West Virginia vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In West Virginia, the average last spring frost is April 16 in Charleston (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Charleston 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 West Virginia, 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.
Charleston
When to plant tomatoes in Charleston?
In Charleston, West Virginia, the average last spring frost is April 16 and the average first fall frost is October 26 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, CHARLESTON YEAGER AP station, 4.6 km from ZIP 25301). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 21 to May 27 and plant out seedlings May 5 to July 28, 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 Charleston (25301)
- Last spring frost: Apr 16 on average, May 5 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 26 on average, Oct 13 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 7a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Apr 7 to Apr 21 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 28 to Apr 6 Plant out seedlings: Mar 24 to Apr 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 21 to Mar 20 Plant out seedlings: Mar 24 to Apr 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Apr 7 to Apr 21 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 7 to Apr 6 Plant out seedlings: Apr 7 to Apr 21 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 26 to Jul 26 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 19 to Aug 17 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 7 to May 6 Plant out seedlings: May 19 to Jul 28 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 24 to Apr 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 24 to Apr 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Apr 7 to Apr 21 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 19 to Jul 18 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 19 to Aug 22 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 24 to Apr 7 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 24 to Apr 7 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 21 to Apr 20 Plant out seedlings: May 19 to Jul 28 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 24 to Apr 7 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: May 5 to Aug 27 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 24 to Apr 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 18 to Sep 15 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 19 to Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: May 5 to Jul 28 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 21 to May 20 Plant out slips: May 19 to Jun 18 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 21 to May 27 Plant out seedlings: May 5 to Jul 28 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 19 to Jul 18 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 20 to Aug 19 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 20 to Apr 19 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 3 to Sep 17 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Apr 4 to Apr 19 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 19 to Sep 2 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 7 to May 6 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 19 to Sep 17 |
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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