USDA zone 9a in Georgia
USDA plant hardiness zone 9a covers 38 locations across Georgia (average annual extreme minimum 20 to 25 °F): Albany, GA, Arabi, GA, Ashburn, GA, Bainbridge, GA, Baxley, GA, Blakely, GA, and 32 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges February 8 (Dock Junction) to March 25 (Hickox), and growing seasons run 233–314 days (Jesup to Dock Junction) — 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 Kingsland, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 9a20 to 25 °F
- Last frost range
- Feb 8–Mar 25avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Nov 10–Dec 26avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 233–314days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | Putney, Sylvester, Baconton | Albany 3 Se | Mar 10 | Nov 20 | 257 |
| Arabi | Rochelle, Seville | Cordele | Mar 13 | Nov 14 | 248 |
| Ashburn | Sycamore, Rebecca | Ashburn 3 Ene | Mar 11 | Nov 20 | 256 |
| Bainbridge | Faceville, Brinson, Climax, Attapulgus | Bainbridge Intl Paper | Mar 14 | Nov 17 | 250 |
| Baxley | — | Baxley 5nnw | Mar 15 | Nov 18 | 250 |
| Blakely | — | Ft Gaines 2 | Mar 13 | Nov 21 | 256 |
| Broxton | Ambrose, Denton | Pridgen | Mar 12 | Nov 17 | 252 |
| Camilla | Pelham, Sale, Meigs, Ochlocknee | Camilla 3 Se | Mar 10 | Nov 18 | 254 |
| Cobbtown | — | Metter | Mar 2 | Nov 27 | 269 |
| Colquitt | — | Newton 11 Sw | Mar 7 | Nov 19 | 259 |
| Damascus | — | Newton 8 W | Mar 11 | Nov 13 | 245 |
| Darien | Crescent, Eulonia | Sapelo Is | Feb 20 | Dec 19 | 298 |
| Dock Junction | Waverly, Country Club Estates, Sterling | Brunswick | Feb 8 | Dec 25 | 314 |
| Donalsonville | Cedar Springs, Jakin, Iron | Donalsonville | Mar 6 | Nov 23 | 264 |
| Douglas | Willacoochee, Pearson, Ambrose, Denton, Axson | Douglas | Mar 5 | Nov 26 | 267 |
| Echols County | Jasper, Fargo, Jennings | Jasper | Mar 11 | Nov 22 | 258 |
| Fargo | Homeland | Fargo 17 Ne | Feb 19 | Dec 5 | 294 |
| Fitzgerald | — | Fitzgerald | Mar 2 | Nov 25 | 268 |
| Hickox | Hortense, Waynesville | Nahunta 6ne | Mar 25 | Nov 15 | 236 |
| Hinesville | Riceboro, Fort Stewart, Midway, Walthourville, Ludowici | Ft Stewart | Mar 5 | Nov 29 | 269 |
| Homerville | Lakeland, Argyle, Stockton, Manor, Du Pont | Homerville 5 N | Mar 11 | Nov 17 | 253 |
| Jesup | Screven, Gardi | Jesup 8 S | Mar 24 | Nov 10 | 233 |
| Kings Bay Base | — | Brunswick 23 S | Feb 19 | Dec 14 | 299 |
| Kingsland * | Woodbine | Woodbine | Mar 14 | Nov 25 | 257 |
| Nicholls | Bristol, Rockingham, Mershon | Alma Bacon Co Ap | Mar 11 | Nov 20 | 256 |
| Odum | — | Surrency | Mar 17 | Nov 16 | 245 |
| Pembroke | Springfield, Guyton, Brooklet, Daisy, Oliver, Register | Brooklet 1 W | Mar 7 | Nov 21 | 257 |
| Quitman | Boston, Morven, Dixie | Quitman 2 Nw | Mar 11 | Nov 18 | 253 |
| Reidsville | Glennville, Hagan, Claxton, Collins, Bellville, Santa Claus | Glennville 3nw | Mar 9 | Nov 24 | 258 |
| Savannah | Hardeeville, Bluffton, Pooler, Skidaway Island, Port Wentworth, Garden, +9 more | Savannah Intl Ap | Mar 2 | Nov 30 | 270 |
| St. Simons | Jekyll Island | Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Ap | Feb 9 | Dec 26 | 312 |
| Thomasville | Adel, Norman Park, Pavo, Morven, Doerun, Funston, +5 more | Moultrie 2 Ese | Mar 6 | Nov 27 | 268 |
| Thomasville | Cairo, Whigham | Cairo 1sw | Mar 11 | Nov 21 | 255 |
| Tifton | Sylvester, Nashville, Sparks, Enigma, Ocilla, Omega, +5 more | Tifton | Mar 11 | Nov 19 | 254 |
| Valdosta | Bemiss, Dasher, Moody AFB, Hahira, Lake Park, Ray, +2 more | Valdosta Rgnl Ap | Mar 10 | Nov 21 | 259 |
| Vidalia | Higgston, Satilla, Alston | Hazlehurst | Mar 12 | Nov 17 | 251 |
| Warwick | — | Crisp Co Pwr Dam | Mar 9 | Nov 20 | 258 |
| Waycross | Hoboken, Offerman, Waresboro, Patterson, Millwood | Waycross 4 Ne | Mar 15 | Nov 17 | 246 |
* Kingsland 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 (Kingsland, representative)
Computed from Kingsland's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Georgiazone 9a 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 | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 20 – Jun 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 27 – Jun 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Feb 14 – Feb 21 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 10 – May 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 5 – May 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 10 – May 20 | Sep 26 – Oct 6 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 13 – Jun 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 20 – May 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 31 – Apr 15 | Sep 12 – Sep 27 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 27 – Apr 11 | Sep 2 – Sep 17 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 12 – Mar 22 | Sep 22 – Oct 2 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Apr 22 – May 12 | Aug 23 – Sep 12 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 10 – Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Sep 17 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Kingsland's own 257-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 (Kingsland)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00099502. 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 | Mar 30 | Apr 18 | Nov 13 | Dec 2 | 230 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 14 | Apr 6 | Nov 25 | Dec 20 | 257 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Mar 22 | Dec 12 | Jan 13 | 294 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Mar 2 | Jan 4 | Feb 1 | 328 |
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 38 locations is 6,306; Kingsland's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 6,292 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 9,687 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 9a in Georgia
Zone 9a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 20 to 25 °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, 7b, 8a, 8b.
Explore zone 9a in other states at zone 9a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 9a mean in Georgia?
- Zone 9a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 20 to 25 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 38 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 9a is the growing season longest?
- Dock Junction runs the longest season on this page at about 314 days; Jesup is shortest at about 233 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 9a?
- Using Kingsland's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Jan 17 – Jan 31, then transplant outside about Mar 21 – Mar 28. 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 9a 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 38 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.