Colorado vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Colorado, the average last spring frost is April 30 in Denver (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Denver for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Colorado, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Denver
When to plant tomatoes in Denver?
In Denver, Colorado, the average last spring frost is April 30 and the average first fall frost is October 12 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, DENVER WATER DEPT station, 2.6 km from ZIP 80202). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors April 4 to June 10 and plant out seedlings May 21 to July 14, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Utah State University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Denver (80202)
- Last spring frost: Apr 30 on average, May 13 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 12 on average, Sep 28 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 6a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Aug 13 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Mar 14 to Apr 20 Plant out seedlings: Apr 1 to Apr 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Mar 7 to Apr 3 Plant out seedlings: Apr 1 to Apr 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Jul 24 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 21 to Apr 20 Plant out seedlings: Apr 23 to Jul 14 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 12 to Jul 12 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 3 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 21 to May 20 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 14 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 1 to Apr 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Jul 24 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Jul 4 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 27 to Aug 8 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 1 to Apr 15 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 15 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Apr 4 to May 4 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 14 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Apr 23 to Jul 4 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 13 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 31 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 13 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 14 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: May 5 to Jun 3 Plant out slips: May 27 to Jun 4 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Apr 4 to Jun 10 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 14 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Jul 4 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Jun 3 to Sep 2 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Mar 6 to May 3 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 20 to Sep 3 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Apr 18 to May 3 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 5 to Aug 19 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Jul 14 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 5 to Sep 3 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Utah State University Extension, Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Purdue University Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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