Baltimore, MD · zone 7b · ~240 frost-free days
When to plant in Baltimore: frost dates and zone 7b.
In Baltimore, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 25 and the first fall frost around Nov 20, giving you about 240 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Baltimore, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 18 to Apr 20 | Apr 1 to Jun 1 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 15 to Apr 1 | Sep 6 to Nov 5 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 15 to Mar 20 | Aug 25 to Sep 20 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 25 to May 15 | Aug 6 to Sep 8 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 1 to Jul 1 | Jul 20 to Aug 20 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 27 to Apr 20 | Apr 10 to Jun 1 | — |
| Kale | Jan 4 to Feb 1 | Feb 15 to Mar 15 | Aug 20 to Oct 5 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 1 to Mar 15 | Sep 6 to Oct 25 |
Baltimore sits in Zone 7b, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Baltimore garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 21201 in about 60 seconds.
Baltimore planting questions
What planting zone is Baltimore, MD?+
Baltimore is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7b here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Baltimore?+
The typical last spring frost in Baltimore, MD is around Mar 25. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Baltimore?+
The typical first fall frost in Baltimore, MD arrives around Nov 20, closing a growing season of roughly 240 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Baltimore?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Mar 25. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.