Toledo, OH · zone 5b · ~188 frost-free days
When to plant in Toledo: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Toledo, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 21 and the first fall frost around Oct 26, giving you about 188 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 Toledo, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 17 to May 17 | Apr 28 to Jun 28 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 14 to Apr 28 | Aug 12 to Oct 11 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 14 to Apr 16 | Jul 31 to Aug 26 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 21 to Jun 11 | Jul 12 to Aug 14 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 28 to Jul 28 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 26 to May 17 | May 7 to Jun 28 | — |
| Kale | Jan 31 to Feb 28 | Mar 14 to Apr 11 | Jul 26 to Sep 10 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 28 to Apr 11 | Aug 12 to Sep 30 |
Toledo 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 Toledo 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 43604 in about 60 seconds.
Toledo planting questions
What planting zone is Toledo, OH?+
Toledo 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 Toledo?+
The typical last spring frost in Toledo, OH is around Apr 21. 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 Toledo?+
The typical first fall frost in Toledo, OH arrives around Oct 26, closing a growing season of roughly 188 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Toledo?+
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 21. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.