On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 4 and ends Oct 3, totalling 152 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 5. 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 24. Then, around April 30 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 4, 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 14, 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 20 - Apr 4 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 4 - Jun 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 9 - Mar 23 |
Broccoli | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 20 |
Cauliflower | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 6 |
Collards | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
Eggplants | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | May 4 - May 18 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
Kale | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Mar 23 - Apr 20 | Mar 23 - Apr 20 |
Mustard | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
Onions | Feb 17 - Feb 24 | Mar 5 - Apr 4 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 5 - Apr 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 4 - Jun 1 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 5 - Apr 4 |
Peppers | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | May 4 - May 18 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 5 - Apr 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - May 18 |
Spinach | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | Apr 6 - Apr 20 | Mar 20 - Apr 20 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 4 - May 25 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 24 - Mar 9 | May 4 - May 18 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
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 25. 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 19, 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 25, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 5 and then transplant them into the garden around July 15. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 20.
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 20.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 20 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Broccoli | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Jun 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Sep 3 |
Cauliflower | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Sep 3 |
Collards | Jun 5 - Jul 20 | Jul 5 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 5 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 5 |
Eggplants | Apr 24 - May 9 | Jun 5 - Jun 20 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Kale | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 5 - Aug 4 | Aug 4 - Sep 3 | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Sep 13 |
Parsley | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 5 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Peppers | Apr 29 - May 14 | Jun 10 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Spinach | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | Jul 20 - Sep 3 | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Tomatoes | Apr 29 - May 14 | Jun 10 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 19 - Sep 18 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |