On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 15 and ends Oct 25, totalling 163 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 16. 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 6. Then, around May 11 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 May 15, 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 25, 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 31 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 12 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Broccoli | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Cauliflower | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Collards | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 15 - May 29 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 15 - May 29 |
Eggplants | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | May 15 - May 29 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 15 - May 29 |
Kale | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 3 - May 1 | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Mustard | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 15 - May 29 |
Onions | Feb 28 - Mar 6 | Mar 16 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 16 - Apr 15 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 12 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 16 - Apr 15 |
Peppers | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | May 15 - May 29 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 16 - Apr 15 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - May 29 |
Spinach | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Apr 17 - May 1 | Mar 31 - May 1 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 15 - Jun 5 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | May 15 - May 29 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 15 - May 29 |
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 17. 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 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 August 16, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 27 and then transplant them into the garden around August 6. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 11.
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 12.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Aug 11 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 25 |
Broccoli | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 12 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Sep 25 |
Cauliflower | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Sep 25 |
Collards | Jun 27 - Aug 11 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Jul 27 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Jul 27 |
Eggplants | May 16 - May 31 | Jun 27 - Jul 12 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 25 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jul 12 |
Kale | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 27 - Aug 26 | Aug 26 - Sep 25 | Aug 26 - Sep 25 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 26 - Sep 25 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jul 12 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 25 - Oct 5 |
Parsley | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jul 12 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Peppers | May 21 - Jun 5 | Jul 2 - Jul 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 26 - Sep 25 |
Spinach | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | Aug 11 - Sep 25 | Aug 11 - Sep 25 |
Tomatoes | May 21 - Jun 5 | Jul 2 - Jul 17 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 10 - Oct 10 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jul 12 |