On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 30 and ends Oct 23, totalling 176 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 1. 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 20. Then, around April 26 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 30, 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 10, 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 16 - Mar 31 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 28 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 5 - Mar 19 |
Broccoli | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 16 - Apr 30 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 16 |
Cauliflower | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - Apr 2 |
Collards | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 14 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 14 |
Eggplants | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 30 - May 14 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 14 |
Kale | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Mar 19 - Apr 16 | Mar 19 - Apr 16 |
Mustard | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 14 |
Onions | Feb 13 - Feb 20 | Mar 1 - Mar 31 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 1 - Mar 31 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 28 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 1 - Mar 31 |
Peppers | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 30 - May 14 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 1 - Mar 31 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 16 - May 14 |
Spinach | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 2 - Apr 16 | Mar 16 - Apr 16 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 30 - May 21 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 20 - Mar 5 | Apr 30 - May 14 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 30 - May 14 |
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 15. 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 September 8, 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 14, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 25 and then transplant them into the garden around August 4. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 9.
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 July 10.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Aug 9 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 9 - Sep 23 |
Broccoli | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 10 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Sep 23 |
Cauliflower | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Sep 23 |
Collards | Jun 25 - Aug 9 | Jul 25 - Sep 8 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Jul 25 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Jul 25 |
Eggplants | May 14 - May 29 | Jun 25 - Jul 10 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 9 - Sep 23 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 10 |
Kale | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 25 - Aug 24 | Aug 24 - Sep 23 | Aug 24 - Sep 23 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 24 - Sep 23 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 10 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 23 - Oct 3 |
Parsley | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 25 - Sep 8 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Aug 24 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 10 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Aug 24 |
Peppers | May 19 - Jun 3 | Jun 30 - Jul 15 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Aug 24 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 24 - Sep 23 |
Spinach | Jul 10 - Aug 24 | Aug 9 - Sep 23 | Aug 9 - Sep 23 |
Tomatoes | May 19 - Jun 3 | Jun 30 - Jul 15 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 8 - Oct 8 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 10 |