Zone 7b Planting Schedule: Frost Dates and What to Plant When

Zone 7b gives you a long, forgiving season. For most zone 7b gardens, you plant cool-season crops from mid-February through March, move tender warm-season crops outside after about April 22, and start a second round of cool crops in July and August for fall. That rhythm fits about 209 frost-free days between a typical last spring frost around April 6 and a first fall frost around November 1.

We garden in USDA hardiness zone 7b ourselves, and we started growing food to feed our kids clean, healthy meals. The zone tells you winter’s coldest nights average 5 to 10°F. Your real zone 7b planting schedule comes from frost dates, soil warmth, and the quirks of your own yard.

Key Takeaways

• Plan spring planting around a safer date of about April 22, not the average last frost.
• A soil thermometer gives you better timing than the calendar for every crop.
• Fall is a second full growing season in 7b, so start seedlings in midsummer.

Average coldest winter night	5 to 10°F
Typical last spring frost	Apr 6 (most areas Mar 30 to Apr 19)
Safer planting date (10% frost risk)	Apr 22
Typical first fall frost	Nov 1 (most areas Oct 24 to Nov 14)
Frost-free growing season	About 209 days (188 to 230)

Medians across 3,046 ZIP codes in zone 7b, from NOAA 1991 to 2020 weather station averages. Your own dates can differ by a couple of weeks: look up your ZIP code.

Which Frost Dates Should You Use for Planting?

Use two dates: the average last spring frost to time cool crops, and a later safer date to time tender plants. The frost date table above shows zone-wide averages from NOAA 1991 to 2020 station data. The notes below explain how to turn those numbers into decisions for your own beds.

Typical Frost Dates vs. a Safer Spring Planting Date

The average last spring frost in zone 7b lands around April 6, with most areas falling between March 30 and April 19. An average means frost still shows up after that date about half the time. That’s why we treat April 6 as a signal for hardy crops, and wait on tomatoes.

The safer planting date is about April 22. By then, the chance of a frost drops to roughly 10%. Here’s how we split crops by those dates:

Crop group	Examples	When to plant outside
Hardy	Peas, spinach, onions, cabbage, broccoli	45 to 60 days before April 6
Semi-hardy	Lettuce, beets, carrots, potatoes	1 to 2 weeks after hardy crops
Tender	Sweet corn, cucumbers, most beans	Around the last frost or soon after
Very tender	Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons	At least a week after the last frost, ideally after April 22

In fall, the first frost arrives around November 1, with most areas between October 24 and November 14.

How to Adjust Timing for Your Backyard Microclimate

Your yard can run warmer or colder than the zone average by a week or more. Cold air flows downhill and pools in low spots, so a garden at the bottom of a slope sees frost later in spring and earlier in fall. Suburban yards near pavement and buildings stay a little warmer at night.

Walk your yard on a frosty morning and note where the white lingers. Use these clues:

• South-facing walls soak up heat. Plant your earliest crops there.
• Low spots and dips are frost pockets. Plant tender crops there last.
• Raised beds drain faster and warm sooner than in-ground beds.
• Open, windy areas dry out plants and chill them faster.

Keep a simple notebook with planting dates and frost dates you see. After two seasons, your notes beat any map.

Why Soil Temperature Matters More Than the Calendar

Seeds respond to soil warmth, and cold soil slows sprouting and invites rot. A $10 soil thermometer pushed about 4 inches deep takes the guessing out of timing. Check it in the morning, when soil is coolest.

• 40 to 50°F: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes
• 55 to 60°F: Broccoli and cabbage roots establish well; beans need above 60°F
• 65°F and up: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, melons, basil

Black plastic laid over a bed for a week or two warms it faster in spring.

What Should You Plant From January Through June?

The first half of the year moves from indoor seed trays in winter to cool crops in early spring, then warm crops once the soil heats up. The planting calendar below lists start-indoors and plant-outside dates for about 20 crops; these notes cover what each month looks like in practice.

