Spring temperatures in Atlanta are highly variable, and a wise gardener should always note which plants are more cold hardy versus more vulnerable during a cold snap.
The image below illustrates the previous dates of the last spring freeze of the season. Some years, the last spring freeze was early -- in February -- while other years experienced a final freeze in the month of March.
The old adage “wait to plant until Easter” is usually good advice, however Easter’s calendar date varies year after year -- and some years, it is as early as March 23!
That lines up with the average last spring freeze date for the Atlanta area, but the latest freeze on record did occur on April 25, 1910.
This year, Easter Sunday is April 5, which is still a touch early for putting tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries in the ground.
With that said, the majority of the killing freezes should be done before April 15, which is Tax Day -- so perhaps that is the better “rule of thumb” date!
Why the extra caution around the spring freeze?
Often, temperatures will swell in February and March before crashing in early April. This happened in 2007 when temperatures trended well above average in March before crashing into the low to mid 20s in early April.
The April 6-9, 2007 killing freeze arrived just in time for the Easter holiday, when temperatures dropped into the mid 20s as far south as Middle Georgia.
According to NOAA, the Easter 2007 freeze resulted in a state-wide agricultural production value loss of $257.5 million, with peaches, blueberries and apples experiencing the most freeze damage.
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