Ocala, FL 34470 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ocala, FL?
Around 03/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 185 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/07, about 284 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Ocala in Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 14 weeks of growing season left in Ocala before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ocala compares
At roughly 284 frost-free days, Ocala places 4,662 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within FL, it ranks 1,362 of 1,609.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Ocala's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Ocala's dates instead of trusting one.