On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 18 and ends Oct 12, totalling 147 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 19. 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 March 9. Then, around May 14 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 18, 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 28, 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 | Apr 3 - Apr 18 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 15 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 6 |
Broccoli | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 4 - May 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 6 - May 4 |
Cauliflower | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 6 - Apr 20 |
Collards | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 1 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 1 |
Eggplants | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | May 18 - Jun 1 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 1 |
Kale | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 6 - May 4 | Apr 6 - May 4 |
Mustard | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 1 |
Onions | Mar 2 - Mar 9 | Mar 19 - Apr 18 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 18 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 15 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 18 |
Peppers | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | May 18 - Jun 1 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 18 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Jun 1 |
Spinach | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | Apr 20 - May 4 | Apr 3 - May 4 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 18 - Jun 8 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 9 - Mar 23 | May 18 - Jun 1 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 18 - Jun 1 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around July 4. 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 28, 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 August 3, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 14 and then transplant them into the garden around July 24. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 29.
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 29.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 29 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 29 - Sep 12 |
Broccoli | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 14 - Jun 29 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Sep 12 |
Cauliflower | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Sep 12 |
Collards | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | Jul 14 - Aug 28 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 14 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 14 |
Eggplants | May 3 - May 18 | Jun 14 - Jun 29 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 29 - Sep 12 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 30 - Jun 29 |
Kale | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 18 - Jul 2 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 14 - Aug 13 | Aug 13 - Sep 12 | Aug 13 - Sep 12 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 13 - Sep 12 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 30 - Jun 29 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 12 - Sep 22 |
Parsley | May 30 - Jul 14 | Jul 14 - Aug 28 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Aug 13 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 30 - Jun 29 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Aug 13 |
Peppers | May 8 - May 23 | Jun 19 - Jul 4 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Aug 13 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 13 - Sep 12 |
Spinach | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | Jul 29 - Sep 12 | Jul 29 - Sep 12 |
Tomatoes | May 8 - May 23 | Jun 19 - Jul 4 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 28 - Sep 27 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 30 - Jun 29 |