On average, your frost-free growing season starts Mar 31 and ends Oct 31, totalling 214 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 31. 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 21. Then, around March 27 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 March 31, 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 15 - Mar 1 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 28 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
Broccoli | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - Mar 31 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 18 - Mar 17 |
Cauliflower | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 18 - Mar 3 |
Collards | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Eggplants | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 31 - Apr 14 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Kale | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Feb 18 - Mar 17 | Feb 18 - Mar 17 |
Mustard | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Onions | Jan 14 - Jan 21 | Jan 31 - Mar 1 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Mar 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 28 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Mar 1 |
Peppers | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 31 - Apr 14 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Mar 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 15 - Apr 14 |
Spinach | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Feb 15 - Mar 17 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 21 - Feb 4 | Mar 31 - Apr 14 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
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 23. 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 16, 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 22, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 3 and then transplant them into the garden around August 12. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 17.
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 18.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Broccoli | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Jul 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Oct 1 |
Cauliflower | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Oct 1 |
Collards | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 2 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 2 |
Eggplants | May 22 - Jun 6 | Jul 3 - Jul 18 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Kale | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 2 - Sep 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 1 - Oct 11 |
Parsley | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Peppers | May 27 - Jun 11 | Jul 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Spinach | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Tomatoes | May 27 - Jun 11 | Jul 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 16 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |