On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 3 and ends Oct 4, totalling 154 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 4. 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 23. Then, around April 29 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 3, 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 13, 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 19 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 31 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 8 - Mar 22 |
Broccoli | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 19 - May 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 22 - Apr 19 |
Cauliflower | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 22 - Apr 5 |
Collards | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Eggplants | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Kale | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Mar 22 - Apr 19 | Mar 22 - Apr 19 |
Mustard | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Onions | Feb 16 - Feb 23 | Mar 4 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 31 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Peppers | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Apr 3 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 19 - May 17 |
Spinach | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | Apr 5 - Apr 19 | Mar 19 - Apr 19 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 3 - May 24 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 23 - Mar 8 | May 3 - May 17 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 3 - May 17 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around June 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 August 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 July 26, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 6 and then transplant them into the garden around July 16. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 21.
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 June 21.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 21 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Sep 4 |
Broccoli | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 6 - Jun 21 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Sep 4 |
Cauliflower | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Sep 4 |
Collards | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 6 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 6 |
Eggplants | Apr 25 - May 10 | Jun 6 - Jun 21 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Sep 4 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 21 |
Kale | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 10 - Jun 24 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 6 - Aug 5 | Aug 5 - Sep 4 | Aug 5 - Sep 4 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 5 - Sep 4 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 21 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Sep 14 |
Parsley | May 22 - Jul 6 | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 21 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 5 |
Peppers | Apr 30 - May 15 | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 5 - Sep 4 |
Spinach | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Jul 21 - Sep 4 | Jul 21 - Sep 4 |
Tomatoes | Apr 30 - May 15 | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 19 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 21 |