Tampa, FL · zone 10a · ~364 frost-free days
When to plant in Tampa: frost dates and zone 10a.
In Tampa, the typical last spring frost lands around Jan 1 and the first fall frost around Dec 31, giving you about 364 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 Tampa, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Nov 27 to Jan 27 | Jan 8 to Mar 10 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Nov 24 to Jan 8 | Oct 17 to Dec 16 |
| Carrot | — | Nov 24 to Dec 27 | Oct 5 to Oct 31 |
| Bush Bean | — | Jan 1 to Feb 21 | Sep 16 to Oct 19 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Jan 8 to Apr 9 | Aug 30 to Sep 30 |
| Pepper, bell | Dec 6 to Jan 27 | Jan 17 to Mar 10 | — |
| Kale | Oct 13 to Nov 10 | Nov 24 to Dec 22 | Sep 30 to Nov 15 |
| Spinach | — | Nov 10 to Dec 22 | Oct 17 to Dec 5 |
Tampa 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 Tampa 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 33602 in about 60 seconds.
Tampa planting questions
What planting zone is Tampa, FL?+
Tampa 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 Tampa?+
The typical last spring frost in Tampa, FL is around Jan 1. 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 Tampa?+
The typical first fall frost in Tampa, FL arrives around Dec 31, closing a growing season of roughly 364 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Tampa?+
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 1. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.