Richmond, VA · zone 7b · ~211 frost-free days
When to plant in Richmond: frost dates and zone 7b.
In Richmond, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 5 and the first fall frost around Nov 2, giving you about 211 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 Richmond, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 1 to May 1 | Apr 12 to Jun 12 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 26 to Apr 12 | Aug 19 to Oct 18 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 26 to Mar 31 | Aug 7 to Sep 2 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 5 to May 26 | Jul 19 to Aug 21 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 12 to Jul 12 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 10 to May 1 | Apr 21 to Jun 12 | — |
| Kale | Jan 15 to Feb 12 | Feb 26 to Mar 26 | Aug 2 to Sep 17 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 12 to Mar 26 | Aug 19 to Oct 7 |
Richmond sits in Zone 7b, 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 Richmond 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 23219 in about 60 seconds.
Richmond planting questions
What planting zone is Richmond, VA?+
Richmond is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7b 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 Richmond?+
The typical last spring frost in Richmond, VA is around Apr 5. 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 Richmond?+
The typical first fall frost in Richmond, VA arrives around Nov 2, closing a growing season of roughly 211 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Richmond?+
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 5. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.