Lake Charles, Louisiana planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in Lake Charles

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lake Charles, 7 miles S of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers.

What to plant each month in Lake Charles

1. January

   Start indoors: basil, black-eyed susans, cabbages, cantaloupes, celery, chives, cilantro, collard greens, eggplants, ginger, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, peppers, ranunculus, sage, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons

   Plant or sow outdoors: asparagus, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, collard greens, dahlias, dill, figs, garlic, gladioli, grapes, grass seed, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, potatoes, radishes, ranunculus, raspberries, rhubarb, roses, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers

2. February

   Start indoors: cantaloupes, cosmos, cucumbers, okra, pumpkins, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

   Plant or sow outdoors: asparagus, beets, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, dahlias, dill, figs, garden mums, ginger, gladioli, grapes, green onions, kentucky bluegrass, lavenders, leeks, lettuce, lilies, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, petunias, ranunculus, rosemary, roses, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet peas, swiss chard, tall fescue, thyme

3. March

   Start indoors: zinnias

   Plant or sow outdoors: basil, bermudagrass, cantaloupes, celery, centipedegrass, cosmos, cucumbers, eggplants, garden mums, ginger, green beans, green onions, okra, peanuts, peppers, pumpkins, st. augustinegrass, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zoysiagrass, zucchini

4. April

   Plant or sow outdoors: bermudagrass, celery, centipedegrass, cosmos, okra, peanuts, st. augustinegrass, sweet potatoes, zinnias, zoysiagrass

5. May

   Plant or sow outdoors: zinnias

6. August

   Plant for fall: brussels sprouts, peppers, potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes

7. September

   Plant for fall: bearded irises, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, peas, peppers, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, swiss chard, turnips, zucchini

8. October

   Start indoors: onions

   Plant for fall: azaleas, bearded irises, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, clematis, coneflowers, crocuses, daffodils, daylilies, grass seed, hostas, hydrangeas, kale, kentucky bluegrass, lettuce, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, perennial ryegrass, radishes, roses, saffron, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, tall fescue, tulips, turnips

9. November

   Start indoors: broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, leeks, onions, petunias, ranunculus

   Plant for fall: cabbages, cauliflower, crocuses, daffodils, daylilies, grass seed, hostas, hyacinths, kale, kentucky bluegrass, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, perennial ryegrass, radishes, saffron, spinach, tall fescue, tulips

10. December

    Start indoors: black-eyed susans, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, chives, collard greens, eggplants, ginger, kale, leeks, lettuce, marigolds, onions, oregano, parsley, peppers, petunias, ranunculus, rosemary, sage, snapdragons

    Plant for fall: crocuses, daffodils, garlic, hyacinths, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, tulips

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Lake Charles

All 4 of Lake Charles's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Lake Charles, so the dates on this page apply across the city. The hardiness zone is 9a in 70601, 70615, and 9b in 70605, 70607.

Planting dates for popular crops in Lake Charles

Nearby cities

• Port Arthur, TX zone 9b, last frost Feb 14
• Beaumont, TX zone 9b, last frost Feb 14
• Lafayette, LA zone 9a, last frost Feb 13
• Baytown, TX zone 9b, last frost Feb 20
• Texas City, TX zone 10a
• Pasadena, TX zone 9b, last frost Jan 30