Ohio vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Ohio, the average last spring frost is April 20 in Columbus (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Columbus 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 Ohio, 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.
Columbus
When to plant tomatoes in Columbus?
In Columbus, Ohio, the average last spring frost is April 20 and the average first fall frost is October 24 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, COLUMBUS WCMH station, 6.6 km from ZIP 43215). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 25 to May 31 and plant out seedlings May 7 to July 26, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Columbus (43215)
- Last spring frost: Apr 20 on average, May 7 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 24 on average, Oct 13 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 6b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Mar 4 to Apr 10 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 25 to Mar 24 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 11 to Apr 10 Plant out seedlings: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 24 to Jul 24 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Aug 15 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 11 to May 10 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 26 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Jul 16 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Aug 20 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 26 to Apr 9 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 25 to Apr 24 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 26 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 26 to Apr 9 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 25 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Aug 25 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 26 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 25 to May 24 Plant out slips: May 21 to Jun 16 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 25 to May 31 Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Jul 26 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Jul 16 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 24 to Aug 23 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 24 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 1 to Sep 15 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Apr 8 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 17 to Aug 31 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 11 to May 10 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 17 to Sep 15 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- 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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