On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 25 and ends Sep 21, totalling 119 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 26. 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 16. Then, around May 21 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 25, 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 5, 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 10 - Apr 25 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 22 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 30 - Apr 13 |
Broccoli | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 11 - May 25 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 13 - May 11 |
Cauliflower | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 13 - Apr 27 |
Collards | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
Eggplants | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | May 25 - Jun 8 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
Kale | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 13 - May 11 | Apr 13 - May 11 |
Mustard | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
Onions | Mar 9 - Mar 16 | Mar 26 - Apr 25 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 26 - Apr 25 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 22 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 26 - Apr 25 |
Peppers | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | May 25 - Jun 8 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 26 - Apr 25 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 10 - Jun 8 |
Spinach | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | Apr 27 - May 11 | Apr 10 - May 11 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 25 - Jun 15 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 16 - Mar 30 | May 25 - Jun 8 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 25 - Jun 8 |
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 13. 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 7, 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 13, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 24 and then transplant them into the garden around July 3. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 8.
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 8.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 8 - Jul 8 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 22 |
Broccoli | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Cabbage | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 24 - Jun 8 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 23 - Aug 22 |
Cauliflower | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 8 - Aug 22 |
Collards | May 24 - Jul 8 | Jun 23 - Aug 7 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 8 - Jun 23 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 8 - Jun 23 |
Eggplants | Apr 12 - Apr 27 | May 24 - Jun 8 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 8 - Aug 22 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 9 - Jun 8 |
Kale | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Apr 27 - Jun 11 | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 23 - Jul 23 | Jul 23 - Aug 22 | Jul 23 - Aug 22 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 23 - Aug 22 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 9 - Jun 8 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Sep 1 |
Parsley | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 23 - Aug 7 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 23 - Jul 23 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 9 - Jun 8 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 23 - Jul 23 |
Peppers | Apr 17 - May 2 | May 29 - Jun 13 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 23 - Jul 23 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 23 - Aug 22 |
Spinach | Jun 8 - Jul 23 | Jul 8 - Aug 22 | Jul 8 - Aug 22 |
Tomatoes | Apr 17 - May 2 | May 29 - Jun 13 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 9 - Jun 8 |