Zone 2 Planting Guide: When to Plant Vegetables in USDA Zone 2
Quick answer
In zone 2, the typical last spring frost is about May 24 and the first fall frost about Sep 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 medians across zone 2 ZIP codes). Transplant tomatoes around May 31, 1–2 weeks after the last frost, and start the seeds indoors Mar 29 – Apr 12. Look up your ZIP for local dates, since zones measure winter lows, not frost dates.
USDA hardiness zone 2 (2a and 2b) covers places where the coldest winter night averages -50 to -40°F. This guide times seed-starting, transplanting, and fall planting for a typical zone 2 last frost of May 24 and first fall frost of Sep 5.
Where these dates come from: every date range is counted from the median (50% probability) 32°F last spring and first fall frost dates in NOAA’s 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for the area shown. The rule under each date, such as “4–6 weeks before last frost,” shows how it was counted. These are averages: in about half of years a frost still comes after the spring date, and elevation, nearby water and microclimate can shift your yard by a week or more. For dates for your exact location, enter your ZIP code in the planner.
How we count planting dates: the weeks before or after frost for each crop come from university extension planting guides: UNH Extension, When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden; Rutgers FS787, Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors; Virginia Tech 426-331, Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide; University of Maryland Extension, Vegetable Planting Calendar; and University of Idaho CIS 1209 (marigolds and zinnias). Bulb windows approximate Rutgers’ rule to plant when soil falls below 60°F (FS1220), and garlic follows SDSU, Illinois and Virginia Tech. Temperature notes: UMD (potatoes), UMN (sweet corn), UC ANR (peppers, hardening off), UMN (eggplant), Colorado State (tomatoes) and SDSU (hardening off).
Zone 2 frost dates
| Earliest 10% of ZIPs | Typical (median) | Latest 10% of ZIPs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last spring frost (32°F) | May 13 | May 24 | Jun 5 |
| First fall frost (32°F) | Sep 1 | Sep 5 | Sep 17 |
Based on 24 ZIP codes with NOAA frost data (39 in all), almost all in Alaska.
Frost dates: medians of the nearest NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals station (32°F, 50% probability) for each ZIP code in zone 2 (24 ZIPs). Zones: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP data, PRISM Climate Group (Oregon State University); this is a summary, not the official USDA map. Your local dates can differ by weeks — use the ZIP planner or frost-date tables.
What to plant each month in zone 2
| Month | What to plant, with typical zone 2 dates |
|---|---|
| March | Start indoors Mar 15 – Mar 29: Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale Start indoors Mar 29 – Apr 12: Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant |
| April | Direct sow Apr 12 – Apr 26: Peas, Spinach Start indoors Apr 12 – Apr 26: Basil Direct sow Apr 19 – May 10: Radishes Direct sow Apr 26 – May 10: Lettuce Plant sets/transplants Apr 26 – May 10: Onions (sets/transplants) Transplant Apr 26 – May 10: Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale |
| May | Start indoors May 3 – May 24: Marigolds, Zinnias Plant seed potatoes May 10 – May 17: Potatoes Direct sow / transplant May 24 – Jun 7: Marigolds, Zinnias Transplant May 31 – Jun 7: Tomatoes, Basil Direct sow May 31 – Jun 7: Beans (bush & pole), Sweet corn, Cucumbers, Squash Direct sow May 31 – Jun 14: Pumpkins |
| June | Transplant Jun 7 – Jun 14: Peppers, Eggplant Fall transplant Jun 13 – Jun 27: Broccoli, Cabbage Fall sow Jun 27 – Jul 11: Kale |
| July | Fall sow Jul 11 – Jul 25: Lettuce Fall sow Jul 18 – Aug 8: Spinach Fall sow Jul 25 – Aug 8: Radishes |
| August | Fall plant bulbs Aug 8 – Sep 19: Daffodils Fall plant bulbs Aug 22 – Oct 3: Tulips Fall plant cloves Aug 22 – Sep 26: Garlic |
Zone 2 planting calendar (23 crops)
Each date range is counted from the typical zone 2 frost dates above (last frost May 24, first fall frost Sep 5); the rule under each date shows how. Rows run in calendar order. For dates for your ZIP code, use the planner.
