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When to plant in Stuarts Draft, VA

USDA Zone 7a

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Stuarts Draft, Virginia — all computed from Stuarts Draft's nearest NOAA weather station.

Heads up: the nearest complete-normals station is about 16 km from Stuarts Draft, so your yard's frost dates can differ — a low spot or a paved city center can shift them by a week. In zone 7a, Stuarts Draft supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · WAYNESBORO WTP · 15.6 km
Last spring frost
April 21
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 23
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
185 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Stuarts DraftA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Stuarts Draft: last spring frost around April 21, first fall frost around October 23, about 185 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

WAYNESBORO WTP · 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 Stuarts Draft’s own odds, recorded at WAYNESBORO WTP.

Frost-probability curves for Stuarts DraftProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around April 21 and the first fall frost around October 23, giving about 185 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 21May 2Apr 18Oct 2Oct 13Oct 27
32°FMay 10Apr 21Apr 4Oct 10Oct 23Nov 4
28°FApr 22Apr 5Mar 21Oct 18Nov 1Nov 15

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 3July 17
Fall sowopen now
Rutabaga
July 17July 31
Fall sowin 12 days
Broccoli
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 12 days
Cabbage
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 12 days
Carrot
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 12 days
Cauliflower
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 12 days
Napa Cabbage
July 31August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Beet
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Collards
August 14September 11
Fall sowin 26 days
Endive
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Escarole
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Fennel (Bulb)
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Kale
August 14September 11
Fall sowin 26 days
Kohlrabi
August 14September 11
Fall sowin 26 days
Peas
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Radicchio
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Swiss Chard
August 14August 28
Fall sowin 26 days
Turnip
August 14September 11

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 Stuarts Draft, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 21 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.

WAYNESBORO WTP
Primary
16 km · 387 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 21
FALL
Oct 23
STAUNTON WTP
17 km · 52 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 15
FALL
Oct 27
MONTEBELLO FISH CULTURAL STN
21 km · 813 m elevation
SPRING
May 2
FALL
Oct 13

Stuarts Draft planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Stuarts Draft, VA?

Plan for the last spring frost in Stuarts Draft around April 21 (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 Stuarts Draft, VA?

In Stuarts Draft, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around October 23 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Stuarts Draft in?

Stuarts Draft is in USDA hardiness zone 7a. In zone 7a, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Stuarts Draft?

Stuarts Draft has about 185 frost-free days — a moderate growing season — between the average last spring frost (April 21) and first fall frost (October 23).

When should I plant tomatoes in Stuarts Draft?

For Stuarts Draft, sow tomatoes indoors about February 24–March 10 and move the seedlings out around April 28, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Stuarts Draft

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at WAYNESBORO WTP, 16 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 Stuarts Draft, VA — Frost Dates & Zone 7a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00448941. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/virginia/stuarts-draft.