Macon, GA · zone 8b · ~240 frost-free days
When to plant in Macon: frost dates and zone 8b.
In Macon, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 18 and the first fall frost around Nov 13, giving you about 240 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 Macon, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 11 to Apr 13 | Mar 25 to May 25 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 8 to Mar 25 | Aug 30 to Oct 29 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 8 to Mar 13 | Aug 18 to Sep 13 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 18 to May 8 | Jul 30 to Sep 1 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 25 to Jun 24 | Jul 13 to Aug 13 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 20 to Apr 13 | Apr 3 to May 25 | — |
| Kale | Dec 28 to Jan 25 | Feb 8 to Mar 8 | Aug 13 to Sep 28 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 25 to Mar 8 | Aug 30 to Oct 18 |
Macon 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 Macon 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 31201 in about 60 seconds.
Macon planting questions
What planting zone is Macon, GA?+
Macon 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 Macon?+
The typical last spring frost in Macon, GA is around Mar 18. 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 Macon?+
The typical first fall frost in Macon, GA arrives around Nov 13, closing a growing season of roughly 240 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Macon?+
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 18. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.