| Plant | Task | Dates (and how they are counted) | Expected harvest (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | Start indoors | Mar 15 – Mar 298–10 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Cabbage | Start indoors | Mar 15 – Mar 298–10 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Kale | Start indoors | Mar 15 – Mar 298–10 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Tomatoes | Start indoors | Mar 29 – Apr 126–8 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Peppers | Start indoors | Mar 29 – Apr 126–8 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Eggplant | Start indoors | Mar 29 – Apr 126–8 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Peas | Direct sow | Apr 12 – Apr 264–6 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Jun 11 – Jul 1560–80 days from seeding |
| Spinach | Direct sow | Apr 12 – Apr 264–6 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | May 27 – Jun 2545–60 days from seeding |
| Basil | Start indoors | Apr 12 – Apr 264–6 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Radishes | Direct sow | Apr 19 – May 102–5 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | May 9 – Jun 920–30 days from seeding |
| Lettuce | Direct sow | Apr 26 – May 102–4 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Jun 25 – Jul 2960–80 days from seeding |
| Onions (sets/transplants) | Plant sets/transplants | Apr 26 – May 102–4 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 20 – Sep 785–120 days from planting |
| Broccoli | Transplant | Apr 26 – May 102–4 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Jun 15 – Jul 1950–70 days from transplanting |
| Cabbage | Transplant | Apr 26 – May 102–4 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 5 – Aug 870–90 days from transplanting |
| Kale | Transplant | Apr 26 – May 102–4 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | — |
| Marigolds | Start indoors | May 3 – May 240–3 weeks before last frost (3–4 weeks before setting out; Univ. of Idaho) (avg. May 24) | — |
| Zinnias | Start indoors | May 3 – May 240–3 weeks before last frost (3–4 weeks before setting out; Univ. of Idaho) (avg. May 24) | — |
| Potatoes | Plant seed potatoes | May 10 – May 171–2 weeks before last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 3 – Sep 485–110 days from planting |
| Marigolds | Direct sow / transplant | May 24 – Jun 7from the last frost to 2 weeks after (Univ. of Idaho) (avg. May 24) | — |
| Zinnias | Direct sow / transplant | May 24 – Jun 7from the last frost to 2 weeks after (Univ. of Idaho) (avg. May 24) | — |
| Tomatoes | Transplant | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 9 – Sep 570–90 days from transplanting |
| Beans (bush & pole) | Direct sow | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 15 – Aug 1645–70 days from seeding |
| Sweet corn | Direct sow | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 4 – Sep 565–90 days from seeding |
| Cucumbers | Direct sow | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 10 – Aug 1140–65 days from seeding |
| Squash | Direct sow | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 10 – Jul 2740–50 days from seeding |
| Pumpkins | Direct sow | May 31 – Jun 141–3 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 19 – Sep 5Ends at the first fall frost (Sep 5). Harvest may end early at the first fall frost. 80–100 days from seeding |
| Basil | Transplant | May 31 – Jun 71–2 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Jul 12 – Jul 1942 days from transplanting |
| Peppers | Transplant | Jun 7 – Jun 142–3 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 11 – Aug 2865–75 days from transplanting |
| Eggplant | Transplant | Jun 7 – Jun 142–3 weeks after last frost (avg. May 24) | Aug 16 – Sep 5Ends at the first fall frost (Sep 5). Harvest may end early at the first fall frost. 70–90 days from transplanting |
| Broccoli | Fall transplant | Jun 13 – Jun 2710–12 weeks before first fall frost (avg. Sep 5) | Aug 2 – Sep 550–70 days from transplanting |
| Cabbage | Fall transplant | Jun 13 – Jun 2710–12 weeks before first fall frost (avg. Sep 5) | Aug 22 – Sep 2570–90 days from transplanting |
| Kale | Fall sow | Jun 27 – Jul 118–10 weeks before first fall frost (avg. Sep 5) | Aug 16 – Sep 1950–70 days from seeding |
| Lettuce | Fall sow | Jul 11 – Jul 256–8 weeks before first fall frost (avg. Sep 5) | Sep 9 – Oct 1360–80 days from seeding |
| Spinach | Fall sow | Jul 18 – Aug 84–7 weeks before first fall frost (Virginia Tech) (avg. Sep 5) | Sep 1 – Oct 745–60 days from seeding |
| Radishes | Fall sow | Jul 25 – Aug 84–6 weeks before first fall frost (avg. Sep 5) | Aug 14 – Sep 720–30 days from seeding |
| Daffodils | Fall plant bulbs | Aug 8 – Sep 194 weeks before to 2 weeks after first fall frost (our approximation of when soil falls below 60°F; Rutgers) (avg. Sep 5) | — |
| Tulips | Fall plant bulbs | Aug 22 – Oct 32 weeks before to 4 weeks after first fall frost (our approximation of when soil falls below 60°F; Rutgers) (avg. Sep 5) | — |
| Garlic | Fall plant cloves | Aug 22 – Sep 262 weeks before to 3 weeks after first fall frost, while the soil is still workable (SDSU, Illinois, Virginia Tech) (avg. Sep 5) | Apr 29, 2027 – Jun 23, 2027250–270 days from planting |
About the harvest estimates
Each expected harvest window adds the days to harvest from the sources below to the planting window. Days count from sowing seed (or planting seed potatoes, onion sets or garlic cloves) or, where marked, from setting transplants out; “Start indoors” rows have no harvest of their own. Harvest timing varies with variety and weather, and many crops keep producing for weeks after the first picking. For frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, basil) the window stops at the first fall frost: harvest may end early at the first fall frost. Flowers and bulbs show no harvest window, and kale has no sourced figure for spring transplants.
Sources: UF/IFAS Extension, Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP103/VH021), Table 1, “Days to Harvest”; University of Maryland Extension, Growing Onions in a Home Garden; University of Maryland Extension, Growing Garlic in a Home Garden; University of Maryland Extension, Growing Basil in a Home Garden.
Cool-season vs warm-season crops in zone 2
- Cool-season (peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, kale, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, garlic): tolerate light frost; plant in early spring and again late summer–fall.
- Warm-season (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, basil, marigolds, zinnias): frost-tender; plant after the last frost once soil warms.
States with large zone 2 areas
In the US, zone 2 occurs only in Alaska (24 ZIP codes in the 2023 USDA ZIP data), so the frost figures on this page come from a small number of ZIP codes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in zone 2?
Across ZIP codes in USDA zone 2, the median last spring frost (32°F) at the nearest NOAA station is about May 24, with most falling between May 13 and Jun 5. Hardiness zones measure winter lows, not frost dates, so look up your ZIP for a local date.
What are zone 2 winter temperatures?
USDA zone 2 means an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -50 to -40°F (1991–2020), split into 2a (colder half) and 2b.
When should I plant tomatoes in zone 2?
Transplant tomatoes about 1–2 weeks after your last frost (typical zone 2: around May 31), once nights stay above about 52°F (Colorado State). Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost (typical zone 2: Mar 29 – Apr 12).
Which states are in zone 2?
Large parts of Alaska fall in zone 2 on the 2023 USDA map. Check your ZIP code, since zones vary within states.
Other zone guides
Zone 1 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9 Zone 10 Zone 11 Zone map Frost dates