Fairbanks, AK · zone 3a · ~101 frost-free days
When to plant in Fairbanks: frost dates and zone 3a.
In Fairbanks, the typical last spring frost lands around May 17 and the first fall frost around Aug 26, giving you about 101 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 Fairbanks, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Apr 12 to Apr 19 | May 24 to May 31 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Apr 9 to May 24 | Jun 12 to Aug 11 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 to May 12 | May 31 to Jun 26 |
| Bush Bean | — | May 17 to Jun 14 | — |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 24 to Jun 9 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Apr 21 to Jun 12 | Jun 2 to Jul 24 | — |
| Kale | Feb 26 to Mar 26 | Apr 9 to May 7 | May 26 to Jul 11 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 26 to May 7 | Jun 12 to Jul 31 |
Fairbanks sits in Zone 3a, 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 Fairbanks 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 99701 in about 60 seconds.
Fairbanks planting questions
What planting zone is Fairbanks, AK?+
Fairbanks is in USDA hardiness zone 3a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 3a 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 Fairbanks?+
The typical last spring frost in Fairbanks, AK is around May 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 Fairbanks?+
The typical first fall frost in Fairbanks, AK arrives around Aug 26, closing a growing season of roughly 101 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Fairbanks?+
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 May 17. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.