Planting Date Calculator
Work out when to start seeds indoors and when it's safe to plant outside, based on your local frost dates.
Your planting schedule
- Start seeds indoors
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- Transplant / direct sow outdoors
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- Days to harvest window closes
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How this calculator works
Every crop's planting window is anchored to your local average last-frost date in spring (for warm-season crops that can't go outside until frost risk passes) or timed backward from it (for cold-hardy crops that actually prefer cool soil). This calculator applies each crop's typical offset — weeks to start indoors, and days before or after last frost to move outside — to your two dates.
Where these numbers come from
Frost-date offsets by crop are standard extension planting-guide figures (e.g., tomatoes started indoors ~6 weeks before the last frost, transplanted after it; peas direct-sown ~4 weeks before last frost since they tolerate cold soil). Your own last/first frost dates are averages, not guarantees — an unusually early or late frost can still occur in any given year, so treat these as planning dates, not certainties.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my average frost dates?
Your state's cooperative extension office, the Old Farmer's Almanac frost date lookup, or NOAA climate data for your nearest weather station all publish average last/first frost dates by location.
Why do some crops go in before the last frost?
Cold-hardy crops like peas and lettuce actually germinate and grow well in cool soil and tolerate a light frost, so waiting for frost-free conditions just wastes growing time for them — unlike tomatoes or peppers, which are killed by frost.
Is the last frost date a guarantee?
No — it's a 50% probability average from historical data. Some years see frost well after the average date. Watching your local forecast before setting out frost-sensitive transplants is still worthwhile insurance.
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