USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 20012 — Washington, District of Columbia
Averages from Dalecarlia Rsvr, MD US, the nearest reporting station, 5.3 miles away.
Plant tender crops after April 9, and expect the first autumn freeze around October 31. That leaves about 202 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 202 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
5 to 10°F annual low
Planting calendar for 20012
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after April 9 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Washington, District of Columbia are past their last freeze. Harvest before October 31, which leaves roughly 202 frost-free days.
ZIP 20012 sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 5 to 10°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.