Fairbanks, AK Planting Dates — Moon Phase Garden

The four dates that matter

Date	When	What it means
Last spring frost (50%)	May 13	Half of all years see a freeze after this date. It is an average, not a guarantee.
Last spring frost (10%)	May 26	Only one year in ten freezes after this. Use it for anything you cannot afford to replant.
First fall frost (50%)	Sep 13	Half of all years freeze before this date. Fall crops are counted back from here.
First fall frost (10%)	Aug 29	An early-freeze year. If a crop must finish, aim to harvest before this.

USDA zone 2a 123 frost-free days Elevation 433 ft Station Fairbanks Intl Ap

Spring & summer planting in Fairbanks

Dates are calculated from this location's own last-frost date, not from a generic zone chart. “Best moon days” are the days inside each window that fall in the crop's traditional phase — the same rule the app uses.

Crop	Start seed indoors	Plant outdoors	Best moon days	Days to harvest
Strawberry (crowns) transplant	—	Mar 14 – Apr 22	Apr 1 Full Moon	perennial — first real harvest next season
Garlic cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Mar 27 – Apr 27	Apr 2–7 Waning Gibbous	240–300
Asparagus (crowns) transplant	—	Apr 1 – May 6	Apr 23 First Quarter	perennial — first real harvest 2–3 years
Chives either	Mar 18	Apr 1 – May 6	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	75–90
Onion (from sets/transplants) cloves/sets	—	Apr 1 – May 6	Apr 2–7 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Peas (English/snap) direct sow	—	Apr 1 – May 6	Apr 23 First Quarter	55–75
Spinach direct sow	—	Apr 1 – May 6	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	35–50
Cabbage transplant	Mar 11	Apr 8 – May 6	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	65–90
Collards either	Apr 1	Apr 8 – May 27	Apr 18–22, May 17 Waxing Crescent	55–85
Kale either	Apr 1	Apr 8 – May 13	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	50–65
Lettuce (leaf) either	Apr 8	Apr 8 – Jun 3	Apr 18–22, May 17 Waxing Crescent	40–55
Potato cloves/sets	—	Apr 8 – May 13	May 1 Full Moon	70–120
Radish direct sow	—	Apr 8 – Jun 3	Apr 8, May 2–6 Waning Gibbous	22–35
Turnip direct sow	—	Apr 8 – May 20	Apr 8, May 2–6 Waning Gibbous	40–60
Broccoli transplant	Mar 11	Apr 13 – May 13	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Brussels Sprouts transplant	Mar 11	Apr 13 – May 13	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	90–110
Leek transplant	Mar 4	Apr 13 – May 13	May 2–7 Waning Gibbous	100–120
Lettuce (head) transplant	Mar 25	Apr 13 – May 13	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	60–85
Parsley either	Mar 11	Apr 13 – May 20	Apr 18–22, May 17 Waxing Crescent	70–90
Parsnip direct sow	—	Apr 13 – May 20	May 1 Full Moon	100–150
Shallot cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Apr 13 – May 13	May 2–7 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Beet direct sow	—	Apr 15 – Jun 3	May 1, May 31 Full Moon	50–65
Kohlrabi either	Apr 1	Apr 15 – May 20	Apr 18–22, May 17 Waxing Crescent	45–60
Carrot direct sow	—	Apr 22 – Jun 3	May 1, May 31 Full Moon	65–85
Cauliflower transplant	Mar 11	Apr 22 – May 13	Apr 22 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Cilantro direct sow	—	Apr 22 – Jun 3	Apr 22, May 17–21 Waxing Crescent	45–70
Swiss Chard direct sow	—	Apr 22 – Jun 12	Apr 22, May 17–21 Waxing Crescent	50–60
Dill direct sow	—	Apr 29 – Jun 12	May 17–22 Waxing Crescent	40–60
Cucumber either	Apr 22	May 13 – Jun 12	May 23 First Quarter	50–70
Green Beans (bush) direct sow	—	May 13 – Jun 27	May 23, Jun 21 First Quarter	50–65
Oregano transplant	Mar 18	May 13 – Jun 3	May 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sage transplant	Mar 18	May 13 – Jun 3	May 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sweet Corn direct sow	—	May 13 – Jun 27	May 23, Jun 21 First Quarter	60–100
Thyme transplant	Mar 18	May 13 – Jun 3	May 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Zucchini / Summer Squash either	Apr 22	May 13 – Jun 12	May 23 First Quarter	45–60
Basil either	Apr 1	May 20 – Jun 12	May 20–22 Waxing Crescent	30–60
Dry Beans direct sow	—	May 20 – Jun 17	May 23 First Quarter	85–100
Pole Beans direct sow	—	May 20 – Jun 22	May 23, Jun 21 First Quarter	60–75
Pumpkin direct sow	Apr 22	May 20 – Jun 17	May 23 First Quarter	90–120
Rosemary transplant	May 13	May 20 – Jun 12	May 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Tomatillo transplant	Apr 1	May 20 – Jun 12	May 23 First Quarter	60–75
Tomato transplant	Apr 1	May 20 – Jun 12	May 23 First Quarter	60–85
Winter Squash direct sow	Apr 22	May 20 – Jun 17	May 23 First Quarter	85–110
Cantaloupe / Muskmelon either	Apr 22	May 27 – Jun 17	— First Quarter	75–90
Eggplant transplant	Mar 18	May 27 – Jun 17	— First Quarter	60–90
Okra direct sow	Apr 15	May 27 – Jun 22	Jun 21 First Quarter	50–70
Pepper transplant	Mar 18	May 27 – Jun 17	— First Quarter	60–90
Sweet Potato slips	—	May 27 – Jun 22	Jun 1–6 Waning Gibbous	90–150
Watermelon either	Apr 22	May 27 – Jun 17	— First Quarter	70–90

