On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 10 and ends Dec 17, totalling 311 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 12. 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 December 2. Then, around February 6 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 10, 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 27 - Jan 11 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Mar 9 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 16 - Dec 30 |
Broccoli | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Cabbage | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 27 - Feb 10 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Dec 30 - Jan 27 |
Cauliflower | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Dec 30 - Jan 13 |
Collards | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Feb 24 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Feb 24 |
Eggplants | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Feb 24 |
Kale | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Lettuce | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Dec 30 - Jan 27 | Dec 30 - Jan 27 |
Mustard | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Feb 24 |
Onions | Nov 25 - Dec 2 | Dec 12 - Jan 11 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 12 - Jan 11 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Mar 9 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 12 - Jan 11 |
Peppers | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 12 - Jan 11 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 27 - Feb 24 |
Spinach | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Jan 13 - Jan 27 | Dec 27 - Jan 27 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 10 - Mar 2 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Dec 2 - Dec 16 | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 10 - Feb 24 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around September 8. 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 November 2, 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 October 8, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 19 and then transplant them into the garden around September 28. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around October 3.
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 September 3.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Oct 3 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Oct 3 - Nov 17 |
Broccoli | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 19 - Sep 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 18 - Nov 17 |
Cauliflower | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Nov 17 |
Collards | Aug 19 - Oct 3 | Sep 18 - Nov 2 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Sep 18 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Sep 18 |
Eggplants | Jul 8 - Jul 23 | Aug 19 - Sep 3 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Oct 3 - Nov 17 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Kale | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 23 - Sep 6 | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 18 - Oct 18 | Oct 18 - Nov 17 | Oct 18 - Nov 17 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 18 - Nov 17 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 17 - Nov 27 |
Parsley | Aug 4 - Sep 18 | Sep 18 - Nov 2 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 18 - Oct 18 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 18 - Oct 18 |
Peppers | Jul 13 - Jul 28 | Aug 24 - Sep 8 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 18 - Oct 18 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 18 - Nov 17 |
Spinach | Sep 3 - Oct 18 | Oct 3 - Nov 17 | Oct 3 - Nov 17 |
Tomatoes | Jul 13 - Jul 28 | Aug 24 - Sep 8 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Nov 2 - Dec 2 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |