On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 5 and ends Dec 3, totalling 302 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 7. 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 November 27. Then, around February 1 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 February 5, 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 | Dec 22 - Jan 6 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Mar 4 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 11 - Dec 25 |
Broccoli | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Cabbage | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 22 - Feb 5 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Dec 25 - Jan 22 |
Cauliflower | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Dec 25 - Jan 8 |
Collards | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Eggplants | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Feb 5 - Feb 19 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Kale | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Lettuce | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Dec 25 - Jan 22 | Dec 25 - Jan 22 |
Mustard | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Onions | Nov 20 - Nov 27 | Dec 7 - Jan 6 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 7 - Jan 6 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Mar 4 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 7 - Jan 6 |
Peppers | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Feb 5 - Feb 19 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 7 - Jan 6 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 22 - Feb 19 |
Spinach | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Dec 22 - Jan 22 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 26 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Nov 27 - Dec 11 | Feb 5 - Feb 19 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
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 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 October 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 September 24, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 5 and then transplant them into the garden around September 14. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 19.
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 20.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 19 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Broccoli | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 5 - Aug 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Nov 3 |
Cauliflower | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Nov 3 |
Collards | Aug 5 - Sep 19 | Sep 4 - Oct 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 4 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 4 |
Eggplants | Jun 24 - Jul 9 | Aug 5 - Aug 20 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Kale | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 4 - Oct 4 | Oct 4 - Nov 3 | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 3 - Nov 13 |
Parsley | Jul 21 - Sep 4 | Sep 4 - Oct 19 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Peppers | Jun 29 - Jul 14 | Aug 10 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Spinach | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | Sep 19 - Nov 3 | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Tomatoes | Jun 29 - Jul 14 | Aug 10 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 19 - Nov 18 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |