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When to plant in Fort Washington, MD

USDA Zone 7b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Fort Washington, Maryland — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

Zone 7b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Fort Washington, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · OXON HILL · 7.2 km
Last spring frost
April 3
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 8
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
219 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Fort WashingtonA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Fort Washington: last spring frost around April 3, first fall frost around November 8, about 219 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

OXON HILL · 1991–2020

The 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 Fort Washington’s own odds, recorded at OXON HILL.

Frost-probability curves for Fort WashingtonProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around April 3 and the first fall frost around November 8, giving about 219 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMay 2Apr 15Apr 1Oct 14Oct 27Nov 10
32°FApr 15Apr 3Mar 19Oct 24Nov 8Nov 23
28°FApr 3Mar 21Mar 5Nov 5Nov 19Dec 8

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Brussels Sprouts
July 19August 2
Fall sowin 14 days
Rutabaga
August 2August 16
Fall sowin 28 days
Broccoli
August 16August 30
Fall sowin 28 days
Cabbage
August 16August 30
Fall sowin 28 days
Carrot
August 16August 30
Fall sowin 28 days
Cauliflower
August 16August 30
Fall sowin 28 days
Napa Cabbage
August 16September 13

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Fort Washington, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 20 km · complete 32°F normals

When 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.

OXON HILL
Primary
7 km · 58 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 3
FALL
Nov 8
WASHINGTON REAGAN AP
13 km · 3 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 24
FALL
Nov 18
NATL ARBORETUM DC
20 km · 15 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 29
FALL
Nov 8

Fort Washington planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Fort Washington, MD?

Plan for the last spring frost in Fort Washington around April 3 (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 Fort Washington, MD?

Expect Fort Washington's first fall frost near November 8 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Fort Washington in?

Fort Washington is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. In zone 7b, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Fort Washington?

There are roughly 219 frost-free days in Fort Washington (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around April 3 to the first fall frost near November 8.

When should I plant tomatoes in Fort Washington?

In Fort Washington, start tomato seeds indoors around February 6–February 20, then transplant seedlings outdoors around April 10 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Fort Washington

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Fort Washington’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at OXON HILL, 7 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Fort Washington, MD — Frost Dates & Zone 7b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00186800. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/maryland/fort-washington.
When to Plant in Fort Washington, MD — Frost Dates & Zone 7b — BlissGarden