Scottsdale, AZ · zone 10a · ~310 frost-free days
When to plant in Scottsdale: frost dates and zone 10a.
In Scottsdale, the typical last spring frost lands around Feb 3 and the first fall frost around Dec 10, giving you about 310 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 Scottsdale, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Dec 30 to Mar 1 | Feb 10 to Apr 12 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 27 to Feb 10 | Sep 26 to Nov 25 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 27 to Jan 29 | Sep 14 to Oct 10 |
| Bush Bean | — | Feb 3 to Mar 26 | Aug 26 to Sep 28 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Feb 10 to May 12 | Aug 9 to Sep 9 |
| Pepper, bell | Jan 8 to Mar 1 | Feb 19 to Apr 12 | — |
| Kale | Nov 15 to Dec 13 | Dec 27 to Jan 24 | Sep 9 to Oct 25 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 13 to Jan 24 | Sep 26 to Nov 14 |
Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale 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 85251 in about 60 seconds.
Scottsdale planting questions
What planting zone is Scottsdale, AZ?+
Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale?+
The typical last spring frost in Scottsdale, AZ is around Feb 3. 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 Scottsdale?+
The typical first fall frost in Scottsdale, AZ arrives around Dec 10, closing a growing season of roughly 310 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Scottsdale?+
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 Feb 3. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.