Tucson, AZ · zone 8b · ~323 frost-free days
When to plant in Tucson: frost dates and zone 8b.
In Tucson, the typical last spring frost lands around Jan 25 and the first fall frost around Dec 14, giving you about 323 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 Tucson, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Dec 21 to Feb 20 | Feb 1 to Apr 3 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 18 to Feb 1 | Sep 30 to Nov 29 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 18 to Jan 20 | Sep 18 to Oct 14 |
| Bush Bean | — | Jan 25 to Mar 17 | Aug 30 to Oct 2 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Feb 1 to May 3 | Aug 13 to Sep 13 |
| Pepper, bell | Dec 30 to Feb 20 | Feb 10 to Apr 3 | — |
| Kale | Nov 6 to Dec 4 | Dec 18 to Jan 15 | Sep 13 to Oct 29 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 4 to Jan 15 | Sep 30 to Nov 18 |
Tucson 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 Tucson 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 85701 in about 60 seconds.
Tucson planting questions
What planting zone is Tucson, AZ?+
Tucson 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 Tucson?+
The typical last spring frost in Tucson, AZ is around Jan 25. 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 Tucson?+
The typical first fall frost in Tucson, AZ arrives around Dec 14, closing a growing season of roughly 323 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Tucson?+
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 25. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.