007 | 147 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 117 |
| 2010 | 148 |
| 2011 | 165 |
| 2012 | 153 |
| 2013 | 160 |
| 2014 | 146 |
| 2015 | 163 |
| 2017 | 165 |
| 2018 | 173 |
| 2019 | 148 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 15.6 °C |
| 2003 | 15.7 °C |
| 2004 | 15.6 °C |
| 2007 | 16.2 °C |
| 2008 | 16.1 °C |
| 2009 | 15.7 °C |
| 2010 | 17.0 °C |
| 2011 | 16.7 °C |
| 2012 | 16.8 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.3 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 15.9 °C |
| 2017 | 16.2 °C |
| 2018 | 16.1 °C |
| 2019 | 15.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Montpelier 2 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.