Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Apopka, FL
Apopka, FL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 24 and its first of fall around December 29 — a 301-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 24 | Dec 29 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 20 | Nov 29 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 301 days median, at least 266 in 9 years of 10, at least 335 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Feb 3 and first of Jan 10 (next year).
Apopka planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 24) and median first frost (Dec 29) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 2 | Jan 27 | May 17 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 24 | Mar 26 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 10 | Feb 10 | Mar 27 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 27 | Mar 10 | May 9 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 30 | Mar 3 | May 17 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 16 | Mar 10 | Jun 13 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 30 | Mar 3 | May 17 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 30 | Mar 3 | May 22 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 30 | Mar 3 | May 22 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 10 | Feb 10 | Apr 21 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 13 | Mar 3 | May 12 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 13 | Mar 3 | May 17 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 13 | Mar 3 | May 22 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Apopka grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Apopka container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Apopka frost questions
When is the last frost in Apopka, FL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MT PLYMOUTH 1SSW, FL is February 24: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 20; nine years in ten, it comes after January 22. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Apopka, FL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 29. One year in ten it arrives before November 29; nine years in ten, before January 27 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Apopka, FL?
301 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 266 days; one year in ten, at least 335 days.
What growing zone is Apopka, FL?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 32768. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Apopka, FL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 13 and transplant around Mar 3, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 20. First ripe fruit lands around May 17.
When should I plant peppers in Apopka, FL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 30; transplant no earlier than Mar 3, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 17.
Nearby in Florida
- Ocoeelast frost Jan 17
- Altamonte Springslast frost Jan 17
- Winter Gardenlast frost Jan 29
- Sanfordlast frost Jan 24
- Clermontlast frost Jan 29
- Oviedolast frost Jan 24
All Florida frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →