Springfield, MA · zone 5b · ~166 frost-free days
When to plant in Springfield: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Springfield, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 29 and the first fall frost around Oct 12, giving you about 166 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 Springfield, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 25 to May 25 | May 6 to Jul 6 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 22 to May 6 | Jul 29 to Sep 27 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 22 to Apr 24 | Jul 17 to Aug 12 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 29 to Jun 19 | Jun 28 to Jul 31 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 6 to Jul 26 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Apr 3 to May 25 | May 15 to Jul 6 | — |
| Kale | Feb 8 to Mar 8 | Mar 22 to Apr 19 | Jul 12 to Aug 27 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 8 to Apr 19 | Jul 29 to Sep 16 |
Springfield sits in Zone 5b, 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 Springfield 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 01103 in about 60 seconds.
Springfield planting questions
What planting zone is Springfield, MA?+
Springfield is in USDA hardiness zone 5b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 5b 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 Springfield?+
The typical last spring frost in Springfield, MA is around Apr 29. 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 Springfield?+
The typical first fall frost in Springfield, MA arrives around Oct 12, closing a growing season of roughly 166 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Springfield?+
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 29. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.