Tifton, GA Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Tifton, Georgia.
Gardening in Tifton
South Georgia's agricultural research hub — the UGA Tifton Campus is one of the state's premier agricultural research stations.
Zone 8b with 255 frost-free days. The Tifton Upland's sandy loam is well-drained and productive. South Georgia's warm, humid climate supports a long growing season.
UGA Tifton's agricultural research gives the community world-class growing expertise. Tifton grass — bred here — is famous, but the vegetable research is equally impressive.
What This Means for Tifton Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Tifton is around March 5, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 15. That gives you approximately 255 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 Tifton 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 Tifton
Tifton's 255-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 Georgia planting guide for all 40 plants: Georgia Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Tifton.
More About Zone 8B
Tifton is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 15°F to 20°F. View the full Zone 8B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Georgia: Georgia Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Georgia
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Tifton 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 Tifton (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 5). 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.