Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Sarasota, FL
Sarasota, FL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 15 and its first of fall around January 10 (next year) — a 365-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 | Dec 29 (prior winter) | Feb 3 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 15 | Jan 10 (next year) |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 8 | Dec 24 |
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: 365 days median, at least 335 in 9 years of 10, no freeze at all in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above.
Sarasota planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 15) and median first frost (Jan 10) 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) | Oct 23 | Dec 18 | Apr 7 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 15 | Feb 14 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 15 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 18 | Jan 29 | Mar 30 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 20 | Jan 22 | Apr 7 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 6 | Jan 29 | May 4 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 20 | Jan 22 | Apr 7 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 20 | Jan 22 | Apr 12 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 20 | Jan 22 | Apr 12 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Mar 12 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 4 | Jan 22 | Apr 2 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 4 | Jan 22 | Apr 7 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 4 | Jan 22 | Apr 12 | 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 Sarasota grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Sarasota container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Sarasota frost questions
When is the last frost in Sarasota, FL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at SARASOTA BRADENTON AP, FL is January 15: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 8; nine years in ten, it comes after December 29 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Sarasota, FL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is January 10 (next year). One year in ten it arrives before December 24; nine years in ten, before February 3 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Sarasota, FL?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at SARASOTA BRADENTON AP, FL in a typical year. What limits a sauce garden here is heat: peppers and tomatoes drop flowers in sustained hot nights, so plant to finish before peak summer or after it breaks.
What growing zone is Sarasota, FL?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 34236. 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 Sarasota, FL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 4 and transplant around Jan 22, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 8. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 7.
When should I plant peppers in Sarasota, FL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 20; transplant no earlier than Jan 22, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 7.
Nearby in Florida
- Bradentonlast frost Jan 16
- North Portlast frost Jan 25
- St. Petersburglast frost Jan 17
- Pinellas Parklast frost Jan 17
- Largolast frost Jan 17
- Tampalast frost Jan 20
All Florida frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →