Tucson, AZ Planting Dates — Moon Phase Garden

The four dates that matter

Date	When	What it means
Last spring frost (50%)	Feb 5	Half of all years see a freeze after this date. It is an average, not a guarantee.
Last spring frost (10%)	Mar 2	Only one year in ten freezes after this. Use it for anything you cannot afford to replant.
First fall frost (50%)	Dec 9	Half of all years freeze before this date. Fall crops are counted back from here.
First fall frost (10%)	Nov 21	An early-freeze year. If a crop must finish, aim to harvest before this.

USDA zone 9b 307 frost-free days Elevation 2549 ft Station Tucson Intl Ap

Spring & summer planting in Tucson

A mild-winter note. Tucson's last frost lands so early that several of these windows fall in late autumn of the previous calendar year — that is not a mistake, it is how a long season works here. Read this table together with the fall one below rather than as two separate seasons.

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
Cabbage transplant	Dec 4	Jan 1 – Jan 29	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	65–90
Collards either	Dec 25	Jan 1 – Feb 19	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–85
Kale either	Dec 25	Jan 1 – Feb 5	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	50–65
Lettuce (leaf) either	Jan 1	Jan 1 – Feb 26	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	40–55
Potato cloves/sets	—	Jan 1 – Feb 5	Jan 3, Feb 1 Full Moon	70–120
Radish direct sow	—	Jan 1 – Feb 26	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	22–35
Turnip direct sow	—	Jan 1 – Feb 12	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	40–60
Broccoli transplant	Dec 4	Jan 6 – Feb 5	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Brussels Sprouts transplant	Dec 4	Jan 6 – Feb 5	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	90–110
Leek transplant	Nov 27	Jan 6 – Feb 5	Jan 6–9, Feb 2–3 Waning Gibbous	100–120
Lettuce (head) transplant	Dec 18	Jan 6 – Feb 5	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	60–85
Parsley either	Dec 4	Jan 6 – Feb 12	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	70–90
Parsnip direct sow	—	Jan 6 – Feb 12	Feb 1 Full Moon	100–150
Shallot cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Jan 6 – Feb 5	Jan 6–9, Feb 2–3 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Beet direct sow	—	Jan 8 – Feb 26	Feb 1 Full Moon	50–65
Kohlrabi either	Dec 25	Jan 8 – Feb 12	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	45–60
Carrot direct sow	—	Jan 15 – Feb 26	Feb 1 Full Moon	65–85
Cauliflower transplant	Dec 4	Jan 15 – Feb 5	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Cilantro direct sow	—	Jan 15 – Feb 26	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	45–70
Swiss Chard direct sow	—	Jan 15 – Mar 7	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	50–60
Dill direct sow	—	Jan 22 – Mar 7	Jan 22–24, Feb 18–20 Waxing Crescent	40–60
Cucumber either	Jan 15	Feb 5 – Mar 7	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–70
Green Beans (bush) direct sow	—	Feb 5 – Mar 22	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–65
Oregano transplant	Dec 11	Feb 5 – Feb 26	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sage transplant	Dec 11	Feb 5 – Feb 26	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sweet Corn direct sow	—	Feb 5 – Mar 22	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–100
Thyme transplant	Dec 11	Feb 5 – Feb 26	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Zucchini / Summer Squash either	Jan 15	Feb 5 – Mar 7	Feb 24 First Quarter	45–60
Basil either	Dec 25	Feb 12 – Mar 7	Feb 18–23 Waxing Crescent	30–60
Dry Beans direct sow	—	Feb 12 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	85–100
Pole Beans direct sow	—	Feb 12 – Mar 17	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–75
Pumpkin direct sow	Jan 15	Feb 12 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	90–120
Rosemary transplant	Feb 5	Feb 12 – Mar 7	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Tomatillo transplant	Dec 25	Feb 12 – Mar 7	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–75
Tomato transplant	Dec 25	Feb 12 – Mar 7	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–85
Winter Squash direct sow	Jan 15	Feb 12 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	85–110
Cantaloupe / Muskmelon either	Jan 15	Feb 19 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	75–90
Eggplant transplant	Dec 11	Feb 19 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–90
Okra direct sow	Jan 8	Feb 19 – Mar 17	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–70
Pepper transplant	Dec 11	Feb 19 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–90
Sweet Potato slips	—	Feb 19 – Mar 17	Mar 4–9 Waning Gibbous	90–150
Watermelon either	Jan 15	Feb 19 – Mar 12	Feb 24 First Quarter	70–90
Strawberry (crowns) transplant	—	Dec 7 – Jan 15	Jan 3 Full Moon	perennial — first real harvest next season
Garlic cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Dec 20 – Jan 20	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	240–300
Asparagus (crowns) transplant	—	Dec 25 – Jan 29	Dec 27, Jan 25 First Quarter	perennial — first real harvest 2–3 years
Chives either	Dec 11	Dec 25 – Jan 29	Dec 25–26, Jan 19–22 Waxing Crescent	75–90
Onion (from sets/transplants) cloves/sets	—	Dec 25 – Jan 29	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Peas (English/snap) direct sow	—	Dec 25 – Jan 29	Dec 27, Jan 25 First Quarter	55–75
Spinach direct sow	—	Dec 25 – Jan 29	Dec 25–26, Jan 19–22 Waxing Crescent	35–50

