Collins, MS planting calendar
- USDA zone
- 8b15 to 20 °F
- Last frost
- Mar 17avg, 32°F
- First frost
- Nov 12avg, 32°F
- Growing season
- 238days
Collins, Mississippi is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b. Its average last spring frost is around March 17 and the first fall frost around November 12, giving a growing season of about 238 days (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, 32°F, median). Start tender crops like tomatoes and peppers indoors weeks before the last frost and set them out afterward; sow hardy crops such as peas, spinach, and lettuce before it. The planner below turns those frost dates into a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Collins planting calendar
Each crop's windows are counted from Collins's average frost dates. 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.
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | May 23 – Jun 12 | — |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 30 – Jun 29 | — |
| Cucumber | Tender | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | May 13 – Jun 2 | — |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | May 8 – May 23 | — |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | May 13 – May 23 | Sep 13 – Sep 23 |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 16 – Jun 15 | — |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 23 – May 8 | — |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 3 – Apr 18 | Aug 30 – Sep 14 |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 30 – Apr 14 | Aug 20 – Sep 4 |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 15 – Mar 25 | Sep 9 – Sep 19 |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Apr 25 – May 15 | Aug 10 – Aug 30 |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 13 – May 3 | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
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.
Frost & freeze dates
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00221852. 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 (p10 for spring, p90 for fall) — 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 1 | Apr 16 | Nov 2 | Nov 20 | 215 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 17 | Apr 4 | Nov 12 | Dec 1 | 238 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 17 | 263 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Mar 15 | Dec 12 | Jan 12 | 299 |
32°F is the standard "freeze" line that damages tender crops; lighter 36°F frost can nip the most cold-sensitive plants, while hardy crops shrug off light frost down toward 28°F. Use the threshold that matches what you are protecting.
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. Warm-season crops need a long, warm GDD total; a short, cool GDD total favors greens and brassicas.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 6,289 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 9,595 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 8b
Collins sits in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b on the 2023 map — meaning its average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is about 15 to 20 °F. That number 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.
Explore more places in zone 8b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What USDA hardiness zone is Collins?
- Collins, Mississippi is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b on the 2023 map (average annual extreme minimum temperature 15 to 20 °F) — from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this location's ZIP. See the methodology page for sources.
- When is the last frost in Collins?
- The average (median) last spring frost at 32°F is around March 17, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals at the nearest reporting station. Roughly one year in ten the last frost is as late as April 4, so wait until then before setting out frost-tender plants if you want to be safe.
- When is the first fall frost in Collins?
- The average first fall frost at 32°F is around November 12. That leaves a growing season of about 238 days between the average last spring and first fall frosts.
- When should I start tomatoes in Collins?
- Start tomato seeds indoors about Jan 20 – Feb 3 and transplant them outside about Mar 24 – Mar 31, once the danger of frost has passed. Estimated first harvest is around May 23 – Jun 12.
- How long is the growing season in Collins?
- About 238 days at the 32°F threshold (NOAA 1991–2020, median) — the span between the average last spring frost (~March 17) and the average first fall frost (~November 12). Cold-hardy crops extend usable time at both ends; frost-tender crops fit inside it.
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 for station USC00221852 (Collins, 1.8 km away). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this 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.