Send us your feedback!

Danny Lipford Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Garden & Lawn

Win a Cub Cadet Zero-Turn Riding Mower

Advertise on this site

Spring Planting Time

Lawn and Garden, Gardening Basics Published 03/20/2008 by Ben Erickson


Determining when to plant in the spring can be harder than predicting the ups and downs of the stock market. Part science and part superstition, deciding when to plant is the biggest decision of the year if you farm for a living. For the rest of us, it usually just means a little extra work and another stop at the nursery if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Each region of the country is different, and even within a specific area there may be large fluctuations due to factors like altitude and terrain. That said, the average date of the last spring frost and recommended times to put out summer plants like tomatoes and corn in the lower 48 states are given below.

Region Average Last Freeze Plant Summer Garden
Gulf Coast February 1 – March 1 March 1 – April 1
Southeast March 1 – April 1 March 15 – April 15
Midwest April 1 – May 1 April 7 – May 7
North May 1 – June 1 May 15 – June 15

For more detailed information, check out the maps on these websites:


Leave a Comment