Fall planting in Fairbanks

Fall dates count backward from the first frost, and they add time back for the “fall factor” — days are shortening and cooling, so a crop grows slower than the seed packet promises. Sowing late is the single most common way a fall garden fails.

Crop	Sow or set out	Best moon days	Days to harvest	Hardiness
Parsley	May 24 – Jun 7	—	70–90	semi-hardy
Cabbage	May 31 – Jun 12	—	65–90	hardy
Collards	May 31 – Jun 22	Jun 15–20	55–85	hardy
Broccoli	Jun 5 – Jun 22	Jun 15–20	55–80	hardy
Cauliflower	Jun 5 – Jun 22	Jun 15–20	55–80	semi-hardy
Lettuce (head)	Jun 5 – Jun 17	Jun 15–17	60–85	semi-hardy
Peas (English/snap)	Jun 5 – Jun 22	Jun 21	55–75	hardy
Beet	Jun 10 – Jun 27	—	50–65	semi-hardy
Kale	Jun 10 – Jun 27	Jun 15–20	50–65	hardy
Basil	Jun 15 – Jul 3	Jun 15–20	30–60	very tender
Kohlrabi	Jun 15 – Jul 2	Jun 15–20	45–60	hardy
Cilantro	Jun 20 – Jul 2	Jun 20	45–70	semi-hardy
Lettuce (leaf)	Jun 20 – Jul 7	Jun 20	40–55	semi-hardy
Turnip	Jun 20 – Jul 7	Jun 30–Jul 5	40–60	hardy
Spinach	Jun 25 – Jul 12	—	35–50	hardy
Dill	Jun 30 – Jul 7	—	40–60	semi-hardy
Radish	Jun 30 – Jul 25	Jun 30–Jul 5	22–35	hardy
Garlic	Aug 14 – Oct 4	Aug 28–Sep 2	240–300	hardy
Shallot	Aug 28 – Sep 28	Aug 28–Sep 2	90–120	hardy

Bottom line: the 50% frost date is a coin flip, not a green light. If you would be sick about losing a flat of tomatoes, plant to the May 26 date instead and keep a row cover handy either way.

Where these numbers come from

The frost dates on this page are observed station normals, not estimates: they come from Fairbanks Intl Ap (GHCN USW00026411), one of 6,808 U.S. stations in NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Crop timing is expressed as offsets from your frost dates, drawn from university Extension planting guides.

How precise is any of this?

Extension recommendations for the same crop routinely disagree by two to four weeks, and occasionally more, so these offsets should be presented as windows and starting points rather than deadlines. Three things drive the spread. (1) Regional risk tolerance: for warm-season crops, Colorado State and Utah State put tomatoes, peppers and melons out about 14 days after the last frost, while University of Missouri's calendar works out to roughly 25-35 days after the last frost and University of Maryland's window runs from the frost date itself out to 45 days past it. That is a real 6-week spread for the single most popular garden crop, and it exists because a short-season mountain state is optimizing against a short season while a humid continental state is optimizing against cold, wet spring soil. (2) Soil temperature versus calendar date: most Extension services now say the honest trigger is soil temperature at 4 inches, not the frost date, and the frost-relative number is a convenience translation. A cold, wet spring can push the real date two or three weeks past the calendar recommendation. (3) Days-to-maturity is variety-specific and is measured differently for direct-seeded versus transplanted crops - seed catalogs count from transplant date for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cole crops, but from sowing for roots and greens - so a 'days to maturity' range of 60-85 for tomato is genuinely 60-85 depending on which packet you bought. Additionally, the average last frost is a 50% probability, meaning half of all years have a frost after that date; Extension services commonly advise waiting 1-2 weeks past it for anything frost-tender, or being prepared to cover. Treat every number here as plus or minus about 10-14 days.

On the station itself: a weather station is one point. Cities hold their heat, valleys pool cold air, and a garden on a north slope can run two weeks behind one a mile away. Treat this page as your starting point and let your own garden correct it — that is exactly what the journal in the app is for.

Nearby locations

Badger, AK zone 2a Eagle River, AK zone 5a Anchorage, AK zone 5b Bethel, AK zone 4a Kodiak, AK zone 7b Nome, AK zone 4a

Want this on your phone, in your garden? Moon Phase Garden keeps your frost dates, your planting windows and tonight's moon phase in one place, works offline, and lets you override these dates with what your own garden actually does. Free and ad-free.

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