PlantingWindowThe American Planting Almanac

When to plant garden cress in Austin, Texas

March 10 – March 24

Direct-sow outdoors · typical Austin year

Climate basis: NOAA station Austin 6s, TX (USC00410431), 3 mi (5 km) from downtown Austin (ZCTA 78701 centroid), elevation 570 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Direct-sow garden cress from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (March 10). One year in ten still freezes after March 31.

Last spring freezeMarch 101-in-10 after Mar 31
First fall freezeNovember 171-in-10 before Nov 1
Frost-free season≈ 252 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Feb 28 – Dec 1kills even hardy greens
USDA zone9a20 to 25°F winter low — not frost timing

The Austin year

Direct-sow outdoorsMar 10 – Mar 24
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Mar 31
Garden Cress in Austin · freeze context from Austin 6s, TX, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Direct-sow outdoors

Mar 10 – Mar 24

Utah State University Extension says garden cress "does not tolerate frost so plant near the frost free date", and Arkansas Extension's culture line reads "seed shallow depth after danger of frost"; both open at the last spring frost, and this later interval supersedes Arkansas' looser "as soon as the ground can be worked" sentence, giving last spring frost to plus 14 days. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (Mar 10). Utah State University Extension · University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service

Start seeds indoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an indoor seed-starting window for this crop.

Transplant outdoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an outdoor transplanting window for this crop.

Fall planting

Not calculated

No source-backed fall planting rule exists for this crop in the registry, so no fall window is calculated.

Variety assumption: Offsets are for garden cress (Lepidium sativum), a 10–40 day cutting green; watercress and upland cress are different species with different requirements and are not covered by this entry.

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

This week, not a typical year:
Crop rule sources (2)

Keep exploring

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