USDA Zone 3a Planting Calendar: What to Plant and When
Zone 3a means an average lowest winter temperature of -40 to -35 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to -37 Celsius).
Your growing region in zone 3a
Zone 3a runs through one of our regions, shown below. Its month by month sowing calendar is built on its own frost dates and summer heat, not on the zone number.
| Region | Zone range | Frost window |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1b-7b | May 15 to September 10 |
What to plant now in zone 3a: October 2026, region by region
Zone 3a runs through one of our regions, Alaska, which plants on its own calendar. These are the vegetables to sow or plant there this month, from the same data as the region calendar; follow the links for herbs, fruit and the full year.
| Region | Vegetables to sow this month | Calendars |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | No vegetable sowings this month. | October in Alaska Alaska vegetable planting calendar |
Zone 3a planting calendar: what to plant each month
Zone 3a covers one of our regions: Alaska. A zone shares a winter low, not a planting calendar, so this calendar follows each region's own sowing windows from our data. For each month, the second column lists the vegetables that every region in zone 3a can sow or plant, and the region columns give the number of vegetables each region can sow, linked to that region's month page with the full list. Each month name links to the national page for that month.
| Month | Vegetables to sow in every region of zone 3a | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| January | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| February | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| March | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| April | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| May | 54 vegetables, including Peas, Snow Peas, Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Collard Greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower and 44 more. | 54 |
| June | 76 vegetables, including Tomato, Bell Pepper, Chili Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Sweet Corn, Bush Beans and 66 more. | 76 |
| July | 36 vegetables, including Peas, Snow Peas, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot and 26 more. | 36 |
| August | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| September | 1 vegetable: Garlic. | 1 |
| October | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| November | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
| December | No vegetable sowings in any region of the zone. | 0 |
Zone 3a planting dates by crop
The first and last months to sow or plant 36 popular vegetables, herbs and fruit in each region of zone 3a. A range such as Feb to Apr means you can sow from February through April, and two ranges mean a spring and a fall window. Where our data has a crop set out as transplants, the months are transplanting months. Each crop links to its plant page, which shows the calendar for any region.
| Crop | Alaska |
|---|---|
| Tomato | Jun |
| Bell Pepper | Jun |
| Chili Pepper | Jun |
| Eggplant | Jun |
| Zucchini | Jun |
| Squash | Jun |
| Cucumber | Jun |
| Pumpkin | Jun |
| Sweet Corn | Jun |
| Bush Beans | Jun |
| Peas | May to Jul |
| Snow Peas | May to Jul |
| Okra | Not recommended |
| Southern Peas | Jun |
| Lettuce | May to Jul |
| Spinach | May to Jul |
| Swiss Chard | May to Jun |
| Kale | May to Jul |
| Collard Greens | May to Jul |
| Broccoli | May to Jul |
| Cabbage | May to Jul |
| Cauliflower | May to Jul |
| Carrot | May to Jul |
| Beet | May to Jul |
| Radish | May to Jul |
| Turnip | May to Jul |
| Onion | May to Jun |
| Garlic | Sep |
| Potato | May to Jun |
| Sweet Potato | Not recommended |
| Basil | Jun |
| Cilantro | May to Jul |
| Parsley | May to Jun |
| Strawberry | May to Jun |
| Watermelon | May to Jun |
| Cantaloupe | May to Jun |
Frost dates in zone 3a
Frost dates, not the zone number, set the sowing windows above. These are the regional frost windows from our frost table, with the ZIP code records for a few places in each region. ZIP code figures come from the nearest weather station in the NOAA 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals at the 50 percent level, so in one year out of two the last frost comes later. Check your own ZIP code in the Frost Lookup.
| Region | Frost window | Growing season | ZIP code records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | May 15 to September 10 | about 118 days | Anchorage (99501): last frost May 1, first frost September 29 Fairbanks (99701): last frost May 22, first frost August 24 Juneau (99801): last frost May 3, first frost October 14 |
What zone 3a is good for
Any perennial, shrub or fruit tree rated to zone 3a or lower should survive a normal winter where you are. That is the question a zone answers well. For fruit trees there is a second number that matters just as much: winter chill hours, which decide whether a variety will set fruit at all. The free app checks both.
Find your dates
Match your zip code to a region, then check the frost dates table for your sowing window.
Questions about zone 3a
What temperature is USDA zone 3a?
Zone 3a has an average annual lowest winter temperature of -40 to -35 degrees Fahrenheit, which is -40 to -37 degrees Celsius.
What can I plant in zone 3a?
Any perennial or fruit tree rated to zone 3a or lower should survive a normal winter there. For annual vegetables the zone is the wrong tool: use your last and first frost dates instead, because they set the sowing window.
Does zone 3a tell me when to plant tomatoes?
No. Sowing dates come from your last spring frost, not your hardiness zone. Two gardens in zone 3a can have frost dates weeks apart.
What should I plant now in zone 3a?
Zone 3a runs through one of our regions, Alaska, so its calendar is the one to follow: a zone shares a winter low, not a calendar. The table on this page lists the vegetables to sow there this month and links to the Alaska month page and full vegetable planting calendar.
When to plant tomatoes in zone 3a?
In every region of zone 3a our calendars set out tomatoes in June. The planting dates table on this page lists the months for every popular crop.
When to plant peppers in zone 3a?
In every region of zone 3a our calendars plant peppers in June. The planting dates table on this page lists the months for every popular crop.
When to plant garlic in zone 3a?
In every region of zone 3a our calendars plant garlic in September. The planting dates table on this page lists the months for every popular crop.
When to plant potatoes in zone 3a?
In every region of zone 3a our calendars plant potatoes in May to June. The planting dates table on this page lists the months for every popular crop.
When is the last frost in zone 3a?
A zone does not set a frost date, so it depends on the region. In zone 3a, Alaska has an average last spring frost around May 15 and a first fall frost around September 10. Check your own ZIP code in the Frost Lookup.