January: Plan Your Beds and Start Onions

January is planning month. Sketch your beds, decide what goes where, and rotate tomato-family crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes) to a spot they haven’t grown in for three or four years. That rotation cuts down on soil diseases.

Onions are the first seeds we start. They need 9 to 11 weeks indoors before they go outside about four weeks before the last frost, which puts the start in early to mid-January. Sow them in a tray of seed-starting mix under bright lights and trim the tops to about 4 inches so they stay sturdy.

Order seed now while selection is good. If this is your first year, our guide to starting your own garden as a beginner covers bed setup and soil prep.

February and March: Start Cool-Season Vegetables and Sow Peas

Cool-season crops need to mature before summer heat, so they start early. In early February, start broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and head lettuce indoors. These seedlings will be ready to transplant in about 5 to 7 weeks.

Peas go straight into the ground from mid-February to mid-March, once the soil reaches 40°F and crumbles in your hand. Soil that stays in a sticky ball is too wet to work. Spinach and radishes can go in at the same time.

In mid-March, start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors. Tomatoes need about 5 to 6 weeks inside, and peppers and eggplant a bit longer. Plants started much earlier get leggy and don’t produce sooner.

April: Transplant Cool Crops and Watch for Frost

April is the busiest transplant month for cool crops. Harden off seedlings first: set them outside in shade for a few hours, then give them a little more sun each day over a week or two. That step prevents transplant shock.

Set out broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce in early April. Space broccoli 18 to 24 inches apart. Sow carrots, beets, and potatoes now too.

Watch the forecast closely. A light frost (32°F) hurts tender plants, and a hard frost (28°F or colder) kills most warm-season crops. Keep row cover handy until April 22 passes, and wait on tomatoes even if a warm week tempts you.

May and June: Plant Warm-Season Crops and Sow Successive Harvests

Once the soil reads 60 to 65°F, usually in late April to early May, warm crops go out. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Set tomatoes deep, burying part of the stem so it grows extra roots, and put cages or stakes in at planting time.

Direct-sow beans, cucumbers, squash, and sweet corn into warm soil. Beans sprout in 7 to 10 days when the soil is 65 to 85°F.

For a steady harvest, sow bush beans every two to three weeks into July. Bush beans take 50 to 60 days to mature. Basil and other warm herbs fit in now; our walkthrough on how to start your own herb garden covers placement and care.

What Should You Plant From July Through December?

The second half of the year is a full second season: start fall seedlings in the heat of July, transplant them in late summer, and plant garlic as the weather cools. Season covers and cover crops carry the garden through winter.

July: Start Fall Seedlings and Continue Summer Sowings

July is when fall gardens are made or missed. To time fall broccoli, count backward from November 1 by the days to harvest on the seed packet, then add about 10 days. Packet days start from transplanting, so add the 4 to 6 weeks of seedling growth on top.

Start broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale in trays in a shaded spot or indoors. Seeds sown in July grow fast because soil is warm and days are long.

Keep sowing bush beans and cucumbers into mid-July. Hot, dry soil makes sprouting tricky, so plant seeds in a deep furrow, cover with fine potting mix, and lay shade cloth over the row until they come up.

August and September: Transplant Fall Crops and Sow Roots and Greens

Move fall transplants into the garden in August. Cover them right away with lightweight row cover, since cabbage worms build up all summer and hit fall plantings harder than spring ones.

Direct-sow carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, spinach, and lettuce from mid-August through September. Kale planted in August matures in fall while the plant is young and healthy, which helps it survive winter.

Fall is also the best time to test your soil. You get results back in time to add lime or compost before spring.

October: Plant Garlic and Protect Tender Harvests

Garlic goes in during October or early November in zone 7b, timed so roots grow before the ground gets cold. Buy seed garlic from a garlic grower; grocery store garlic is usually a mild-climate softneck that does poorly.

Plant cloves pointed side up, 2 to 3 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Cover the bed with 3 to 4 inches of straw or shredded leaves.

