Gardening in zone 7a
In USDA zone 7a, the coldest winter night averages 0 to 5°F. The typical last spring frost is around Apr 16 and the first fall frost around Oct 25.
A zone tells you about winter cold, not about timing: across zone 7a, last spring frosts range from about Apr 4 to Apr 29, and first fall frosts from Oct 15 to Nov 2. Plan from your own frost dates where you can.
Zone 7a is common in: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Washington, New York
Zone 7a planting schedule
Dates below count from the zone’s typical frost dates, so treat them as a starting point. For dates set to your exact ZIP code, use the planting calendar.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant or sow outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Around Mar 5 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Pepper | Around Feb 19 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Eggplant | Around Feb 19 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Basil | Around Mar 5 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Cucumber | Around Mar 26 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Zucchini | Around Mar 26 | Around Apr 23 | — |
| Butternut Squash | Around Mar 26 | Around Apr 23 | — |
| Watermelon | Around Mar 26 | Around Apr 30 | — |
| Corn | — | Around Apr 16 | — |
| Green Bean | — | Around Apr 23 | — |
| Pea | — | Around Mar 5 | Around Aug 16 |
| Lettuce | — | Around Mar 19 | Around Sep 6 |
| Spinach | — | Around Mar 5 | Around Aug 30 |
| Kale | Around Mar 5 | Around Apr 16 | Around Aug 16 |
| Broccoli | Around Feb 19 | Around Apr 2 | Around Jul 19 |
| Cabbage | Around Mar 5 | Around Apr 16 | Around Jul 19 |
| Carrot | — | Around Mar 26 | Around Aug 9 |
| Beet | — | Around Mar 19 | Around Aug 16 |
| Radish | — | Around Mar 19 | Around Sep 13 |
| Onion | Around Feb 5 | Around Mar 26 | — |
| Potato | — | Around Apr 2 | — |
| Garlic | — | — | Around Nov 8 |
Zones: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Frost dates: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (50% chance of 32°F), middle value across the zone's ZIP codes.
Other zones: 3b · 4a · 4b · 5a · 5b · 6a · 6b · 7b · 8a · 8b · 9a · 9b · 10a