Mississippi vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Mississippi, the average last spring frost is March 6 in Jackson (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Jackson 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 Mississippi, 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.
Jackson
When to plant tomatoes in Jackson?
In Jackson, Mississippi, the average last spring frost is March 6 and the average first fall frost is November 19 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, JACKSON HAWKINS FLD station, 6.3 km from ZIP 39201). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors February 8 to April 16, plant out seedlings April 3 to July 26 and plant out seedlings for fall June 24 to July 24, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Mississippi State University Extension and University of Georgia Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Jackson (39201)
- Last spring frost: Mar 6 on average, Mar 24 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 19 on average, Nov 4 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Feb 6 to Mar 17 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 10 to Sep 29 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Jan 18 to Feb 24 Plant out seedlings: Feb 6 to Feb 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 10 to Sep 10 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Jan 11 to Feb 7 Plant out seedlings: Feb 6 to Feb 28 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 10 to Oct 10 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 29 to Sep 24 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Jan 25 to Feb 24 Plant out seedlings: Feb 6 to Feb 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 24 to Aug 24 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 3 to Aug 6 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Aug 24 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Feb 25 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings: Apr 3 to Jul 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 19 to Aug 8 |
| Green onion | Plant out seedlings: Dec 17 to Feb 28 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 10 to Jan 9 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Jan 17 to Feb 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 10 to Sep 10 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Mar 17 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 10 to Oct 10 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 3 to Apr 30 |
| Okra | Sow outdoors: Apr 3 to Jun 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 24 to Jul 19 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Jan 23 to Feb 14 Plant out seedlings for fall: Oct 19 to Nov 19 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Feb 28 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Feb 8 to Mar 10 Plant out seedlings: Apr 3 to Jul 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 19 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Jan 23 to Feb 14 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Mar 20 to Apr 16 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 14 to Aug 19 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Feb 28 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 10 to Oct 24 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 3 to Aug 6 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 10 to Sep 3 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Mar 6 to Jun 30 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Mar 11 to Apr 9 Plant out slips: Apr 3 to Jun 16 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Feb 8 to Apr 16 Plant out seedlings: Apr 3 to Jul 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 24 to Jul 24 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 3 to Jun 16 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Apr 9 to Jul 9 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Jan 10 to Mar 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 27 to Oct 11 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Feb 22 to Mar 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 12 to Sep 26 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Feb 27 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 30 to Oct 8 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Mississippi State University Extension, Vegetable Gardens: Planting Dates (spring and summer chart by zone). Checked October 21, 2026.
- University of Georgia Extension, Vegetable Gardening in Georgia (Vegetable Planting Chart) (Circular 963). Checked October 21, 2026.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide (Table 8) (E-502). 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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