USDA zone 7b in Kentucky
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 4 locations across Kentucky (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Columbus, KY, Hickman, KY, Middlesborough, KY, Murray, KY. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 3 (Hickman) to April 23 (Middlesborough), and growing seasons run 177–211 days (Middlesborough to Hickman) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Kentucky location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Murray, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 3–Apr 23avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 19–Nov 1avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 177–211days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | — | Bardwell 2 E | Apr 6 | Oct 30 | 204 |
| Hickman | Hornbeak, Samburg | Samburg Wr | Apr 3 | Nov 1 | 211 |
| Middlesborough | Rutledge | Tazewell | Apr 23 | Oct 19 | 177 |
| Murray * | Mayfield, Farmington, Sedalia, Buchanan, Puryear, Hardin, +2 more | Murray | Apr 5 | Nov 1 | 209 |
* Murray 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 (Murray, representative)
Computed from Murray's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Kentuckyzone 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 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 11 – Jul 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | Jun 18 – Jul 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 1 – Jun 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 27 – Jun 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 1 – Jun 11 | Sep 2 – Sep 12 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | Jun 4 – Jul 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 12 – May 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 22 – May 7 | Aug 19 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 18 – May 3 | Aug 9 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 3 – Apr 13 | Aug 29 – Sep 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | May 14 – Jun 3 | Jul 30 – Aug 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 2 – May 22 | Aug 4 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Murray's own 209-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 (Murray)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00155694. 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 16 | May 2 | Oct 23 | Nov 2 | 188 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 5 | Apr 20 | Nov 1 | Nov 14 | 209 |
| 28°F | Mar 24 | Apr 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 29 | 232 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 29 | Nov 22 | Dec 10 | 256 |
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 4 locations is 4,447; Murray's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,670 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 7,410 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Kentucky
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. Kentucky spans 3 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Kentucky locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7a.
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 Kentucky?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 4 locations in Kentucky fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Kentucky's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- Hickman runs the longest season on this page at about 211 days; Middlesborough is shortest at about 177 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 Kentucky's zone 7b?
- Using Murray's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 8 – Feb 22, then transplant outside about Apr 12 – Apr 19. 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 Kentucky'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 4 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.