Norfolk, VA · zone 8a · ~243 frost-free days
When to plant in Norfolk: frost dates and zone 8a.
In Norfolk, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 21 and the first fall frost around Nov 19, giving you about 243 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 Norfolk, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 14 to Apr 16 | Mar 28 to May 28 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 11 to Mar 28 | Sep 5 to Nov 4 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 11 to Mar 16 | Aug 24 to Sep 19 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 21 to May 11 | Aug 5 to Sep 7 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 28 to Jun 27 | Jul 19 to Aug 19 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 23 to Apr 16 | Apr 6 to May 28 | — |
| Kale | Dec 31 to Jan 28 | Feb 11 to Mar 11 | Aug 19 to Oct 4 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 28 to Mar 11 | Sep 5 to Oct 24 |
Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 23510 in about 60 seconds.
Norfolk planting questions
What planting zone is Norfolk, VA?+
Norfolk 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 Norfolk?+
The typical last spring frost in Norfolk, VA is around Mar 21. 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 Norfolk?+
The typical first fall frost in Norfolk, VA arrives around Nov 19, closing a growing season of roughly 243 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Norfolk?+
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 21. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.