On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 10 and ends Sep 25, totalling 138 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 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 March 1. Then, around May 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 May 10, 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 April 20, 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 | Mar 26 - Apr 10 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 10 - Jun 7 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 15 - Mar 29 |
Broccoli | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 26 - May 10 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 26 |
Cauliflower | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Collards | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 10 - May 24 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 10 - May 24 |
Eggplants | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | May 10 - May 24 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 10 - May 24 |
Kale | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Mar 29 - Apr 26 | Mar 29 - Apr 26 |
Mustard | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 10 - May 24 |
Onions | Feb 23 - Mar 1 | Mar 11 - Apr 10 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 11 - Apr 10 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 10 - Jun 7 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 11 - Apr 10 |
Peppers | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | May 10 - May 24 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 11 - Apr 10 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 26 - May 24 |
Spinach | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | Mar 26 - Apr 26 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 10 - May 31 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | May 10 - May 24 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 10 - May 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 June 17. 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 11, 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 17, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 28 and then transplant them into the garden around July 7. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 12.
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 12.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jul 12 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Aug 26 |
Broccoli | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 28 - Jun 12 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Aug 26 |
Cauliflower | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Aug 26 |
Collards | May 28 - Jul 12 | Jun 27 - Aug 11 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jun 27 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 12 - Jun 27 |
Eggplants | Apr 16 - May 1 | May 28 - Jun 12 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Aug 26 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 12 |
Kale | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 1 - Jun 15 | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 27 - Jul 27 | Jul 27 - Aug 26 | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 12 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 26 - Sep 5 |
Parsley | May 13 - Jun 27 | Jun 27 - Aug 11 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 12 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Peppers | Apr 21 - May 6 | Jun 2 - Jun 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Spinach | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | Jul 12 - Aug 26 |
Tomatoes | Apr 21 - May 6 | Jun 2 - Jun 17 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 10 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 12 |