On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 1 and ends Nov 20, totalling 233 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 1. Sow the seeds of peas (sugar snap and english) at the same time. If the ground is still frozen, then plant these as soon as the ground thaws.
Do you want to grow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants? Start these indoors around January 22. Then, around March 28 you should start watching the weather forecast and, as soon as no frost is forecast, go ahead and transplant those into the ground.
Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around April 1, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Asparagus | n/a | Feb 16 - Mar 2 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Broccoli | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 19 - Mar 18 |
Cauliflower | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 19 - Mar 4 |
Collards | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Eggplants | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Kale | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Feb 19 - Mar 18 | Feb 19 - Mar 18 |
Mustard | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Onions | Jan 15 - Jan 22 | Feb 1 - Mar 2 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Peppers | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 16 - Apr 15 |
Spinach | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Feb 16 - Mar 18 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around August 12. Anyway, it's important to remember that the numbers in this fall planting guide are only a starting point for you! Good luck and good gardening to you.
Fall is the time to plant garlic. Around October 6, take your cloves apart and plant the toes about 3 to 4 inches deep. This may not be accurate! Garlic dates vary wildly around the country. The way to be sure is to use a soil thermometer. When the soil temperature is 60° at a depth of 4 inches, then plant your garlic.
Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around September 11, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 23 and then transplant them into the garden around September 1. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 6.
Now, for all the usual hot weather veggies like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around August 7.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Oct 21 |
Broccoli | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 23 - Aug 7 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Oct 21 |
Cauliflower | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Oct 21 |
Collards | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Aug 22 - Oct 6 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Aug 22 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Aug 22 |
Eggplants | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | Jul 23 - Aug 7 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Oct 21 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 7 |
Kale | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 22 - Sep 21 | Sep 21 - Oct 21 | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 7 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 21 - Oct 31 |
Parsley | Jul 8 - Aug 22 | Aug 22 - Oct 6 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Sep 21 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 7 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Sep 21 |
Peppers | Jun 16 - Jul 1 | Jul 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Sep 21 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Spinach | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 |
Tomatoes | Jun 16 - Jul 1 | Jul 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 6 - Nov 5 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 7 |