Am I too late to plant?

Where the dates come from

Frost dates are NOAA's official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals: the 10%, 50% and 90% probability dates for the last spring and first fall 32°F freeze, measured at 7,124 weather stations. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest station. If that station sits higher, lower, or nearer to water than your yard, pick another from the list.

Planting windows follow standard extension-service timing, counted in weeks from your frost dates. Fall windows are counted back from your first frost using each crop's days to maturity, plus two extra weeks because plants grow slower as days shorten. Crops that handle cold get extra time past the first frost.

Where frost season lasts under five weeks (low desert, Gulf Coast, South Florida, coastal California), the calendar switches to a mild-winter schedule: cool-season crops October through January, warm-season crops in late winter and again in late summer.

Read it like a gardener

• Microclimates matter. Low spots, slopes and city heat can shift your dates by a week or two either way.
• Soil temperature is the real gate for beans, corn, squash and okra. If the ground is still cold, wait.
• Just missed a cold-hardy crop? A cold frame or a layer of row cover usually buys you two to three more weeks.
• Hot climates (low desert, Gulf Coast) are limited by summer heat as much as frost. Treat midsummer windows there with caution.