On average, your frost-free growing season starts Jun 4 and ends Sep 3, totalling 91 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around April 5. 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 26. Then, around May 31 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 June 4, 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 May 15, 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 20 - May 5 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jul 2 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Apr 9 - Apr 23 |
Broccoli | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 4 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 23 - May 21 |
Cauliflower | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 23 - May 7 |
Collards | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 18 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 18 |
Eggplants | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | Jun 4 - Jun 18 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 18 |
Kale | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | Apr 23 - May 21 | Apr 23 - May 21 |
Mustard | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 18 |
Onions | Mar 19 - Mar 26 | Apr 5 - May 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Apr 5 - May 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jul 2 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Apr 5 - May 5 |
Peppers | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | Jun 4 - Jun 18 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Apr 5 - May 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - Jun 18 |
Spinach | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | May 7 - May 21 | Apr 20 - May 21 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 26 - Apr 9 | Jun 4 - Jun 18 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 4 - Jun 18 |
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 26. 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 20, 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 25, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 6 and then transplant them into the garden around June 15. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around June 20.
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 21.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Aug 4 |
Broccoli | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Cabbage | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 6 - May 21 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Aug 4 |
Cauliflower | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Aug 4 |
Collards | May 6 - Jun 20 | Jun 5 - Jul 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 5 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 5 |
Eggplants | Mar 25 - Apr 9 | May 6 - May 21 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Aug 4 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 21 - May 21 |
Kale | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Apr 9 - May 24 | May 21 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 5 - Jul 5 | Jul 5 - Aug 4 | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 21 - May 21 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Aug 14 |
Parsley | Apr 21 - Jun 5 | Jun 5 - Jul 20 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Jul 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 21 - May 21 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Jul 5 |
Peppers | Mar 30 - Apr 14 | May 11 - May 26 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Jul 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Spinach | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 |
Tomatoes | Mar 30 - Apr 14 | May 11 - May 26 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Jul 20 - Aug 19 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 21 - May 21 |