GreenlyGardening in Serbia: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 5 cities of Serbia from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 222 days in Niš to 245 days in Belgrade. The last spring frost comes first in Belgrade (around 27 March) and last in Niš (around 8 April).
Climate zones of Serbia
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
| Zone | Cities | Frost-free days | Last spring frost | First autumn frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210–269 frost-free days | Subotica, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Kragujevac, Niš | 222 – 245 | 27 March – 8 April | 16 November – 27 November |
How the regions of Serbia differ
Kragujevac is the wettest of these cities with 773 mm a year, Subotica the driest with 573 mm. In all 5 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Niš (December–February).
Which crops suit which part of Serbia
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 | 22 April (Subotica) – 7 August (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Cucumber | 11 May (Subotica) – 12 September (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 11 May (Subotica) – 7 August (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Zucchini | 11 May (Subotica) – 10 September (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Pumpkin | 11 May (Subotica) – 2 August (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Watermelon | 11 May (Subotica) – 18 August (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Peas | 6 March (Belgrade) – 14 September (Belgrade) | all 5 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 17 October (Niš) – end of December (Subotica) | — | — |
Cities of Serbia: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subotica | 234 | August, 29.7 °C | January, -1.9 °C | 573 mm | April | — |
| Novi Sad | 243 | August, 28.7 °C | January, -1.6 °C | 630 mm | October | — |
| Belgrade | 245 | August, 29 °C | January, -1.7 °C | 719 mm | February | 49 |
| Kragujevac | 234 | July, 28.2 °C | January, -2.8 °C | 773 mm | February | — |
| Niš | 222 | August, 28.8 °C | January, -3.5 °C | 687 mm | February | — |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
