Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Gainesville, FL
Gainesville, FL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 3 and its first of fall around December 2 — a 277-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 | Feb 1 | Jan 1 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 3 | Dec 2 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 23 | Nov 12 |
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: 277 days median, at least 246 in 9 years of 10, at least 310 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 12 and first of Dec 25.
Gainesville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 3) and median first frost (Dec 2) 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 9 | Feb 3 | May 24 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 3 | Apr 2 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 17 | Feb 17 | Apr 3 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 3 | Mar 17 | May 16 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 23 | Mar 17 | Jun 20 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 17 | Feb 17 | Apr 28 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 19 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 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 Gainesville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Gainesville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Gainesville frost questions
When is the last frost in Gainesville, FL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at GAINESVILLE RGNL AP, FL is March 3: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 23; nine years in ten, it comes after February 1. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Gainesville, FL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 2. One year in ten it arrives before November 12; nine years in ten, before January 1 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Gainesville, FL?
277 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 246 days; one year in ten, at least 310 days.
What growing zone is Gainesville, FL?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 32605. 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 Gainesville, FL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 20 and transplant around Mar 10, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 23. First ripe fruit lands around May 24.
When should I plant peppers in Gainesville, FL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 6; transplant no earlier than Mar 10, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 24.
Nearby in Florida
- Ocalalast frost Feb 25
- Jacksonvillelast frost Feb 1
- Palm Coastlast frost Jan 24
- DeLandlast frost Feb 17
- Ormond Beachlast frost Jan 30
- Daytona Beachlast frost Jan 30
All Florida frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →