Calendars by city / TX
Austin, Texas vegetable planting calendar
Planting windows for Austin, Texas built from the NOAA 1991–2020 freeze normals at AUSTIN CAMP MABRY, TX US (station USW00013958), not from a hardiness zone.
Austin, Texas planting dates for 27 vegetables
The same windows as a table
Each row applies a published extension rule to the frost dates above. Hardy crops go out 2–4 weeks before the last frost; semi-hardy crops 0–2 weeks before; tender crops around the frost date; very tender crops 2 or more weeks after. The last fall planting date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost. The rules and their sources are on the methodology page.
| Crop | Frost class | Start seeds indoors | Plant outdoors | Last fall planting | Days to harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beets | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Oct 14 | 60 |
| Broccoli | Hardy | Dec 4 – Jan 1 | Transplant: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 16 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Cabbage | Hardy | Dec 4 – Jan 1 | Transplant: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Sep 26 | 85 (from transplant) |
| Carrots | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Oct 4 | 70 |
| Cauliflower | Semi-hardy | Dec 18 – Jan 15 | Transplant: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Oct 9 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 31 | 50 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 21 | 60 |
| Onions (green) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 21 | 60 |
| Onions (dry, from seed) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Sep 1 | 110 |
| Onions (dry, from sets) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Plant sets: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Sep 1 | 110 |
| Parsnips | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Oct 4 | 70 |
| Peas | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 16 | 65 |
| Potatoes | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Plant seed potatoes: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Aug 10 | 125 |
| Radishes | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Nov 20 | 30 |
| Spinach | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Nov 10 | 40 |
| Swiss chard | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Oct 14 | 60 |
| Turnips | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 31 | 50 |
| Snap beans | Tender | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 19 – Feb 26 | Oct 7 | 60 |
| Cantaloupe | Very tender | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | Direct sow (or transplant): Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Sep 12 | 85 |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Feb 19 – Feb 26 | Sep 7 | 60–90 |
| Cucumbers | Tender | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Direct sow (or transplant): Feb 19 – Feb 26 | Oct 12 | 55 |
| Eggplant | Very tender | Jan 1 – Feb 5 | Transplant: Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Oct 7 | 60 (from transplant) |
| Peppers | Very tender | Jan 8 – Feb 5 | Transplant: Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Sep 27 | 70 (from transplant) |
| Tomatoes | Very tender | Jan 15 – Feb 12 | Transplant: Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Oct 2 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Summer squash | Tender | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Direct sow (or transplant): Feb 19 – Feb 26 | Oct 17 | 50 |
| Winter squash | Very tender | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | Direct sow (or transplant): Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Aug 28 | 100 |
| Watermelon | Very tender | Feb 12 – Mar 5 | Direct sow (or transplant): Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Sep 12 | 85 |
What the Austin, Texas frost-free season means for your choices
At 290 frost-free days, Austin, Texas gardeners should compare that number to the days-to-harvest column before buying seed. A crop whose days to harvest plus its transplant age is close to the season length needs either an early start indoors or a short-season variety.
- Hardy crops (peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage) can go in from about Jan 22 – Feb 5 and again for fall.
- Very tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, winter squash) should wait until Mar 5 – Mar 19; start tomato seeds indoors Jan 15 – Feb 12.
- Fall sowing is worthwhile only for the rows that show a separate fall date; for the others the spring window already covers the season.
Austin, TX planting questions
When is the last frost in Austin, Texas?
The 50% probability date for the last spring 32°F reading at AUSTIN CAMP MABRY, TX US is Feb 19, from the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. In half the years on that record the last frost came later than that date, so tender crops are safer a week or two after it. The last 28°F hard freeze averages Feb 2.
When can I plant tomatoes in Austin, Texas?
Tomatoes are a very tender crop, so the Colorado State Extension rule puts them out 2 or more weeks after the last spring frost: Mar 5 – Mar 19 in Austin, Texas. Start the seeds indoors Jan 15 – Feb 12, which is 5 to 7 weeks before that transplant window.
How long is the growing season in Austin, Texas?
Austin, Texas averages 290 frost-free days, between the 50% last spring frost on Feb 19 and the 50% first fall frost on Dec 6 at AUSTIN CAMP MABRY, TX US. Check a variety's days to harvest against that number before buying seed.
When should I start seeds indoors in Austin, Texas?
The earliest indoor sowing on this calendar is broccoli and cabbage at Dec 4 – Jan 1. Hardy crops are transplanted out Jan 22 – Feb 5 here, and each crop's indoor window is simply its outdoor window minus the transplant age published by Colorado State Extension, so nothing starts earlier than that.
What can I plant in fall in Austin, Texas?
The crops with a separate fall sowing here, latest first, are radishes, spinach, kohlrabi, turnips, lettuce (leaf) and onions (green), plus 21 more on the chart above. Each fall date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost on Dec 6, plus an allowance for frost-tolerant crops that is our own assumption, not the source's.
Station data and limitations
| NOAA station | AUSTIN CAMP MABRY, TX US (USW00013958) |
|---|---|
| Location | 30.3208, -97.7604 · elevation 204.2 m |
| Last spring 32°F / 28°F (50%) | Feb 19 / Feb 2 |
| First fall 32°F / 28°F (50%) | Dec 6 / Dec 21 |
| Dataset | NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal product, data types ANN-TMIN-PRBLST/PRBFST-T32FP50 and T28FP50 |
| Retrieved | 2026-10-16 |
The normals describe the airport station, not your yard. They are averages of a 30-year record and say nothing about this year's weather. Watch the local forecast around the dates shown, and use soil temperature for warm-season crops, which the Colorado State guide treats as the better signal.
Nearby calendars
- San Antonio, Texas — last spring frost Mar 1
- Houston, Texas — last spring frost Feb 18
- Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas — last spring frost Mar 8
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — last spring frost Mar 27
Read the method behind these dates: last frost date vs hardiness zone.