When to plant in The Villages, FL
USDA Zone 9bThe Villages, Florida frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.
With only about -17 frost-free days, The Villages has a short season — start heat-lovers indoors early, favor quick-maturing varieties, and use row cover to stretch both ends. These dates come from a station roughly 20 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around The Villages (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 9b, frost is a minor factor for The Villages — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.
The average first fall frost in The Villages is now 7 days later than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →
Frost probability
LEESBURG MUNI AP · 1991–2020The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are The Villages’s own odds, recorded at LEESBURG MUNI AP.
| Threshold | SPRING 10% | SPRING 50% | SPRING 90% | FALL 10% | FALL 50% | FALL 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Feb 6 | Jan 7 | Dec 1 | Dec 30 | Jan 25 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Jan 26 | Dec 31 | Dec 17 | Jan 9 | Feb 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Jan 17 | Dec 29 | Dec 28 | Jan 13 | Feb 8 |
Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.
What to plant now
TODAY · JULY 19Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.
Full-year planting calendar
Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in The Villages, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.
Nearby weather stations
3 within 27 km · complete 32°F normalsWhen stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.
The Villages planting FAQ
When is the last spring frost in The Villages, FL?
Plan for the last spring frost in The Villages around January 26 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.
When is the first fall frost in The Villages, FL?
Expect The Villages's first fall frost near January 9 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.
What hardiness zone is The Villages in?
The Villages is in USDA hardiness zone 9b. In zone 9b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.
How long is the growing season in The Villages?
The Villages has about -17 frost-free days — a short growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 26) and first fall frost (January 9).
When should I plant tomatoes in The Villages?
For The Villages, sow tomatoes indoors about December 1–December 15 and move the seedlings out around February 2, after the last spring frost.
Never miss a window in The Villages
An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to The Villages’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Nearby cities
8 within reach- Lady Lake · 6 km
- Wildwood · 10 km
- Leesburg · 22 km
- Marion Oaks · 23 km
- Silver Springs Shores · 24 km
- Tavares · 27 km
- Liberty Triangle · 29 km
- Eustis · 31 km
Frost dates recorded at LEESBURG MUNI AP, 20 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in The Villages, FL — Frost Dates & Zone 9b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00012819. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/florida/the-villages.