When to plant in Bluefield, WV
Planting dates worked out from Bluefield's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
165
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Bluefield · 1.6 km away · station 875 m, town 784 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | May 22 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Bluefield'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 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | Apr 29 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 12 |
| 2007 | May 20 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 15 |
| 2012 | Apr 25 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 28 |
| 2016 | May 17 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 17 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | Apr 27 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 177 |
| 2000 | 141 |
| 2003 | 158 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 162 |
| 2007 | 161 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 183 |
| 2010 | 157 |
| 2011 | 189 |
| 2012 | 168 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 139 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 158 |
| 2017 | 189 |
| 2019 | 183 |
| 2020 | 142 |
| 2021 | 182 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 178 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 17.7 °C |
| 2000 | 17.1 °C |
| 2003 | 17.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.6 °C |
| 2007 | 18.5 °C |
| 2008 | 17.3 °C |
| 2009 | 17.4 °C |
| 2010 | 18.9 °C |
| 2011 | 18.5 °C |
| 2012 | 18.0 °C |
| 2013 | 17.4 °C |
| 2014 | 17.5 °C |
| 2015 | 18.1 °C |
| 2016 | 18.5 °C |
| 2017 | 17.5 °C |
| 2018 | 18.6 °C |
| 2019 | 18.9 °C |
| 2020 | 17.0 °C |
| 2021 | 17.2 °C |
| 2022 | 17.6 °C |
| 2023 | 17.1 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Bluefield (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.