Texas growing guide: zones, planting dates and where to start

Zones across Texas

Texas covers USDA Zones 7a–9b on our calendar. A date that works in one part of the state can be weeks off in another, so plant by your zone, not the state.

• Zone 7a — Amarillo and the Panhandle. Average last frost 04/15, first frost 10/15 (about 183 frost-free days).
• Zone 7b — Lubbock and the South Plains. Average last frost 04/08, first frost 10/22 (about 197 frost-free days).
• Zone 8a — Dallas–Fort Worth and north Texas. Average last frost 03/28, first frost 11/05 (about 222 frost-free days).
• Zone 8b — Austin and central Texas. Average last frost 03/15, first frost 11/15 (about 245 frost-free days).
• Zone 9a — Houston and the upper coast. Average last frost 02/25, first frost 12/01 (about 279 frost-free days).
• Zone 9b — San Antonio and south-central Texas. Average last frost 02/05, first frost 12/15 (about 313 frost-free days).

Spring dates for Dallas–Fort Worth and north Texas (Zone 8a)

• Tomatoes: set out April 4 – April 25; fall July 23 – August 13
• Peppers: set out April 11 – May 2; fall August 6 – August 27
• Watermelon: set out April 11 – May 2
• Cantaloupe: set out April 4 – April 25
• Onions (bulbing): set out February 7 – February 28
• Sweet corn: seed March 28 – April 18; fall August 6 – August 27
• Okra: seed April 11 – May 2
• Green beans (bush): seed March 28 – April 18; fall August 20 – September 10

These are averages worked out from frost dates, not a state extension schedule. Adjust for your field and the season.

Published costs per acre

• 2024 Estimated Costs and Returns per Acre: Cabbage, Fresh Market, Furrow Irrigated, Rio Grande Valley (District 12) (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 2024): about $5,014 per acre.

Where to sell in Texas

• State buy-local program: the Texas Department of Agriculture runs GO TEXAN. Members can be listed for grocery, restaurant and school buyers looking for in-state product — ask about joining and any marketing directories.
• Established market: Dallas Farmers Market. Visit on a market morning and talk to the produce dealers before you plant, not after harvest.
• Farmers markets, CSAs and on-farm stands: the USDA Local Food Directories list them by state, so you can see who already sells near you and which markets still need your crop.
• Schools and institutions: ask your state's farm-to-school contact (usually through the agriculture or education department) what they buy and when.
• Buyers on BAU: buyers post what they need on the marketplace, and you can list your crop window there for free.

Call before you count on any buyer: programs and market hours change, and a price talked through in winter is worth more than one found at harvest.

Farm taxes in Texas

• Income tax: No state income tax on wages or farm profit.
• Sales tax on inputs: Farm inputs and equipment are exempt with an Agricultural and Timber Registration Number from the Comptroller; give vendors Form 01-924.
• Farmland property tax: Agricultural (1-d-1) open-space appraisal: farmland is valued on productivity; apply through the county appraisal district.

Rates and forms change. Confirm with the state revenue department or a farm tax preparer before you file — this is a plain-language guide, not tax advice. Our farm tax estimator covers the federal deductions every state shares.

Grants and cost-share in Texas

• Specialty Crop Block Grant (Texas Department of Agriculture)
• GO TEXAN marketing program
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board cost-share
• USDA NRCS EQIP cost-share and FSA microloans through your county USDA service center
• Southern SARE farmer and rancher grants for on-farm trials

See the grant tracker for deadlines we follow.

Who to call

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — county offices for soil tests, varieties and pest help
• Your county USDA service center (FSA and NRCS) for loans, cost-share and farm numbers