Don’t Start Planting This Spring Until You Read This
After a long, tedious winter, we know you’re ready to get outdoors and start planting. You’ve studied the seed catalogues, read our gardening stories, and daydreamed about your garden plan and all the flowers, herbs, and vegetables you plan to grow this year.
But before you start planting, take note of your area’s last frost date. While a freeze occurs when air temperatures are 32 degrees F or lower, a frost occurs based on the dew point (this the temperature at which air needs to be cooled down to reach 100% relative humidity).
If the dew point is below freezing, frost will form even if the air temperature is above freezing. Both freezes and frosts damage plants, especially new plants that haven’t had time to get established.
Fluctuating temperatures are common in spring, so it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security and plant too early. But not so fast! Even after a string of a few nice weeks of weather, you still may experience a late frost or freeze. Even mature plants that have started to leaf out can be affected by a late-season temperature drop.
Once you do plant, make sure you pay attention to the weather for a few weeks. Many free weather apps have frost and freeze warnings built in and will send a notification so you know cold temperatures are arriving and can take action to protect your plants. This is also handy for learning the first expected frost date in the fall so you can finish harvesting your flowers and veggies.
How to Find Your Area’s Last Expected Frost Date
There are many ways to figure out when your area will receive its last frost of the season. Of course, it changes every year, but you’ll get a general idea of when it occurs by checking with your local university coop extension service (find yours here). But remember the dates are averages, so the last frost may be much earlier (or much later!) than expected in any given year.
The National Gardening Association also has a handy calculator (find it here) to learn your region’s last expected frost by zip code. But again, there are no guarantees, and late frosts and freezes aren’t unheard of, no matter where you live. Some seed companies and online nurseries also offer free interactive maps.
Finally, make a note of your area’s last frost date this year in a notebook or on your smartphone so you learn what’s typical for your region. Sometimes there’s no substitute for experience!
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