USDA hardiness zone lookup
Reading, PA — USDA Zone 7a
Reading, Pennsylvania · 183-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Reading
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 7a |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | April 21 |
| Average first fall frost | October 21 |
| Growing season length | ~183 days |
| Temperature range (F) | 0 to 10°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -18 to -12°C |
All of Reading's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 7a.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Reading's USDA hardiness zone and regional climate normals — not a single-station reading. In a typical year the last spring frost will have passed by April 21, but a colder-than-average year can run 1-2 weeks later. Plant tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) once both soil and night temperatures are consistently warm — a thermometer beats the calendar.
Growing season in Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania sits in USDA Zone 7a, with roughly 183 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around April 21 and a first fall frost around October 21. That is a long season — succession-sow through summer and run a full fall crop; heat-sensitive greens still need spring/autumn timing.
What grows in Reading
Reading falls in USDA Zone 7a, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 7 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 7a (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
- Okra
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash, melons
- Beans (lima + pole)
- Figs
- Pomegranates (in protected spots)
- Apples, peaches, plums, pears
- Blueberries (rabbiteye + highbush)
- Asparagus, rhubarb
What to plant in Reading this week
Reading is in high summer — most spring plantings are in. Keep an eye on watering and start planning your fall crop. Cool-season seedlings (broccoli, cabbage, lettuce) can be started indoors for a fall transplant.
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 7
- When to plant peppers in zone 7
- When to plant bush beans in zone 7
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 7
- When to plant basil in zone 7
Full planting calendar for Reading
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 7 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 7
- When to plant peppers in zone 7
- When to plant basil in zone 7
- When to plant garlic in zone 7
- When to plant lettuce in zone 7
- When to plant bush beans in zone 7
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 7
- When to plant summer squash in zone 7
- When to plant peas in zone 7
- When to plant carrots in zone 7
ZIP codes in Reading
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Reading:
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Readinggardens vary. South-facing walls and paved areas can run a full half-zone warmer than the published rating. Low-lying spots, frost pockets, and shaded north sides can run colder. If you've gardened here a few seasons, your own frost record — the last time you actually got frost damage — beats any national average.
Source and methodology
Hardiness zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Frost-date and growing-season figures are modeled from Reading's USDA hardiness zone and regional NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals — zone-level estimates, not a per-station record, so treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own local frost history. Crop recommendations draw on US Cooperative Extension references, curated by the Growli editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026.
Other cities in Pennsylvania
- Allentown, PA — USDA Zone 6b
- Altoona, PA — USDA Zone 6a
- Erie, PA — USDA Zone 6b
- Harrisburg, PA — USDA Zone 7a
- Lancaster, PA — USDA Zone 7a
- Philadelphia, PA — USDA Zone 7b
- Pittsburgh, PA — USDA Zone 6b
- Scranton, PA — USDA Zone 6a
- State College, PA — USDA Zone 6a
- Wilkes-Barre, PA — USDA Zone 6a
- York, PA — USDA Zone 7a
- All of Pennsylvania by zone