On average, your frost-free growing season starts Mar 18 and ends Nov 16, totalling 243 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 18. 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 8. Then, around March 14 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 18, 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 2 - Feb 17 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 15 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jan 22 - Feb 5 |
Broccoli | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 4 - Mar 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Mar 4 |
Cauliflower | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Collards | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Eggplants | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Mar 18 - Apr 1 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Kale | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 5 - Mar 4 | Feb 5 - Mar 4 |
Mustard | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Onions | Jan 1 - Jan 8 | Jan 18 - Feb 17 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jan 18 - Feb 17 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 15 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jan 18 - Feb 17 |
Peppers | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Mar 18 - Apr 1 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jan 18 - Feb 17 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 2 - Apr 1 |
Spinach | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Feb 19 - Mar 4 | Feb 2 - Mar 4 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 8 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 8 - Jan 22 | Mar 18 - Apr 1 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around August 8. 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 October 2, 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 September 7, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 19 and then transplant them into the garden around August 28. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 2.
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 August 3.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 17 |
Broccoli | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Oct 17 |
Cauliflower | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Oct 17 |
Collards | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Aug 18 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Aug 18 |
Eggplants | Jun 7 - Jun 22 | Jul 19 - Aug 3 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 17 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 4 - Aug 3 |
Kale | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 18 - Sep 17 | Sep 17 - Oct 17 | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 4 - Aug 3 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 17 - Oct 27 |
Parsley | Jul 4 - Aug 18 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 17 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 4 - Aug 3 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 17 |
Peppers | Jun 12 - Jun 27 | Jul 24 - Aug 8 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 17 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Spinach | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 |
Tomatoes | Jun 12 - Jun 27 | Jul 24 - Aug 8 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Nov 1 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 4 - Aug 3 |