Planting Calendars by Zone

Every planting date on this site is driven by your USDA hardiness zone. Enter your ZIP code in the picker at the top of the page and we'll take you straight to yours, or pick it from the list below.

• Zone 2a & 2bLast frost ~May 20, first frost ~Sep 1
• Zone 3a & 3bLast frost ~May 30, first frost ~Sep 5
• Zone 4a & 4bLast frost ~May 15, first frost ~Sep 20
• Zone 5a & 5bLast frost ~May 10, first frost ~Oct 5
• Zone 6a & 6bLast frost ~Apr 25, first frost ~Oct 15
• Zone 7a & 7bLast frost ~Apr 10, first frost ~Oct 25
• Zone 8a & 8bLast frost ~Mar 25, first frost ~Nov 10
• Zone 9a & 9bLast frost ~Feb 15, first frost ~Dec 5
• Zone 10a & 10bLast frost ~Jan 30, first frost ~Dec 20
• Zone 11a & 11bFrost-free year round
• Zone 12a & 12bFrost-free year round
• Zone 13a & 13bFrost-free year round

Each calendar covers both halves of its zone. The a/b split ranks winter minimum temperature in 5°F steps, and the frost dates we publish are one representative pair per zone number, so 6a and 6b would show identical windows.

Where these zones come from

ZIP-code to hardiness-zone mapping is derived from the official 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code files published by thePRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University, covering 40,502 ZIP codes.

This is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. We aggregate those 40,502 ZIP codes down to their 915 three-digit prefixes so the lookup can run instantly in your browser without downloading the whole dataset. Two thirds of those prefixes span more than one half-zone, so we take each prefix's most common zone and break ties toward the colder one. If you live near a boundary (a valley floor, a ridge, a coastline), check theofficial USDA map for your exact address.

The frost dates above are one representative pair per zone, not a reading for your town. Zones are ranked by winter minimum temperature, which is not the same thing as growing-season length: interior Alaska pairs brutal winters with warm summers, which is why zone 2 here shows a longer season than zone 3. Treat these as a starting point and check your local extension office.

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Free planting calendars for every USDA hardiness zone: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.

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