Before the first frost, pick all tomatoes, peppers, and squash. Cool-season roots and greens left in the ground taste sweeter after a light frost, because the plants turn starch into sugar to protect their cells.

November and December: Manage Cover Crops and Harvest Under Protection

Empty beds do best with a cover crop. Cereal rye, oats, and clover protect soil from erosion, crowd out weeds, and add organic matter. Sow them in early fall right after you clear a summer crop. Oats die over winter, which makes spring planting easy. Rye keeps growing and needs cutting down in spring.

Under row covers or a cold frame, kale, spinach, lettuce, and carrots keep giving harvests into December. Mulch carrots and beets thickly so the ground around them doesn’t freeze solid.

Which Plants Thrive, and Which Need Extra Help?

A wide range of food plants handle zone 7b’s 5 to 10°F winters and hot summers, and a few struggle with one or the other. Simple covers fill most of the gaps.

Reliable Vegetables and Herbs for Spring, Summer, and Fall

These are the dependable picks for each season in 7b:

Season	Vegetables	Herbs
Spring	Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, broccoli, onions	Parsley, chives, cilantro
Summer	Tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, okra	Basil, rosemary, thyme
Fall	Kale, collards, carrots, beets, turnips, broccoli	Parsley, cilantro

Broccoli earns a spot twice a year. After you cut the main head, side shoots keep coming for weeks.

Choosing Perennials, Fruit Trees, and Berries

Perennials and fruit plants are where the zone number counts most. The hardiness zone on a plant tag means it should survive your average coldest night. Pick plants rated for zone 7 or colder to give yourself a cushion during a rare cold snap.

Good fits for 7b include:

• Fruit trees: Apples, pears, peaches, plums, and sweet and tart cherries
• Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
• Perennial vegetables: Asparagus and rhubarb

Blueberries need acidic soil with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5. Plant two or more varieties for better fruit, and add sulfur the fall before planting since it takes months to lower pH. Plant bare-root fruit in early spring while it’s dormant.

Crops That Struggle With Summer Heat or Winter Cold

Summer heat is the bigger challenge for cool crops. Lettuce, spinach, and radishes bolt (go to seed) and turn bitter once days get hot. Plant them early in spring and again in late summer, and skip June sowings.

Spring broccoli planted late forms small, loose heads in the heat. Use transplants in spring so plants finish before summer.

On the cold side, plants rated only for zone 8 or warmer, such as figs in exposed spots, can die back in a hard winter. Place them against a south-facing wall and mulch the roots heavily.

How Row Covers and Cold Frames Extend the Harvest

Season extenders add weeks to both ends of the year. Floating row cover laid over wire hoops traps warmth and blocks insects. Space hoops 3 to 4 feet apart and weigh the edges with sandbags.

As nights get colder, swap fabric for 4 to 6 mil plastic. Vent it on sunny days so plants don’t cook.

A cold frame is a bottomless box with a clear lid, and old windows work well for the top. Set it on a gentle slope facing south or southeast, with the back against a wall or hedge to block wind. In spring, it doubles as a place to harden off seedlings.

Let Your Local Conditions Set the Planting Date

Zone 7b averages give you a starting point, and your own yard gives you the final answer. Use April 6 as the cue for hardy crops, April 22 as the cue for tender ones, and November 1 as the date your fall crops need to beat.

Then check what’s in front of you:

• Soil temperature: 40°F for peas and spinach, 60°F for beans, 65°F for tomatoes and melons.
• The 10-day forecast: Hold off on transplants if a cold night is coming.
• Your frost pockets and warm spots: Plant early crops in the warm spots, tender crops in the cool ones last.
• Your notebook: Record each planting date and the first and last frost you see.

Each season of notes tightens your timing by a few days.

Planting Schedules for Other Zones

• Zone 7a planting schedule (last frost about Apr 16)
• Zone 7b planting schedule (last frost about Apr 6)

Frequently Asked Questions