Erie, PA · zone 6a · ~191 frost-free days
When to plant in Erie: frost dates and zone 6a.
In Erie, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 26 and the first fall frost around Nov 3, 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 Erie, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 22 to May 22 | May 3 to Jul 3 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 19 to May 3 | Aug 20 to Oct 19 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 19 to Apr 21 | Aug 8 to Sep 3 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 26 to Jun 16 | Jul 20 to Aug 22 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 3 to Aug 2 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 31 to May 22 | May 12 to Jul 3 | — |
| Kale | Feb 5 to Mar 5 | Mar 19 to Apr 16 | Aug 3 to Sep 18 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 5 to Apr 16 | Aug 20 to Oct 8 |
Erie sits in Zone 6a, 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 Erie 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 16501 in about 60 seconds.
Erie planting questions
What planting zone is Erie, PA?+
Erie is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6a 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 Erie?+
The typical last spring frost in Erie, PA is around Apr 26. 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 Erie?+
The typical first fall frost in Erie, PA arrives around Nov 3, 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 Erie?+
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 26. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.