Seed Starting Calendar for Louisiana

LSU AgCenter plants Louisiana by region and month (see the months below), and transplants are sown 4 to 10 weeks ahead of the month they go out. Counted from the frost instead, Baton Rouge's median last frost of February 25 puts spring 2027 tomato seeds at Jan 7 to Jan 21 and peppers at Dec 31 to Jan 14.

It depends on the station. The earliest median last spring freeze in Louisiana is January 22 at New Orleans Lakefront Airport; the latest is March 30 at Homer 1N. A median is a coin flip: at Baton Rouge the last 32°F freeze comes after February 25 in half of years, and has passed by March 19 in 9 of 10 years (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals).

UNH Extension sets tomatoes out 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost, which at Baton Rouge is Mar 4 to Mar 11 in 2027. Tomatoes are frost tender, so the date to watch is March 19, when 9 of 10 springs at Baton Rouge have had their last 32°F night. Hardening off starts two weeks before setting out (Feb 18 to Mar 4).

LSU AgCenter publishes planting months by region (South Louisiana, North Louisiana). For South Louisiana, tomatoes go in during March, April, May, July and August. Seeds for transplants go in 4 to 10 weeks ahead of those months, depending on the crop.

LSU AgCenter's Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide puts it this way: "Generally, with spring vegetables, the first planting should be made after the danger of frost is over (March 15 for south Louisiana/April 1 for central/north Louisiana)." The guide is linked below with the date it was read (September 21, 2026).

UNH Extension gives 8 to 10 weeks from seed to transplant for both, and sets peppers out 2 weeks after the last frost and eggplant 2 to 3 weeks after, so the sowing date is 6 to 8 weeks before the median last frost. At Baton Rouge that is Dec 31 to Jan 14 for peppers.

About two weeks. University of Missouri Extension: "Hardening should be started about two weeks before planting in the garden." University of Minnesota Extension adds that seedlings should go out on a cloudy day or in the late afternoon.

New Orleans reaches its median last frost around Jan 24, Lake Charles around Feb 14, and Shreveport around Feb 28; LSU AgCenter sets spring dates for south Louisiana and for north and central Louisiana. Each station carries its own dates: New Orleans Jan 24 and Tallulah Vicksburg Airport Mar 3 at the median.