On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 8 and ends Oct 29, totalling 204 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 8. 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 January 29. Then, around April 4 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 April 8, 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 | Feb 23 - Mar 9 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - May 6 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 12 - Feb 26 |
Broccoli | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 25 - Apr 8 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 26 - Mar 25 |
Cauliflower | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 26 - Mar 11 |
Collards | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 22 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 22 |
Eggplants | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Apr 8 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 22 |
Kale | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Feb 26 - Mar 25 | Feb 26 - Mar 25 |
Mustard | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 22 |
Onions | Jan 22 - Jan 29 | Feb 8 - Mar 9 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Mar 9 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - May 6 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Mar 9 |
Peppers | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Apr 8 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Mar 9 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 23 - Apr 22 |
Spinach | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Mar 11 - Mar 25 | Feb 23 - Mar 25 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 29 - Feb 12 | Apr 8 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Apr 22 |
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 21. 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 14, 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 20, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 1 and then transplant them into the garden around August 10. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 15.
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 16.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Aug 15 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 15 - Sep 29 |
Broccoli | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 1 - Jul 16 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 31 - Sep 29 |
Cauliflower | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Sep 29 |
Collards | Jul 1 - Aug 15 | Jul 31 - Sep 14 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Jul 31 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Jul 31 |
Eggplants | May 20 - Jun 4 | Jul 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 15 - Sep 29 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Kale | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 4 - Jul 19 | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 31 - Aug 30 | Aug 30 - Sep 29 | Aug 30 - Sep 29 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 30 - Sep 29 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 29 - Oct 9 |
Parsley | Jun 16 - Jul 31 | Jul 31 - Sep 14 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 31 - Aug 30 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 31 - Aug 30 |
Peppers | May 25 - Jun 9 | Jul 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 31 - Aug 30 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 30 - Sep 29 |
Spinach | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 15 - Sep 29 | Aug 15 - Sep 29 |
Tomatoes | May 25 - Jun 9 | Jul 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 14 - Oct 14 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |