Eugene, OR · zone 8a · ~203 frost-free days
When to plant in Eugene: frost dates and zone 8a.
In Eugene, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 8 and the first fall frost around Oct 28, giving you about 203 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 Eugene, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 4 to May 4 | Apr 15 to Jun 15 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 1 to Apr 15 | Aug 14 to Oct 13 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 1 to Apr 3 | Aug 2 to Aug 28 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 8 to May 29 | Jul 14 to Aug 16 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 15 to Jul 15 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 13 to May 4 | Apr 24 to Jun 15 | — |
| Kale | Jan 18 to Feb 15 | Mar 1 to Mar 29 | Jul 28 to Sep 12 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 15 to Mar 29 | Aug 14 to Oct 2 |
Eugene sits in Zone 8a, 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 Eugene 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 97401 in about 60 seconds.
Eugene planting questions
What planting zone is Eugene, OR?+
Eugene is in USDA hardiness zone 8a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 8a 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 Eugene?+
The typical last spring frost in Eugene, OR is around Apr 8. 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 Eugene?+
The typical first fall frost in Eugene, OR arrives around Oct 28, closing a growing season of roughly 203 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Eugene?+
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 8. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.