Charleston, WV · zone 6b · ~191 frost-free days
When to plant in Charleston: frost dates and zone 6b.
In Charleston, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 17 and the first fall frost around Oct 25, giving you about 191 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 Charleston, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 13 to May 13 | Apr 24 to Jun 24 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 10 to Apr 24 | Aug 11 to Oct 10 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 10 to Apr 12 | Jul 30 to Aug 25 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 17 to Jun 7 | Jul 11 to Aug 13 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 24 to Jul 24 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 22 to May 13 | May 3 to Jun 24 | — |
| Kale | Jan 27 to Feb 24 | Mar 10 to Apr 7 | Jul 25 to Sep 9 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 24 to Apr 7 | Aug 11 to Sep 29 |
Charleston sits in Zone 6b, 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 Charleston 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 25301 in about 60 seconds.
Charleston planting questions
What planting zone is Charleston, WV?+
Charleston is in USDA hardiness zone 6b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6b 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 Charleston?+
The typical last spring frost in Charleston, WV is around Apr 17. 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 Charleston?+
The typical first fall frost in Charleston, WV arrives around Oct 25, closing a growing season of roughly 191 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Charleston?+
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 Apr 17. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.