USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 33629 — Tampa, Florida
Averages from Tampa Intl Ap, Fl US, the nearest reporting station, 3.4 miles away.
Plant tender crops after January 20, and expect the first autumn freeze around January 12. That leaves about 365 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- January 20
- First fall frost
- January 12
- Growing season
- 365 days
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
30 to 35°F annual low
Planting calendar for 33629
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 11 – November 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| November 25 – December 9 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| December 23 – January 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| January 12 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after January 20 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Tampa, Florida are past their last freeze. Harvest before January 12, which leaves roughly 365 frost-free days.
ZIP 33629 sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 30 to 35°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.