On average, your frost-free growing season starts Jul 6 and ends Aug 24, totalling 49 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around May 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 April 27. Then, around July 2 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 July 6, 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 June 16, 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 | May 22 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 3 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | May 11 - May 25 |
Broccoli | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Cabbage | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 6 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 22 |
Cauliflower | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
Collards | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 20 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 20 |
Eggplants | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jul 6 - Jul 20 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 20 |
Kale | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Lettuce | Apr 27 - May 11 | May 25 - Jun 22 | May 25 - Jun 22 |
Mustard | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 20 |
Onions | Apr 20 - Apr 27 | May 7 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 3 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Peppers | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jul 6 - Jul 20 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jul 20 |
Spinach | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jun 8 - Jun 22 | May 22 - Jun 22 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Apr 27 - May 11 | Jul 6 - Jul 20 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Jul 20 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around May 16. 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 July 10, 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 June 15, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around April 26 and then transplant them into the garden around June 5. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around June 10.
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 May 11.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 11 - Jun 10 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 25 |
Broccoli | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 26 - May 11 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jul 25 |
Cauliflower | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | May 11 - Jul 25 |
Collards | Apr 26 - Jun 10 | May 26 - Jul 10 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 11 - May 26 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 11 - May 26 |
Eggplants | Mar 15 - Mar 30 | Apr 26 - May 11 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jun 10 - Jul 25 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - May 11 |
Kale | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 30 - May 14 | May 11 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Lettuce | May 26 - Jun 25 | Jun 25 - Jul 25 | Jun 25 - Jul 25 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 25 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - May 11 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Jul 25 - Aug 4 |
Parsley | Apr 11 - May 26 | May 26 - Jul 10 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - May 11 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Peppers | Mar 20 - Apr 4 | May 1 - May 16 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 25 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jun 25 - Jul 25 |
Spinach | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jun 10 - Jul 25 |
Tomatoes | Mar 20 - Apr 4 | May 1 - May 16 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Jul 10 - Aug 9 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - May 11 |