On average, your frost-free growing season starts Jan 10 and ends Dec 16, totalling 341 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around November 11. 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 November 1. Then, around January 6 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 January 10, 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 | Nov 26 - Dec 11 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Feb 7 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Nov 15 - Nov 29 |
Broccoli | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Cabbage | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Dec 27 - Jan 10 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Nov 29 - Dec 27 |
Cauliflower | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Nov 29 - Dec 13 |
Collards | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Eggplants | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Kale | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Lettuce | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Nov 29 - Dec 27 | Nov 29 - Dec 27 |
Mustard | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Onions | Oct 25 - Nov 1 | Nov 11 - Dec 11 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Nov 11 - Dec 11 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Feb 7 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Nov 11 - Dec 11 |
Peppers | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Nov 11 - Dec 11 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Nov 26 - Jan 24 |
Spinach | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Dec 13 - Dec 27 | Nov 26 - Dec 27 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 31 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Nov 1 - Nov 15 | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around September 7. 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 November 1, 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 October 7, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 18 and then transplant them into the garden around September 27. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around October 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 September 2.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Nov 16 |
Broccoli | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 2 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Nov 16 |
Cauliflower | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Nov 16 |
Collards | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | Sep 17 - Nov 1 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Sep 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Sep 17 |
Eggplants | Jul 7 - Jul 22 | Aug 18 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Nov 16 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Kale | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 17 - Oct 17 | Oct 17 - Nov 16 | Oct 17 - Nov 16 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 17 - Nov 16 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 16 - Nov 26 |
Parsley | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | Sep 17 - Nov 1 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Peppers | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | Aug 23 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 17 - Nov 16 |
Spinach | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | Oct 2 - Nov 16 | Oct 2 - Nov 16 |
Tomatoes | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | Aug 23 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Nov 1 - Dec 1 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |