Bellevue, WA · zone 9a · ~255 frost-free days
When to plant in Bellevue: frost dates and zone 9a.
In Bellevue, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 10 and the first fall frost around Nov 20, giving you about 255 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 Bellevue, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 3 to Apr 5 | Mar 17 to May 17 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Jan 31 to Mar 17 | Sep 6 to Nov 5 |
| Carrot | — | Jan 31 to Mar 5 | Aug 25 to Sep 20 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 10 to Apr 30 | Aug 6 to Sep 8 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 17 to Jun 16 | Jul 20 to Aug 20 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 12 to Apr 5 | Mar 26 to May 17 | — |
| Kale | Dec 20 to Jan 17 | Jan 31 to Feb 28 | Aug 20 to Oct 5 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 17 to Feb 28 | Sep 6 to Oct 25 |
Bellevue sits in Zone 9a, 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 Bellevue 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 98004 in about 60 seconds.
Bellevue planting questions
What planting zone is Bellevue, WA?+
Bellevue is in USDA hardiness zone 9a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 9a 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 Bellevue?+
The typical last spring frost in Bellevue, WA is around Mar 10. 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 Bellevue?+
The typical first fall frost in Bellevue, WA arrives around Nov 20, closing a growing season of roughly 255 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Bellevue?+
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 10. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.