Phoenix, AZ · zone 10a · ~325 frost-free days
When to plant in Phoenix: frost dates and zone 10a.
In Phoenix, the typical last spring frost lands around Jan 24 and the first fall frost around Dec 15, giving you about 325 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 Phoenix, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Dec 20 to Feb 19 | Jan 31 to Apr 2 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 17 to Jan 31 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 17 to Jan 19 | Sep 19 to Oct 15 |
| Bush Bean | — | Jan 24 to Mar 16 | Aug 31 to Oct 3 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Jan 31 to May 2 | Aug 14 to Sep 14 |
| Pepper, bell | Dec 29 to Feb 19 | Feb 9 to Apr 2 | — |
| Kale | Nov 5 to Dec 3 | Dec 17 to Jan 14 | Sep 14 to Oct 30 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 3 to Jan 14 | Oct 1 to Nov 19 |
Phoenix sits in Zone 10a, 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 Phoenix 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 85004 in about 60 seconds.
Phoenix planting questions
What planting zone is Phoenix, AZ?+
Phoenix is in USDA hardiness zone 10a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 10a 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 Phoenix?+
The typical last spring frost in Phoenix, AZ is around Jan 24. 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 Phoenix?+
The typical first fall frost in Phoenix, AZ arrives around Dec 15, closing a growing season of roughly 325 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Phoenix?+
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 Jan 24. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.