GreenlyGardening in Moldova: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 7 cities of Moldova from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 195 days in Soroca to 227 days in Cahul. The last spring frost comes first in Chișinău (around 4 April) and last in Soroca (around 9 April).
Climate zones of Moldova
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
How the regions of Moldova differ
In all 7 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Soroca (December–March).
Which crops suit which part of Moldova
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 | 1 May (Bălți) – 28 July (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Cucumber | 20 May (Comrat) – 2 September (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 20 May (Comrat) – 28 July (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Zucchini | 20 May (Comrat) – 31 August (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Pumpkin | 20 May (Comrat) – 23 July (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Watermelon | 20 May (Comrat) – 8 August (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Peas | 14 March (Chișinău) – 4 September (Chișinău) | all 7 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 21 September (Soroca) – end of December (Cahul) | — | — |
Cities of Moldova: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soroca | 195 | August, 28 °C | January, -4.6 °C | 539 mm | January | — |
| Bălți | 207 | August, 28.2 °C | January, -4.3 °C | 551 mm | January | 3 |
| Orhei | 220 | August, 28.8 °C | January, -4.6 °C | 519 mm | February | — |
| Ungheni | 213 | August, 29 °C | January, -4.3 °C | 562 mm | January | — |
| Chișinău | 227 | August, 29 °C | January, -3.7 °C | 519 mm | February | 60 |
| Comrat | 220 | August, 29.8 °C | January, -4 °C | 497 mm | February | — |
| Cahul | 227 | August, 29.1 °C | January, -3.8 °C | 532 mm | February | 1 |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
