Columbus, GA · zone 8b · ~247 frost-free days
When to plant in Columbus: frost dates and zone 8b.
In Columbus, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 14 and the first fall frost around Nov 16, giving you about 247 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 Columbus, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 7 to Apr 9 | Mar 21 to May 21 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 4 to Mar 21 | Sep 2 to Nov 1 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 4 to Mar 9 | Aug 21 to Sep 16 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 14 to May 4 | Aug 2 to Sep 4 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 21 to Jun 20 | Jul 16 to Aug 16 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 16 to Apr 9 | Mar 30 to May 21 | — |
| Kale | Dec 24 to Jan 21 | Feb 4 to Mar 4 | Aug 16 to Oct 1 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 21 to Mar 4 | Sep 2 to Oct 21 |
Columbus sits in Zone 8b, 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 Columbus 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 31901 in about 60 seconds.
Columbus planting questions
What planting zone is Columbus, GA?+
Columbus is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 8b 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 Columbus?+
The typical last spring frost in Columbus, GA is around Mar 14. 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 Columbus?+
The typical first fall frost in Columbus, GA arrives around Nov 16, closing a growing season of roughly 247 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Columbus?+
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 14. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.