Bowling Green, Kentucky: planting zone & frost dates
Bowling Green is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 11 and the first fall frost around Oct 26.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 21 | Oct 20 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 11 | Oct 26 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 5 | Oct 31 |
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 BOWLING GREEN WARREN CO AP, KY (USW00093808), 1.0 mi (1.6 km) from the city center and about the same elevation as the city center (-0 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 29 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Bowling Green
All 3 ZIP codes covering Bowling Green are in zone 7a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Bowling Green
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 11, first frost Oct 26). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 18 – May 2 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | Aug 17 – Sep 14 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 18 – May 23 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Cucumber | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 25 – May 2 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 25 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Onion | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Apr 25 – May 16 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Aug 17 – Sep 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | — | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Eggplant | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | — | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 7 – Apr 25 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 21 – May 2 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
Nearby cities in Kentucky
- Louisville — zone 7a, last frost Apr 13, first frost Oct 29
- Lexington — zone 7a, last frost Apr 20, first frost Oct 23
More: all Kentucky cities · other zone 7a cities: Louisville, KY, Wichita, KS, Cleveland, OH, Lexington, KY, St. Louis, MO, Boise, ID, Amarillo, TX, Providence, RI
Bowling Green gardening questions
When is the last frost in Bowling Green, KY?
Plan around Apr 11. At NOAA's Bowling Green Warren County Airport, KY station, 1.0 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 Apr 5, and after Apr 21 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 24. The 90% and 10% dates are 32 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Bowling Green, KY?
Start seeds indoors Feb 14 – Feb 28 and set transplants outside Apr 18 – May 2, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 198 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 Bowling Green?
About 208 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 187 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 229 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 20 and a 30% chance by Oct 26. That ranks 2nd longest of 3 Kentucky cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Bowling Green?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 26): transplant broccoli Aug 3 – Aug 17; sow kale Aug 17 – Sep 14; sow lettuce Aug 17 – Sep 14; sow radishes Sep 14 – Oct 12. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 10. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Bowling Green's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Bowling Green was zone 6b on the 2012 map and is zone 7a 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 Bowling Green compare with Clarksville, TN?
Bowling Green is zone 7a and Clarksville is zone 7b. The typical last spring frost in Bowling Green (Apr 11) comes about the same time as in Clarksville, TN (Apr 10), 58 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 26 versus Oct 27. The two cities use different NOAA stations.