On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 29 and ends Oct 1, totalling 155 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 29. 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 19. Then, around April 25 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 29, 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 | Mar 15 - Mar 30 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 27 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Mar 18 |
Broccoli | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 15 - Apr 29 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 15 |
Cauliflower | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Collards | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
Eggplants | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 29 - May 13 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
Kale | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Mar 18 - Apr 15 | Mar 18 - Apr 15 |
Mustard | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
Onions | Feb 12 - Feb 19 | Feb 29 - Mar 30 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 29 - Mar 30 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 27 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 29 - Mar 30 |
Peppers | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 29 - May 13 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 29 - Mar 30 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 15 - May 13 |
Spinach | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | Mar 15 - Apr 15 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 29 - May 20 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Apr 29 - May 13 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
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 23. 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 17, 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 23, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 3 and then transplant them into the garden around July 13. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 18.
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 18.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Sep 1 |
Broccoli | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 3 - Jun 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Sep 1 |
Cauliflower | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Sep 1 |
Collards | Jun 3 - Jul 18 | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 3 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 3 |
Eggplants | Apr 22 - May 7 | Jun 3 - Jun 18 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Sep 1 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 19 - Jun 18 |
Kale | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 3 - Aug 2 | Aug 2 - Sep 1 | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 19 - Jun 18 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Sep 11 |
Parsley | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 19 - Jun 18 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Peppers | Apr 27 - May 12 | Jun 8 - Jun 23 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Spinach | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 |
Tomatoes | Apr 27 - May 12 | Jun 8 - Jun 23 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 16 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 19 - Jun 18 |