Baton Rouge, Louisiana: planting zone & frost dates
Baton Rouge is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 10 and the first fall frost around Nov 15.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 21 | Nov 6 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 10 | Nov 15 |
| Median (50%) | Feb 28 | Nov 26 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station LSU BEN-HUR FARM, LA (USC00165620), 5.7 mi (9.1 km) from the city center and 26 ft lower than the city center (-8 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 28 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Baton Rouge
All 16 ZIP codes covering Baton Rouge are in zone 9a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Baton Rouge
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 10, first frost Nov 15). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Feb 10 – Mar 24 | Sep 6 – Oct 4 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 21 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Cucumber | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 17 – Mar 24 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Onion | Dec 16 – Dec 30 | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 27 – Feb 24 | Sep 20 – Oct 18 |
| Kale | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | Sep 6 – Oct 4 |
| Broccoli | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | — | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 27 – Feb 17 | Sep 6 – Sep 20 |
| Eggplant | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | — | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 3 – Mar 24 | Oct 4 – Nov 1 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 17 – Mar 31 | Sep 6 – Sep 20 |
Nearby cities in Louisiana
- Lafayette — zone 9a, last frost Mar 7, first frost Nov 19
- New Orleans — zone 9b, last frost Feb 1, first frost Dec 29
- Lake Charles — zone 9a, last frost Feb 26, first frost Nov 28
- Shreveport — zone 8b, last frost Mar 17, first frost Nov 11
More: all Louisiana cities · other zone 9a cities: San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR, Tucson, AZ, Tallahassee, FL, Mobile, AL
Baton Rouge gardening questions
When is the last frost in Baton Rouge, LA?
Plan around Mar 10. At NOAA's Lsu Ben-hur Farm, LA station, 5.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Feb 28, and after Mar 21 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 7. Springs here are erratic: 49 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Baton Rouge, LA?
Start seeds indoors Jan 13 – Jan 27 and set transplants outside Mar 17 – Mar 31, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 250 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Baton Rouge?
About 272 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 240 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 309 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 6 and a 30% chance by Nov 15. That ranks 4th longest of 5 Louisiana cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Baton Rouge?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 15): transplant broccoli Aug 23 – Sep 6; sow kale Sep 6 – Oct 4; sow lettuce Sep 6 – Oct 4; sow radishes Oct 4 – Nov 1. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 16. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Baton Rouge's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Baton Rouge was zone 8b on the 2012 map and is zone 9a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Baton Rouge compare with Lafayette, LA?
Both are in zone 9a. The typical last spring frost in Baton Rouge (Mar 10) comes about the same time as in Lafayette, LA (Mar 7), 56 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 15 versus Nov 19. The two cities use different NOAA stations.