On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 3 and ends Oct 8, totalling 158 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 4. 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 February 23. Then, around April 29 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 May 3, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature. Having said that, we note that your location has a shorter than average growing season. Many summer vegetables need more days to mature than your area will provide. For that reason, we recommend you get a head-start by starting these summer vegetables indoors around April 13, and transplant those seedlings out after the danger of frost is past.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Asparagus | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 31 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 8 - Mar 22 |
Broccoli | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 19 - May 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 22 - Apr 19 |
Cauliflower | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 22 - Apr 5 |
Collards | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Eggplants | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Kale | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Mar 22 - Apr 19 | Mar 22 - Apr 19 |
Mustard | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Onions | Feb 16 - Feb 23 | Mar 4 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 31 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Peppers | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - May 17 |
Spinach | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | Mar 19 - Apr 19 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 3 - May 24 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around June 30. 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 August 24, 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 July 30, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 10 and then transplant them into the garden around July 20. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 25.
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 June 25.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 25 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Sep 8 |
Broccoli | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jun 25 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Sep 8 |
Cauliflower | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Sep 8 |
Collards | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 10 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 10 |
Eggplants | Apr 29 - May 14 | Jun 10 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Sep 8 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Kale | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 14 - Jun 28 | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 10 - Aug 9 | Aug 9 - Sep 8 | Aug 9 - Sep 8 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 9 - Sep 8 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 8 - Sep 18 |
Parsley | May 26 - Jul 10 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Aug 9 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Aug 9 |
Peppers | May 4 - May 19 | Jun 15 - Jun 30 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Aug 9 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 9 - Sep 8 |
Spinach | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | Jul 25 - Sep 8 | Jul 25 - Sep 8 |
Tomatoes | May 4 - May 19 | Jun 15 - Jun 30 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 24 - Sep 23 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |