USDA zone 7b in Georgia
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 9 locations across Georgia (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Blue Ridge, GA, Cleveland, GA, Ellijay, GA, Ellijay, GA, New England, GA, Pine Lake, GA, and 3 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 25 (New England) to April 26 (Blue Ridge), and growing seasons run 175–232 days (Tate to New England) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Georgia location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Sky Valley, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 25–Apr 26avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 17–Nov 9avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 175–232days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | Hiawassee, Blairsville, Young Harris, Morganton | Blairsville Exp Stn | Apr 26 | Oct 19 | 176 |
| Cleveland | — | Cleveland | Apr 14 | Oct 25 | 192 |
| Ellijay | East Ellijay, Cherry Log | Jasper 1 Nnw | Mar 31 | Nov 5 | 221 |
| Ellijay | Epworth, Conasauga | Chatsworth 2 | Apr 2 | Nov 1 | 212 |
| New England | Trenton, West Brow | Chickamauga 2 Sw | Mar 25 | Nov 9 | 232 |
| Pine Lake | — | Atlanta Peachtree Ap | Mar 25 | Nov 9 | 228 |
| Sautee-Nacoochee | Helen | Helen | Apr 11 | Oct 28 | 197 |
| Sky Valley * | Mountain, Dillard, Tiger | Clayton 1 Ssw | Apr 10 | Oct 29 | 203 |
| Tate | — | Coweeta Exp Stn | Apr 23 | Oct 17 | 175 |
* Sky Valley is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Sky Valley, representative)
Computed from Sky Valley's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Georgiazone 7b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 16 – Jul 6 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 23 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 1 – Jun 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 16 | Aug 30 – Sep 9 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Jun 9 – Jul 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 17 – Jun 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 27 – May 12 | Aug 16 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 23 – May 8 | Aug 6 – Aug 21 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 8 – Apr 18 | Aug 26 – Sep 5 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | May 19 – Jun 8 | Jul 27 – Aug 16 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 7 – May 27 | Aug 1 – Aug 21 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Sky Valley's own 203-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Sky Valley)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00091982. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | May 11 | Oct 20 | Nov 1 | 180 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 10 | May 1 | Oct 29 | Nov 12 | 203 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 14 | Nov 8 | Nov 29 | 228 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Apr 1 | Nov 25 | Dec 20 | 255 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 9 locations is 3,973; Sky Valley's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,973 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,806 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Georgia
Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 5 to 10 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Georgia spans 5 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Georgia locations for the full range, including zones7a, 8a, 8b, 9a.
Explore zone 7b in other states at zone 7b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7b mean in Georgia?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 9 locations in Georgia fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Georgia's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- New England runs the longest season on this page at about 232 days; Tate is shortest at about 175 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Georgia's zone 7b?
- Using Sky Valley's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 13 – Feb 27, then transplant outside about Apr 17 – Apr 24. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Georgia's zone 7b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 9 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.