Beatrice Vasey
    Free garden tool

    London frost date finder

    Enter your postcode to see when the last spring frost and first autumn frost usually fall where you garden in the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, worked out from 30 years of Met Office records for your square kilometre. Use it to decide when to sow, when it's safe to plant out, and when to bring tender plants in.

    Last frost dates across London

    Frost dates change a lot over short distances. The typical last frost in Orpington is 44 days later than in Westminster, so a planting date that suits Westminster can lose plants in Orpington.

    Map of London shaded by typical last spring frost date for each square kilometre.
    Westminster
    Croydon
    Uxbridge
    Romford
    Enfield
    Kingston upon Thames
    Orpington

    Typical last spring frost

    • By 31 March
    • 1 to 15 April
    • 16 to 30 April
    • 1 to 15 May
    • After 15 May
    • Outside London
    Each square is 1 km. Hover over the map to see the dates for any square. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright. Region boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023.
    TownTypical last frostSafe to plant outTypical first autumn frostFrost-free days
    Westminster1 March8 April30 November274
    Islington2 March8 April24 November267
    Camden8 March9 April21 November258
    Hackney9 March9 April22 November258
    Brixton14 March9 April22 November253
    Lewisham20 March16 April21 November246
    Stratford20 March9 April20 November245
    Greenwich24 March21 April17 November238
    Walthamstow26 March21 April16 November235
    Enfield29 March21 April15 November231
    Chingford31 March21 April16 November230
    Hounslow2 April21 April12 November224
    Bromley3 April27 April11 November222
    Romford3 April27 April11 November222
    Bexleyheath3 April28 April13 November224
    Croydon5 April27 April9 November218
    Sutton5 April27 April7 November216
    Wimbledon5 April21 April9 November218
    Hampstead5 April21 April14 November223
    Kingston upon Thames6 April21 April9 November217
    Richmond7 April21 April12 November219
    Ealing12 April28 April6 November208
    Harrow13 April28 April5 November206
    Barnet13 April28 April8 November209
    Uxbridge14 April1 May5 November205
    Orpington14 April11 May5 November205

    Figures for the square kilometre at each town centre, 1991 to 2020. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.

    How to use your frost dates

    Hardy seeds outsideSow broad beans, peas, carrots and other hardy crops from around your typical last frost date, once the soil has warmed.
    Tender plants indoorsStart tomatoes, peppers and squash indoors six to eight weeks before your safe-to-plant-out date.
    Hardening offPut young plants out during the day for a week or two before your safe date, and bring them in at night.
    Planting outPlant tender crops and bedding after your safe date, and keep fleece handy for a late cold snap.
    AutumnLift dahlias, bring in tender pots and pick the last tomatoes before your 1-in-10 early frost date.

    Not sure what will cope with your frost dates? I'm a horticulturist trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and I draw planting plans for gardens anywhere in the UK, choosing plants for your soil, your light and the frosts you get.

    Frost dates in other regions

    RegionEarliest last frostLatest last frost
    North East22 March in Whitley Bay21 May in Kielder
    North West17 March in Liverpool17 May in Alston
    Yorkshire and the Humber3 March in Scarborough8 May in Hawes
    East Midlands24 March in Skegness25 April in Buxton
    West Midlands10 April in Coventry25 April in Ludlow
    East of England11 March in Cromer4 May in Thetford
    London1 March in Westminster14 April in Orpington
    South East22 February in Margate5 May in Dorking
    South West23 February in Newquay19 April in Cirencester

    Frost date questions

    When is it safe to plant out in London?

    It depends on where you are. In Westminster, tender plants are usually safe from 8 April, but in Orpington you need to wait until 11 May. Put your postcode into the finder above and use the "safe to plant out" date, which only 1 year in 10 beats.

    Why are these dates different from the ones on seed packets?

    Seed packets and national charts give one date for the whole country, but frost dates can differ by weeks between the coast, towns, valleys and higher ground. These dates come from frost records for your own square kilometre.

    What's the difference between an air frost and a ground frost?

    An air frost is when the air at 1.5 m drops below 0°C, which is what these dates measure. A ground frost forms on grass and soil, and on clear, still nights it can happen when the air is still a degree or two above freezing. Low-growing seedlings feel ground frosts first, so give them an extra week or two of protection.

    Where does the data come from?

    The dates are worked out from the Met Office's HadUK-Grid daily minimum temperatures on a 1 km grid for 1991 to 2020, the standard 30-year climate period. For every square kilometre, we found the last night below freezing each spring and the first each autumn, then took the typical date and the 1-in-10 late date across the 30 years. We checked the results against the Met Office's own weather station records.

    Does the finder work outside London?

    Yes. It works for any postcode in England, and the frost map of England compares every region.

    Can I use these figures in an article, newsletter or allotment notice?

    Yes. Please credit Beatrice Vasey and link to this page, and include "Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright" for the underlying records.

    Sources (6)