GreenlyGardening in Belgium: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 14 cities of Belgium from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 213 days in Hasselt to 248 days in Bruges. The last spring frost comes first in Bruges (around 27 March) and last in Leuven (around 19 April).
Climate zones of Belgium
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
How the regions of Belgium differ
The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Hasselt (22.8 °C) and smallest in Bruges (19.6 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. In none of these cities does a month average below 0 °C at night.
Which crops suit which part of Belgium
Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing | Season long enough | Tight or too short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 10 May (Antwerp) – 11 August (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Cucumber | 30 May (Hasselt) – 16 September (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 30 May (Hasselt) – 11 August (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Zucchini | 30 May (Hasselt) – 14 September (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Pumpkin | 30 May (Hasselt) – 6 August (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Watermelon | 30 May (Hasselt) – 22 August (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Peas | 6 March (Bruges) – 18 September (Ostend) | all 14 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 16 October (Namur) – end of December (Antwerp) | — | — |
Cities of Belgium: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antwerp | 232 | August, 23.6 °C | January, 1.5 °C | 835 mm | April | 42 |
| Ostend | 242 | August, 22.2 °C | January, 2.3 °C | 836 mm | April | — |
| Bruges | 248 | August, 22 °C | January, 2.4 °C | 827 mm | April | 26 |
| Ghent | 226 | August, 23.5 °C | January, 1.6 °C | 790 mm | April | 34 |
| Mechelen | 229 | August, 23.7 °C | January, 1.6 °C | 786 mm | April | — |
| Aalst | 225 | August, 23.5 °C | January, 1.5 °C | 788 mm | April | — |
| Hasselt | 213 | August, 23.9 °C | January, 1.1 °C | 864 mm | April | 33 |
| Leuven | 217 | August, 23.7 °C | January, 1.3 °C | 844 mm | April | 38 |
| Brussels | 226 | August, 23.3 °C | January, 1.2 °C | 824 mm | April | 57 |
| Kortrijk | 232 | August, 23.3 °C | January, 1.4 °C | 793 mm | April | — |
| Liège | 217 | August, 23.5 °C | January, 1 °C | 863 mm | April | 33 |
| Namur | 218 | August, 23.1 °C | January, 0.6 °C | 834 mm | April | 30 |
| Mons | 223 | August, 23.5 °C | January, 1 °C | 847 mm | April | 41 |
| Charleroi | 216 | August, 23.3 °C | January, 0.7 °C | 846 mm | April | 33 |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
