Salisbury, MD Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Salisbury, Maryland.
Gardening in Salisbury
The Eastern Shore's largest city sits in Delmarva's agricultural heart — the same flat, fertile land that produces the region's famous poultry and produce.
Zone 7b with 225 frost-free days. The Delmarva Peninsula's coastal plain soil is sandy and well-drained. Bay and ocean moderation provide a mild, long growing season.
The Eastern Shore's agricultural heritage is commercial-scale — Perdue and the poultry industry — but the same flat, fertile land grows exceptional home gardens.
What This Means for Salisbury Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Salisbury is around March 28, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 8. That gives you approximately 225 frost-free days to work with.
That's a generous season. You have time for full-size tomatoes, long-season peppers, and even watermelons without the anxiety of racing the frost. Start warm-season seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost to hit the ground running. Fall planting is your second opportunity — garlic, kale, lettuce, and broccoli all go in 8-10 weeks before your first frost for harvest into late autumn.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Salisbury area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Salisbury
Salisbury's 225-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full Maryland planting guide for all 40 plants: Maryland Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Salisbury.
More About Zone 7B
Salisbury is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 5°F to 10°F. View the full Zone 7B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Maryland: Maryland Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Maryland
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Salisbury area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Salisbury (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (March 28). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.