Tacoma, WA · zone 8b · ~250 frost-free days
When to plant in Tacoma: frost dates and zone 8b.
In Tacoma, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 9 and the first fall frost around Nov 14, giving you about 250 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 Tacoma, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 2 to Apr 4 | Mar 16 to May 16 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Jan 30 to Mar 16 | Aug 31 to Oct 30 |
| Carrot | — | Jan 30 to Mar 4 | Aug 19 to Sep 14 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 9 to Apr 29 | Jul 31 to Sep 2 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 16 to Jun 15 | Jul 14 to Aug 14 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 11 to Apr 4 | Mar 25 to May 16 | — |
| Kale | Dec 19 to Jan 16 | Jan 30 to Feb 27 | Aug 14 to Sep 29 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 16 to Feb 27 | Aug 31 to Oct 19 |
Tacoma sits in Zone 8b, 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 Tacoma 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 98402 in about 60 seconds.
Tacoma planting questions
What planting zone is Tacoma, WA?+
Tacoma is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 8b 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 Tacoma?+
The typical last spring frost in Tacoma, WA is around Mar 9. 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 Tacoma?+
The typical first fall frost in Tacoma, WA arrives around Nov 14, closing a growing season of roughly 250 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Tacoma?+
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 9. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.