Fall planting in Tucson

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
Tomato	Jul 24 – Aug 29	Aug 19	60–85	very tender
Brussels Sprouts	Jul 27 – Aug 13	Aug 13	90–110	hardy
Potato	Aug 1 – Sep 2	Aug 27	70–120	semi-hardy
Sweet Corn	Aug 6 – Aug 29	Aug 19	60–100	tender
Pole Beans	Aug 16 – Aug 29	Aug 19	60–75	tender
Parsley	Aug 19 – Sep 2	—	70–90	semi-hardy
Okra	Aug 21 – Sep 20	Sep 18	50–70	very tender
Cabbage	Aug 26 – Sep 7	—	65–90	hardy
Carrot	Aug 26 – Sep 7	Aug 27	65–85	semi-hardy
Collards	Aug 26 – Sep 17	Sep 11–16	55–85	hardy
Cucumber	Aug 26 – Sep 8	—	50–70	tender
Broccoli	Aug 31 – Sep 17	Sep 11–16	55–80	hardy
Cauliflower	Aug 31 – Sep 17	Sep 11–16	55–80	semi-hardy
Green Beans (bush)	Aug 31 – Sep 8	—	50–65	tender
Lettuce (head)	Aug 31 – Sep 12	Sep 11–12	60–85	semi-hardy
Peas (English/snap)	Aug 31 – Sep 17	—	55–75	hardy
Beet	Sep 5 – Sep 22	—	50–65	semi-hardy
Kale	Sep 5 – Sep 22	Sep 11–16	50–65	hardy
Swiss Chard	Sep 5 – Sep 22	Sep 11–16	50–60	semi-hardy
Zucchini / Summer Squash	Sep 5 – Sep 13	—	45–60	tender
Basil	Sep 10 – Sep 28	Sep 11–16	30–60	very tender
Kohlrabi	Sep 10 – Sep 27	Sep 11–16	45–60	hardy
Cilantro	Sep 15 – Sep 27	Sep 15–17	45–70	semi-hardy
Lettuce (leaf)	Sep 15 – Oct 2	Sep 15–17	40–55	semi-hardy
Turnip	Sep 15 – Oct 2	Sep 27–Oct 2	40–60	hardy
Spinach	Sep 20 – Oct 7	—	35–50	hardy
Dill	Sep 25 – Oct 2	—	40–60	semi-hardy
Radish	Sep 25 – Oct 20	Sep 27–Oct 2	22–35	hardy
Garlic	Nov 9 – Dec 30	Nov 25–29, Dec 24	240–300	hardy
Shallot	Nov 23 – Dec 24	Nov 25–29, Dec 24	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 Mar 2 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 Tucson Intl Ap (GHCN USW00023160), 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

Chandler, AZ zone 9b Gilbert, AZ zone 9b Mesa, AZ zone 9b Ahwatukee Foothills, AZ zone 9b Tempe, AZ zone 9b Tempe Junction, AZ zone 9b

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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Tucson, Arizona Planting Calendar

The four dates that matter

Spring & summer planting in Tucson

Fall planting in Tucson

Where these numbers come from

Nearby locations

Planting reminders for Tucson